Guidelines for Certificate Programs Preamble

1. The College does not guarantee a certificate program or a course in a particular program, so that a student may earn a certificate. Unresolvable conflicts in scheduling, the cancellation of a course because of under-enrollment, faculty sabbaticals or teaching responsibilities, or the financial condition of the College at a particular time, are some conditions that may hinder a student from entering or completing a certificate program.
   
   
2. A certificate indicates that the student who has earned the certificate has achieved a level of academic excellence in a special area of studies. The certificate committee must monitor the strength and appropriateness of the courses in the program, and also justify the awarding of the certificate with a reasonably rigorous comprehensive exam.
   
   
3. The positive benefits of certificate programs should never be underestimated nor exaggerated. A certificate may help a student in future studies or employment. The curriculum and faculty interchange are strengthened by the interdisciplinary nature of most of the programs, a quality that should be constantly fostered.

The Director of the Certificate Program

1. In consultation with the department chair and the faculty of the certificate program, the Dean of the College appoints the certificate program director. A certificate program director may not direct more than one certificate program at a time.
   
   
2. The duties of the certificate program director are:
   • to advise students about qualifications for the certificate program and its contents;
   • to provide students with the standard registration form entitled "Declaration of Intention to enter a Certificate Program." The Registrar's Office and the director of the certificate program each retain a copy of this completed form;
   • to arrange scheduling of courses with department chairs and with the Registrar;
   • to oversee fulfillment of standards and course requirements for the certificate in accord with the Curriculum Committee's approval of the program;
   • to determine the date, place, and nature, whether oral or written, of the comprehensive exams;
   • to inform the students, department chairs, and the Dean within a reasonable amount of time on the results of comprehensive exams and other requirements for the certificate.

The Candidate for the Certificate

1. Using the standard registration form, a student must register for a certificate by the end of the Junior year, and no later than the beginning of the Senior year.
   
   
2. A student must have a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (C) at the time of registering for a certificate program.
   
   
3. A student must have a minimum grade point average of 2.33 (C+) in all courses presented for the certificate.
   
   
4. A student must have a minimum grade of 2.0 (C) in each individual course presented for the certificate.

The Courses in the Certificate Program

1. No more than five courses may be required for a certificate.
   
   
2. No more than one course may count for credit toward both a student's major and a certificate program, or toward multiple certificate programs. In order to allow a student to complete both a major and a certificate program or multiple certificate programs with overlapping requirements, the substitution of courses is allowed. The substituted course must be from the same department as the required course. The director of the certificate program and the department chair will determine the suitability of courses for substitution.
   
   
3. A student must complete a minimum of four courses in the designated area.
   
   
4. A student must take courses in a minimum of two fields of study for a certificate.
   
   
5. No more than two courses transferred from other accredited institutions may be counted toward a certificate.
   
   
6. A student must pass a comprehensive examination before the faculty of the program to earn a certificate.

September 1989
revised September 1995