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Certificate and Diploma Programs

Certificate programs vary widely but almost all offer focused study designed to provide students with a professional credential and relevant skill set. Earning an undergraduate certificate from an accredited college or universite can help you qualify for entry level career positions. Earning a graduate certificate is designed to provide aspiring professionals with additional skills and credentials useful for advancing their careers.

Undergraduate Certificates

Even though an undergraduate certificate program is not typically as rigorous as an associate's degree it is still intensive, fast-paced and skill-centered. If you're not up to earning a 2 or 4-year degree at the present moment but want to develop a marketable, professional skill set then an undergraduate certificate is a good choice. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, working students completely an online certificate are nearly twice as likely to finish their program as degree-seekers are to finish theirs. The typical undergraduate certificate takes two months to one year to complete.

So is an undergraduate certificate really going to make a difference? Studies show that acceptance of certificates by employers is on the rise, especially for students who have completed their certificate online. Most corporations today rely on online training for their employees and consider certificates and degrees earned online as credible.

For most undergraduate certificates a high school diploma is required. Some certificates can help you earn credits towards a degree, some are noncredit credentials of achievement, and some provide both credits and professional credentials.

The following are our editor's choice of online colleges and universities providing reputable ungraduate certificate programs:

Strayer University The Undergraduate Certificate provided by Strayer University designed to provide basic training in your field of study. A high school diploma (or U.S. equivalent) is required to enroll in this program. The certificate requires 27 credit hours of course work. Stayer University offers undergraduate certificates in Accounting, Acquisition & Contracts, E-Business, Business Management, Small Business Management, Information Systems, Computer Security, Database Development and Management, Homeland Security and Information Systems, Internetworking Technology, Networking, Programming, Security Administration, and Web Development.
Kaplan University Kaplan University provides a large selection of undergraduate certificate programs designed for aspiring professionals. Certificates are offered in Business, Criminal Justice, Technology, Legal Studies, Nursing, and Education.


Graduate Certificates

While undergraduate certificates are designed primary to prepare students for entry level career opportunities, online graduate certificates are geered toward helping aspiring professionals and working adults improve their marketable skill set in order to advance their careers. Since many corporations now use online training for their own employees, they readily accept the online graduate certificate credential.

One of the most salient benefits of online certificate programs is that they provide students with the most current, up-to-date knowledge in a specific field. Additionally, they are very flexibe whereby allowing students to advance their education and improve their skill set without putting their career or personal life on hold. Graduate certificates are perfect for managers (and aspiring managers) who want to advance their career and develop additional expertise.

The following are our editor's choice of online colleges and universities providing reputable graduate level certificate programs:

Keller Graduate School of Management Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University offers a large selection of career oriented graduate level certificate programs in the following disciplines: Accounting, Business, Administration, Educational Management, Electronic Commerce Management, Entrepreneurship, Financial Analysis, Health Services Management, Human Resource Management, Information Security, Information Systems Management, Network and Communications Management, Project Management, and Wireless Communications.
Strayer University The Executive Graduate Certificate offered at Strayer University is a program for highly focused and advanced academic work concentrating on a specific occupational area. Students possessing a master’s degree sometimes use this program to acquire more in-depth training. A bachelor’s degree or U.S. equivalent is required to enroll in this program. This certificate requires 27 credit hours of graduate-level course work. Specializations are offered in several career fields.
Kaplan University Kaplan University provides a large selection of graduate certificate programs designed for aspiring professionals. Graduate certificates are offered in Business, Criminal Justice, Technology, Legal Studies, Nursing, and Education.


Information Technology Certificate Programs

Online technology certificates are some of the most popular and beneficial certificate programs available. Like most online certificates, online tech certificates allows students to study online where they'll be working in the future--online and on the computer. There are a large variety technology and IT certificate programs to choose from. IT certificates provide students with extremely current, relevant certification in programming, networking, database, e-commerce, web development, management and more.

The following are our editor's choice of online colleges and universities providing reputable information technology certificate programs:

Strayer University The Undergraduate Certificate provided by Strayer University designed to provide basic training in your field of study. A high school diploma (or U.S. equivalent) is required to enroll in this program. The certificate requires 27 credit hours of course work. Stayer University offers information technology certificates in E-Business, Information Systems, Computer Security, Database Development and Management, Homeland Security and Information Systems, Internetworking Technology, Networking, Programming, Security Administration, and Web Development.
Keller Graduate School of Management Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University offers a large selection of information technology graduate level certificate programs in the following disciplines: Electronic Commerce Management, Entrepreneurship, Information Security, Information Systems Management, Network and Communications Management, Project Management, and Wireless Communications.
Kaplan University Kaplan offers a large selection of for-credit technology certificates in Information Technology, Web-site development, and computer languages, designed to be completed in less than a year. Interactive courses and financial support. Scholarships for accelerated study are also offered.


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