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Certificate programs are available to students who seek a shorter program focused on career development or knowledge in a particular area of study. This can be especially beneficial for students who want to enter the workforce as quickly as possible but need the proper training to do so. Certificates range from 18-27 semester hours and can either be pursued on their own OR applied to an Associate or Bachelor degree program.

• Completing an Associates degree before a Bachelor’s degree is not required; however, you must complete a Bachelor’s degree prior to enrolling in a Master’s degree program. Some students decide to complete an Associates degree and then enroll in a Bachelor’s degree program. Generally, most credits earned towards an Associates may be applied towards a Bachelor’s degree program in the future. Other students decide to enroll in a Bachelor’s degree program from the start.

• If you have transfer credit and are looking to maximize it towards a particular degree program, please make sure you contact your Academic Advisor for options. We can take a look and provide an estimated analysis to see which programs are best for your situation.

• If you are using a particular source of funding (Financial Aid, Tuition Assistance, VA Benefits, Employee Assistance Program, etc.), it is strongly recommended that you check all requirements and ensure the degree program of choice will be covered. Another thing to consider would be how much funding will be able to be applied towards a particular degree. Will it be covered completely or will you need to plan to pay for part of the costs?

• Another thing to consider is does the career path you have in mind require additional certifications or schooling? As an example, a student interested in Information Technology may select a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology to learn the basics required in this career path; however, as the job market is very competitive, it would be in the student’s best interest to seek additional certifications such as CISSP, CCNA, MCSE, etc. to enhance career prospects.