Graduate Certificate Programs

Eligibility and Admission Criteria

A student admitted for a graduate certificate program must either have regular graduate status as a current KU student or be admitted as a nondegree-seeking graduate student. Degree-seeking graduate students admitted to a certificate program must be in good standing (3.0 or higher grade-point average) with their departments. A degree-seeking student currently enrolled in a graduate degree program who wishes to pursue a simultaneous graduate certificate in another department must inform the graduate director/adviser/coordinator in the home department of his or her intent to seek the certificate. A degree-seeking KU graduate student must make known her or his intent to receive the certificate before completing the certificate program requirements. Graduate certificates are not granted retroactively.

Graduate credit from another institution may not be transferred to a KU graduate certificate program.

The graduate certificate program is not a means of entry into a graduate degree program. If students admitted to the nondegree certificate category are later admitted to a department to work toward a graduate degree, applicable courses taken for the graduate certificate program in the nondegree category may, upon recommendation of the department or program to its Graduate Division and within general guidelines, be approved by the division to be counted toward the degree.

In meeting degree requirements, the total graduate hours earned as a KU nondegree graduate certificate student and graduate hours transferred from another accredited graduate school may not exceed 6 hours (8 hours if the student holds a baccalaureate degree from KU).

A graduate certificate program must adhere to the same standards for degree-seeking admission (grade-point average, English proficiency) and similar criteria in accordance with policies, regardless of whether certificate courses may be counted toward the related graduate degree program.

Approved Graduate Certificate Programs

An updated list of graduate certificate programs offered at KU may be found at www.graduate.ku.edu.

  • African Studies, offered by the Department of African and African-American Studies through the Kansas African Studies Center
  • Brazilian Studies, offered by the Latin American Area Studies Program
  • Building-Level Special Education Leadership, offered by the Department of Special Education
  • Central American and Mexican Studies, offered by the Latin American Area Studies Program
  • Clinical and Translational Research, offered by the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
  • Clinical Research Management, offered by the School of Nursing
  • Community Health and Development, offered by the Department of Applied Behavioral Science
  • Dietetic Internship, offered by the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition
  • Facilities Management, offered through the School of Architecture, Design and Planning
  • Family Nurse Practitioner, offered by the School of Nursing
  • Gerontology, offered by the Gerontology Program
  • Health Care Informatics, offered by the School of Nursing
  • Health Professions Educator, offered by the School of Nursing
  • High-Incidence Disabilities Personnel Preparation, offered by the Department of Special Education
  • Nurse Midwifery, offered by the School of Nursing
  • Organizational Leadership, offered by the School of Nursing
  • Outcomes Management and Research, an interdisciplinary certificate program administered by the Department of Health Policy and Management
  • Peace and Conflict Studies, an interdisciplinary certificate program administered by the Humanities and Western Civilization Program
  • Psychiatric Mental Health, offered by the School of Nursing
  • Public Health Nursing, offered by the School of Nursing
  • Transition Certificate Program for Secondary Special Education
  • Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, an interdisciplinary certificate program administered by the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program