Undergraduate Certificates: Approval, Assessment, Duration, Enrollment in, and Awarding of Financial Aid

A. Undergraduate Certificate Program Criteria, Approval, Assessment, and Renewal

1. Undergraduate Certificate Program Criteria

Undergraduate certificate programs must meet all the following criteria:

• Meet the Academic Program Definitions Policy of a coursework-only certificate or of an experiential learning certificate.
• Have a clear and appropriate educational objective and achieve this objective in an efficient and well-defined manner.
• Shall not duplicate an existing minor (e.g. minor in digital marketing and certificate in digital marketing).
• Shall not have curricular tracks (e.g. curricular subplans).
• Shall exclude all courses numbered 700 and above.
• Have a maximum time to completion of four full academic years and shall complete a minimum of 75% of the certificate courses while in residence at KU.
• Have an updated list of courses and requirements in the academic catalog that are associated with the certificate. A department must guarantee that required core courses will be offered no less than once per academic year.
• In the case of requirements supplemental to coursework (e.g., experiential learning opportunities such as laboratories, practica, internships, and projects), maintain appropriate oversight and conduct evaluation.
• In cases of potential overlap with existing KU programs, not detract from existing programs.

2. Approval of New Undergraduate Certificate Programs

The development of certificate programs is encouraged where they may enhance the educational experience of students in existing undergraduate degree programs; provide a needed educational opportunity for students; allow to develop skills in a particular area; or combine with other components to support progress toward a degree.  Proposals for new undergraduate certificate programs may be created and submitted in the same manner as proposals for new degree programs.  Approvals for certificate programs are made as outlined in the Approval of Academic Programs and Academic Units and the Faculty Responsibility for Establishment of Curricula, Academic Standards, and Degree Requirements Policy.  A detailed description of the steps in the approval process is outlined on the Academic Affairs website for new program proposals.

3. Assessment of Undergraduate Certificate Programs

Undergraduate certificate programs must be assessed on a schedule determined by the Office of Academic Affairs.

4. Duration of Undergraduate Certificate Programs

Upon approval of an undergraduate certificate program, the program will be adopted for a seven-year (7-year) time period. The certificate program will expire at the end of that period. The program may request renewal of the certificate by completing a renewal form endorsed by the department and the appropriate school or College. The Office of Academic Affairs will remind the undergraduate certificate program about its renewal at least one (1) semester before the certificate program is scheduled to expire. 

The proposal will be evaluated for an additional seven-year (7-year) period. The Academic Program Coordinating Committee (APCC) will evaluate coursework-only certificates while the University Core Curriculum Committee (UCCC) will evaluate certificates with a combination of credit-bearing coursework and noncredit approved educational experiences.

If a certificate program expires no new students may be enrolled in the program. Programs must ensure any students currently in the certificate program have sufficient coursework options to continue until completion.

B. Student Eligibility for Enrollment, Completion, and Financial Aid

1. Classification of Undergraduate Certificate Programs for Title IV Eligibility

To be eligible for Title IV funding, an undergraduate certificate must be classified as stand-alone.  A certificate may only be classified as stand-alone if completion of the certificate without additional coursework fulfills the educational requirement for licensure, certification, or an equivalent credential. A stand-alone certificate is, per U.S. Department of Education requirements, intended to “prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation” as designated by one or more U.S. Dept. of Labor Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes. (Rates of student attainment of employment in SOC-designated occupations may be used by the U.S. Department of Education to determine the quality of the certificate program and its continued eligibility for Title IV funding – i.e. eligibility for federal grants and loans to be awarded to students in the program.) Departments are required to track job placement outcomes of students who complete a stand-alone certificate.

2. Student Eligibility for Admission to Undergraduate Certificate Programs

Certificates classified as stand-alone for Title IV eligibility purposes are included on the undergraduate admissions application. Non-degree-seeking students are eligible to apply and must complete an admissions application. Degree-seeking students are eligible to apply through the change of major form. Admission is at the discretion of the appropriate school or College.

All other undergraduate certificates are solely open to KU degree-seeking students who are eligible to apply through the change of major form. Admission is at the discretion of the appropriate school or College.

3. Student Completion of an Undergraduate Certificate Program

Degree-seeking students shall declare their intent to complete a certificate program the same semester they apply for graduation. For degree-seeking students, undergraduate certificates shall not be granted retroactively post-graduation.

Non-degree seeking students shall declare their intent to complete the certificate no later than their final semester in the program.

Completion of an undergraduate certificate program will be documented on a student’s transcript.