What is a Certificate of Completion?

By Jessalyn Johnson
English Literature Major, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Confident woman holds textbook with backpack slung across her

After earning a bachelor’s degree, you may find that you need more education in order to pursue your dream job. A solution to this dilemma might be a certificate of completion.

A certificate of completion is typically a short program that consists of graduate-level courses that can take about a year to complete. Some students choose to earn a certificate of completion after earning a bachelor’s degree to gain further knowledge in an area of interest; others choose to earn a certificate of completion before pursuing graduate school. If you are considering a graduate program, this certificate can help you see how graduate courses might go if you decide you want to pursue your next degree.

But, what do these credits count toward? Your master’s degree, of course! If you take on the certificate and decide to later pursue a master’s degree, the credits you earn for your certificate may count toward certain credits within your master’s degree program.

If you decide a master’s degree is not for you, or you want to hold off for a while before going pursuing the next degree, there is still benefit to having the extra knowledge that you did not have before. For example, you can list your certificate on your resume to show future employers that you have knowledge in a certain subject area.

Grand Canyon University might be the place to look when considering a certificate of completion in your area of interest. GCU offers several online graduate certificates of completion, several of which are contained in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Some of these include a graduate certificate in health psychology, life coaching, and forensic psychology, among others.

If you are considering an online graduate certificate program at GCU, make sure you choose the right one for you. To learn more about certificates of completion and how to apply, contact us to request more information.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.

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