Office of Graduate Certificates
University of South Florida
140 Seventh Avenue South, PNM 102
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Web address: https://www.usf.edu/graduate-studies/graduate-certificates/
Phone: 727-873-4657
Email: gradstudies@usf.edu
Individual Graduate Certificate Contacts
The Graduate Certificate comprises a credential that, when completed, affords the student some record of distinct academic accomplishment in a given discipline. Applicants often pursue a Graduate Certificate to support continuing education or career enhancement, as well as to prepare for potential admission into a graduate degree at USF.
Students must apply, be admitted into the Graduate Certificate and successfully complete all requirements to be eligible to receive a Graduate Certificate. The Graduate Certificate is not a guaranteed means of entry into a graduate major. However, the courses comprising the Graduate Certificate may be used as evidence in support of a student’s application for admission into a graduate major and these courses may be transferred into the major with departmental/school approval.
Curriculum
Graduate Certificates are developed by the faculty within a department/school and approved through the standard curriculum process by the department/school, college, Graduate Council, and Office of Graduate Studies.
Graduate Certificates are comprised of a focused collection of typically 9-12 graduate credit hours, but no more than 15 graduate credit hours. At least one structured graduate course is required in common for all students in the Graduate Certificate. Requirements may not include directed research, thesis, internship (unless the internship is for a certificate designed to pursue State Certification or licensure), etc.
Admission Requirements
All applicants must submit an application for admission to a graduate certificate and meet University admission requirements, including minimums for English proficiency. For programs that lead to licensure, the associated graduate certificates may have additional requirements (e.g. standardized tests, letters of recommendation, pre-requisites, etc.) which are noted in the catalog copy for that certificate Applicants should submit their application by the admission application deadlines posted below. Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a space available and time permitting basis for the next available semester. Questions about the admission requirements may be directed to the Graduate Certificate Director, or the Office of Graduate Certificates.
Admission Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester: June 1
- Spring Semester: October 15
- Summer Semester: February 15
Students who are enrolled in a graduate degree program and would like to add a graduate certificate should apply for admission to the graduate certificate during, or prior to the completion of, their first graduate certificate course, but MUST APPLY no later than the deadline to apply for graduation (typically the fourth week of the semester in which the student plans to graduate with the graduate degree). For degree-seeking students, the Office of Graduate Studies will waive the application fee.
Important Note: Once the degree is conferred, it is no longer possible to be admitted to a Graduate Certificate using graduate courses from that major.
Student Classification
Non-degree seeking students admitted to a graduate certificate will be classified as “Graduate Certificate Students.” As such, they are not eligible for financial aid and will receive a later registration date than degree-seeking students.
Degree-seeking students who simultaneously pursue a graduate certificate will retain the degree-seeking classification but will also have the graduate certificate classification added to the student record. Degree-seeking students may be eligible for financial aid for certificate coursework that also applies to their graduate degree. Students should consult with the Office of Financial Aid for more information.
Academic Policies and Requirements
For academic policies and procedures refer to the Academic Policies section of the Graduate Catalog. In addition to those policies, Graduate Certificate students also must comply with the following policies specific to Graduate Certificates:
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Good Standing - Students pursuing a graduate certificate are required to meet the same academic requirements as those defined for degree-seeking students to remain in “good standing” to avoid being academically dismissed from the graduate certificate. Students enrolled in a graduate certificate are required to maintain a 3.00 GPA in the graduate certificate coursework to be eligible for completion and to avoid being academically dismissed from the graduate certificate.
- Courses - Graduate certificate seeking students may only share one graduate course with another graduate certificate. A graduate course that is shared may only be applied to a maximum of two graduate certficates.
- Course Currency - Graduate certificate requirements must be completed within five (5) years of completing the first course that applies to the graduate certificate.
- Application of Credit - should a graduate certificate student subsequently apply and be accepted to a graduate major, the University’s Application of Internal Credit Policy applies. Any application of such credit must be approved by the degree-granting college and must be appropriate to the major. No courses taken outside of USF may be transferred into a graduate certificate at USF.
- Probation/Withdrawal/Dismissal - Graduate certificate student are held to the same policies that apply to all graduate students. See the appropriate section in Academic Policies for information.
Certificate Completion Requirements
Graduate certificate seeking students must submit their Graduate Certificate Completion Form to the Office of Graduate Certificates by the deadline to apply for graduation (the fourth week) of the semester in which they will complete the final course(s) for their graduate certificate. Please consult the Academic Calendar for graduation application deadlines.
- For Graduate Certificate Seeking Students concurrently enrolled in a graduate degree, the student must be admitted into the graduate certificate prior to conferring their concurrent graduate degree.
- For all Graduate Certificate Seeking Students, a Completion Form must be submitted no later than five years after starting the first course applied to the graduate certificate.
All students must be active at the time the Graduate Certificate Completion Form is submitted.
The department/school offering the graduate certificate will certify the student for the graduate certificate once the requirements are successfully completed. The Graduate Certificate Completion Form is approved by the department/school, college, and Office of Graduate Studies. Courses may not be applied to a graduate certificate once the degree is conferred, unless an approved application for the graduate certificate is on file before the last day of classes in the semester when the graduate degree is conferred.
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