Curriculum Guidelines and Forms

Wichita State University Graduate School

Guidelines for the Development of Graduate Certificates

DEFINITION: Graduate certificates are awarded by departments, colleges, and the Graduate School to recognize graduate-level accomplishment in a cluster of related graduate courses. They serve as the student's record of coherent academic accomplishment. They are not degrees, concentrations, minors, or certification programs. Some certificates are “free-standing” for students who desire focused graduate level education, but who may not wish to pursue a graduate degree. Alternatively, certificates can be pursued by degree bound students to highlight a particular emphasis area or as “modular” components of the degree program.  

COURSE WORK: Graduate certificate programs typically consist of 4 to 6 graduate courses (12 to 18 credit hours). Significant departures from this range will require justification in the proposal. No more than 1/3 of the required course work should be S/U graded. Graduate badges are exempt from this limit because Bg grades are associated with a higher quality of work equivalent to a letter grade of a B. Transfer hours are usually not acceptable for certificate programs.

MANAGEMENT: A certificate program may be housed in a single department or span multiple academic units. In either case, the certificate program is proposed and managed by a steering committee of faculty having an interest in the certificate program. Normally one faculty member serves as certificate program coordinator and convener for the steering committee. Note that certificate steering committees can perfectly overlap the steering committee for other certificate programs.

ELIGIBILITY: Students seeking graduate certificates must be admitted to the Graduate School in a degree program or in non-degree A status. All Graduate School policies relative to admissions apply. Eligibility criteria particular to the proposed certificate program (course or degree prerequisites, TOEFL scores, language or tool requirements, etc.) should be defined in the certificate program proposal.  

International students will not be issued an I-20 for certificate programs alone. They may obtain a certificate only while concurrently pursuing a graduate degree.

Students pursuing a graduate certificate must notify the program area (in a written memo) that they wish to complete the certificate before completing the required courses via the submitted Plan of Study. Requests to complete the certificate are reviewed by the program faculty and the Dean of the Graduate School.

DEGREE OVERLAP: Students may usually use certificate course work toward an eventual degree. Exceptions should be noted in the certificate program proposal.

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS:  A cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 3.00 for all courses comprising the certificate program and no grades below C. Badges that were not earned (NBg) cannot be used on the Plan of Study. Each certificate program should offer a sequence of courses that allows completion of the program requirements in a defined amount of time. 

COMPLETION PROCESS: Notify the program area in writing of intent to complete the certificate. Do the following in the semester the certificate requirements are met: 

• Prepare (with graduate advisor) and submit (to the Graduate School) a Plan of Study (for the certificate)
• Submit an Application for Degree (for the certificate) with a $15.00 filling fee to the Graduate School no later than 20th day of fall or spring semester or the 10th day of a summer term

APPROVAL PROCESS:  Curriculum Change Forms for new certificate programs should go through the standard formal review process, including the Graduate Council, and should include all components listed below. Normally one semester should be allowed for the approval process.

• Title of the proposed certificate program
• Certificate program objectives
• Demonstration of need
• Detailed description and rationale for the curriculum, including a summary of how the certificate fits in the unit’s larger objectives
• Plan for offering a sequence of courses that allows completion of the program requirements in a defined amount of time
• Program organization, including identification of:
  • Faculty associated with the certificate program, normally those who expect to teach courses in the certificate program curriculum
  • A steering committee of graduate faculty identified with the certificate program representing a subset of #1 
  • A committee chair or coordinator responsible for management of the certificate program, for advising students, etc.
• Statements of support from chairs and deans whose programs and faculty are involved in the proposed certificate program. Statements from representatives of any program, department, or college on which the proposed certificate program will have an impact.
• Assessment plan that describes how program quality of the program will be monitored. The plan should also include narrative on how continuation and duration of the program will be determined.

GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT GUIDELINES: After the proposal is approved by the dean of the Graduate School, the Offices of Academic Affairs and Financial Aid will determine whether the proposed program is a gainful employment program, as defined by U.S. Department of Education Program Integrity regulations (i.e., a program that is at least one year in length, leads to a certificate or other non-degree recognized credential, and prepares student for gainful employment in a recognized occupation). A certificate program that is eligible for federal financial aid and is determined to be a gainful employment program must comply with disclosure and reporting requirements. Federal regulations require a university to disclose, inter alia, the following information about the program on the university’s website and in materials promoting the certificate program:

• Tuition and fees
• Costs of books, supplies, room and board
• On-time graduation rate for students completing the program
• Job placement rates
• The median loan debt incurred by students who completed the program
• Curriculum routing sheet with the appropriate departmental, college and university signatures

CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL: The principles for assessing the academic quality of proposals are listed below. Deans, chairs, and other administrators will address resource issues in their statement of support.

• Demonstrated need
• Course work should offer clear educational objectives at the graduate level
• Course work comprising the certificate program must be an integrated and organized sequence of study

RECOGNITION: Students completing the certificate program will receive an appropriately worded certificate, provided by the Registrar. A notation will be made on the student's transcript when the certificate has been awarded.

PROMOTION: Approved graduate certificate programs will be listed in the Graduate Catalog and advertised appropriately. 

QUALITY AND ASSESSMENT: All WSU courses for graduate credit are taught by graduate faculty who have been reviewed for currency in their subject matter, scholarship or creative work, and teaching experience appropriate to teaching in specific graduate certificate programs. Certificate programs are initially approved through the process defined. Certificate programs are normally approved for three years, after which they will be reviewed and recommended for continuation or discontinuation.  

Wichita State University

 Academic Affairs Committee

Guidelines for Undergraduate Certificate Programs

DEFINITION:  Undergraduate certificates are awarded by departments and colleges to recognize accomplishment in a cluster of related courses on a topic, skill, theme, or method, as defined by the appropriate faculty.  They serve as the student's record of coherent academic accomplishment.  They are not degrees, concentrations, minors (see below *), or certification programs (see below **).

POTENTIAL STUDENTS include:  

• students seeking skills or knowledge in a focused area for which we have no degree, major,  minor, or concentration.
• students who desire interdisciplinary course work to complement their degree program.  

COURSE WORK:  Undergraduate certificate programs typically consist of 4 to 6 undergraduate courses (12 to 18 credit hours).  Significant departures from this range will require justification in the proposal.  No more than 1/3 of the required course work should be S/U graded.  Transfer hours are usually not acceptable for certificate programs.

MANAGEMENT:  An undergraduate certificate program may be housed in a single department, or may be interdepartmental, or even inter-college.  In both cases, the certificate program is proposed and managed by faculty having an interest in the certificate program.  Normally one faculty member serves as certificate program coordinator.

ELIGIBILITY:   Undergraduate students seeking to enroll in courses for a certificate program must be admitted to Wichita State University.  They may be in either degree or non degree   status.  International students may enroll in certificate programs but must maintain compliance with their visa requirements.  Students should contact the coordinator of the certificate program or the department chair where the certificate is offered to inform them of their interest in enrolling in the program.  Certificate programs may have a separate admission process.   

DEGREE OVERLAP: Students may usually use certificate course work toward an eventual degree.  Exceptions should be noted in the certificate program proposal.

COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS:  A cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 2.00 for all courses comprising the certificate program and no grades below C.   Each certificate program should offer a sequence of courses that allows completion of the program requirements in a defined amount of time.  

APPROVAL PROCESS:  Proposals for new undergraduate certificate programs should be processed by way of the curriculum routing form to the Academic Affairs Committee before final approval by the Provost and Senior Vice President.  The proposal shall contain:

• the title of the proposed certificate program
• program objectives
• demonstration of need
• a detailed description and rationale for the curriculum 
• a plan for offering a sequence of courses that allows completion of the program requirements in a defined amount of time
• exceptional circumstances that favor the development of the proposed certificate program 
• organization of the program, including identification of
  • Faculty associated with the certificate program, normally those who expect to teach courses in the certificate program curriculum
  • A coordinator responsible for management of the certificate program, for advising students, etc.
• Statements of support from chairs and deans whose programs and faculty are involved in the proposed certificate program.  Colleges and departments may have procedures for faculty approval that must be respected as well.  Statements from representatives of any program, department, or college on which the proposed certificate program will have an impact.
• An assessment plan for the program must be included.  The plan should include how the quality of the program will be monitored.  The plan should also include narrative on how continuation and duration of the program will be determined.
• Prior to submitting a proposal for a certificate program, it is the responsibility of the originating unit to consult with the Offices of Academic Affairs and Financial Aid to determine whether the proposed program is a gainful employment program, as defined by U.S. Department of Education Program Integrity regulations (i.e., a program that is at least one year in length, leads to a certificate or other non-degree recognized credential, and prepares student for gainful employment in a recognized occupation).  A certificate program that is eligible for federal financial aid and is determined to be a gainful employment program must comply with disclosure and reporting requirements.  Federal regulations require a university to disclose, inter alia, the following information about the program on the university’s website and in materials promoting the certificate program:
  • Tuition and fees; 
  • Costs of books, supplies, room and board; 
  • On-time graduation rate for students completing the program;
  • Job placement rates; and 
  • The median loan debt incurred by students who completed the program.
• Curriculum routing sheet with the appropriate departmental, college and university signatures.  

CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL: Principles for assessing the academic quality of proposals:

• A demonstrated need must exist.
• Course work should offer clear educational objectives at the undergraduate level.
• Course work comprising the certificate program must be an integrated and organized sequence of study
• Deans, chairs, and other administrators will address resource issues in their statement of support.

RECOGNITION:  Students completing an undergraduate certificate program will receive an appropriately worded certificate.  Notation will be made on the student's transcript when a certificate has been awarded.

PROMOTION:  Approved undergraduate certificate programs will be listed in the Undergraduate Catalog (print and web versions), and Schedule of Courses.  Departments may choose to promote their programs through other venues.

DURATION AND REVIEW:  Undergraduate certificate program will exist as long as the department or college assessment data support a need for the program.

QUALITY:  

• The courses offered for undergraduate credit must be taught by faculty with expertise in the area of the certificate offering and appropriate advanced degrees.  
• Students must maintain at least a 2.00 grade point in the certificate classes to qualify for the certificate at the end of the program. 
• Undergraduate certificate programs are initially approved through a process defined and monitored by the Academic Affairs Committee and are periodically reviewed at an interval of approximately three years.

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*Minors and concentrations are usually embedded within existing degree programs; certificate programs may, but are not usually embedded within existing degree programs.  Certificate programs are targeted at specific audiences, often persons seeking specialized information for a job.  Upon completion of the certificate program, the certificate serves as a credential that bolsters employability as a job applicant or improves chances of advancement within a current job.    

**Certification is a process that assures that students meet certain standards within their program of study.  These standards are usually specified by an external board.  For example, teacher certification standards are set by the Kansas State Board of Education and are implemented in part, through the content of various courses.  Students who take the appropriate courses and meet other required standards become certified to teach in the State of Kansas.