Graduate School redefines specializations as fourth type of graduate certificate program

A change in the type of graduate certificate programs offered at MSU could mean more students earning certificates.

The type of certificates offered will expand from three to four, with a new addition giving students an opportunity to earn a certificate from a program not directly related to their degree and list it on their transcript. Academic Council approved the proposal in a Sept. 23 meeting.

Students can earn two broad types of graduate certificates — those directly related to a degree program or as distinct entities.

Prior to the proposal, graduate certificates not directly related to a degree program couldn’t be listed on a student’s transcript.

The new graduate certificate program will require students to receive approval from Academic Governance and complete at least nine credits not related to a degree program.

For Rachel Naegele, vice president of university relations for the Council of Graduate Students, the changes could mean more work to fit in more classes for her graduate certificate.

“I’ve actually been looking at how this might affect my schedule,” Naegele said. “I’m going to have to rearrange things a little bit.”

The new type of graduate certificate program will change what MSU referred to as a specialization into a graduate certificate.

The University Graduate Council, or UGC, approved the proposed changes after reviewing the request, said Karen Klomparens, dean of the Graduate School and ex-officio member of the UGC, in an e-mail.

“Nationally, ‘graduate certificate’ is a well-known and almost 100 percent completely adopted term at other universities for programs that MSU calls ‘specializations,’” she said.

The changes won’t affect the process for receiving a certificate, Klomparens said, and programs now called “specializations” can request their names be changed to “certificate.”

Student interest in MSU’s programs grew within the last 15 years, said Doug McKenna, associate registrar for certification process, in an e-mail.

Rising student involvement and more options for graduate certificate programs are results officials hope to see come from the changes, McKenna said.

“Increasing the types of graduate certificate programs available will allow colleges and departments to create new graduate certificate programs, which will hopefully increase the number of students who pursue a graduate certificate,” he said.

MSU doesn’t offer distinct, transcriptable graduate certificates because of how recently the revisions received approval.

“There are a number of colleges and departments who have requested such a category, and we expect that by this time next year there will be a number of offerings,” McKenna said.

Published on Thursday, October 9, 2008