Graduate Certificates

For many students, a graduate certificate program is the best fit for achieving their career goals. A graduate certificate is a credential awarded to students who complete a specific set of four graduate-level courses. These programs deliver concentrated study in a particular professional area, equipping learners with specialized knowledge and skills that support professional growth or career transition.

Benefits of a graduate certificate include:

• Smaller Commitment: Earn a recognized credential within months
• Focused Specialization: Develop skills and expertise on a specific, more specialized topic to support your career journey
• Interdisciplinary: Open to students from many backgrounds, and contain subject matter that is widely relevant across multiple disciplines and fields.
• Flexible learning: Choose in-person, online and part-time options that fit your schedule
• Resume boost: Acquire graduate-level knowledge and a university credential that boosts your resume and increases employability in the job-market.

Explore available programs and find the certificate that is right for you.

Online Graduate Certificates

Our fully online Graduate Certificate programs deliver a high-quality experience without requiring you to relocate or pause your career or other life commitments. Learn at your own pace, connect with expert instructors and peers from anywhere and gain the same rigorous academic credentials as on-campus students.

What online study offers you:

• Flexibility to study on your schedule and at your pace
• Career continuity so you can keep working while you learn
• Access from anywhere with no relocation required
• High-quality instruction from leading academics and industry experts, with the same value as on-campus programs, at a top 100 global research intensive university
• Meaningful connections through virtual collaboration and networking
• Internationally accessible: No study permit required for international students studying online from outside Canada

Choosing a Graduate Certificate or Master’s Degree

There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to choosing to take a certificate or a degree. Choosing between a graduate certificate and a master’s degree depends on your goals, schedule and preferred learning path. Both options offer valuable opportunities to advance your career.

A table comparing the features of a Graduate Certificate versus a Master’s Degree (Course-Based).

Graduate Certificate	Master’s Degree (Course-Based)
Shorter completion time with fewer courses (4 courses)	Longer completion time with more courses (8-9 courses)
Focused expertise in a clearly defined area of study	Broad and in-depth exploration of a field of study
Offered in flexible formats, including on-campus, online or part-time options suited to working professionals	May follow a more structured format; some programs require full-time, on-campus study with set schedules, while others can be completed fully online
No study permit required for international students studying online from outside Canada	A study permit may be required for international students studying in Canada

A graduate certificate is for you if you want quick, targeted expertise to pivot careers, upskill for a promotion or test the waters in a field before committing to a degree.

A master's program may be the preferred choice to broaden and deepen your knowledge, facilitate career advancement into senior or academic roles or prepare you for professional licensing that requires a degree.

Laddering and Stacking

In some cases, credits earned through a Graduate Certificate may be laddered or stacked into a master’s degree. Laddering means that a student who holds a specific certificate may be able to use the courses from the certificate to receive advanced standing in a course-based master’s degree in the same field of study. Stacking means students can take two freestanding graduate-level certificates in any field of study and combine them into a master's degree, which may involve adding a capping or culminating exercise.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are normally required to have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from an academic institution recognized by the University of Alberta, and demonstrate a proficiency in the English language. Some programs will consider equivalent work experience as a substitute for a formalized degree.

Please note, some programs have additional admission requirements. To determine your eligibility, review the admission requirements for your specific desired program or consult with the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (GPS).

How to Apply

Depending on the program, students in certificate programs are admitted as full-time or part-time students. To apply for a graduate certificate, you must complete an online application, create an account and submit personal information, academic history and required documents like transcripts or other program-specific requirements such as a résumé or letter of intent. You will select the specific program and intake year during the application.

International Students

International students may not be eligible to apply for part-time status under their study permit regulations. However, study permits are not required for online study. For those interested in a certificate program, but are located outside of Canada, please contact International Student Services for further guidance and information.

You may also view step-by-step instructions and additional information here.