Certificate Programs (A-69)
Original Implementation: April 22, 2008
Last Revision: April 19, 2011
The purpose for offering undergraduate, graduate or continuing education certificate programs is to meet the supplemental education needs of individuals. Providing certificates for workforce development and job enhancement is a high priority for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
A certificate program is a set of courses that provides in-depth knowledge and skill development in a content or professional area. A certificate program should provide a coherent knowledge and skill base. Selected courses may come from one or more academic areas and may be practice/skill-oriented or academic in nature.
It is the responsibility of the academic unit offering certificate programs to establish a process for awarding and tracking certificates. Certificate records shall be kept indefinitely within the academic unit.
Process for Developing a Certificate Program
- Faculty members recognize a need for an undergraduate or graduate certificate program, then document the need and prepare an application.
- The academic unit, through its curriculum process, reviews the application.
- If approved, the chair/director of the academic unit sends the application to the college for review, adhering to the curriculum approval process established in the college.
- If approved, the dean of the college forwards the application to either the university Undergraduate Curriculum Committee or Graduate Council for consideration.
If approved, the application is sent to the provost and vice president for academic affairs for presentation to the Dean’s Council for approval.
THECB Approval
Certificate programs that require THECB notification and are automatically approved, subject to review include:
- upper-level undergraduate programs of 21-36 hours in disciplinary areas where the institution already offers an undergraduate degree program; and,
- graduate and professional-level programs of 16-29 hours in disciplinary areas where the institution already offers a graduate program at the same level as the certificate.
Certificate programs that do not require THECB notification or approval include:
- programs for which no collegiate academic credit is given;
- undergraduate programs of 20 semester credit hours or less; and,
- graduate and professional-level programs of 15 semester credit hours or less.
Cross Reference: 19 Tex. Admin. Code § 5.48
Responsible for Implementation: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Contact for Revision: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Forms: None
Board Committee Assignment: Academic and Student Affairs