To provide requirements for certificate programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional certificates, Capstone, and non-credit certificate offerings.
A certificate program is a designated set of for-credit courses focused upon a specific topic or theme. Certificates give students the opportunity to pursue a subject of interest in a formalized way and to have completion of the course of study recognized by the awarding of the certificate. After approval, the for-credit certificate is documented on the student’s UW–Madison transcript and becomes part of the official student record. Certificates add opportunities for flexibility not available in majors and degrees.
The Office of the Registrar maintains the official lists of certificates, departments, degrees, majors, and options. Review the Official Certificate List for the current list of undergraduate, graduate/professional, and Capstone certificate programs. There are currently more than 100 certificates offered at UW–Madison.
This policy covers the following types of certificates; a high-level overview of each type of certificate is included below:
Guidelines for For-Credit Certificate Programs
Guidelines for Noncredit Certificate Programs
Guidelines for Suspending or Discontinuing Certificate Programs
Lumen Programs (online system to initiate a new certificate proposal and/or initiate changes to an existing certificate program)
02-19-2020
UW-Madison faculty adopted new policy guidelines governing certificate programs in spring 2012 (revised spring 2014 and summer 2016)