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Certificate Student Handbook
Certificate Completion

How do I earn my certificate?
What if I cannot finish my program?
Can I apply courses taken via single course enrollment towards my certificate?
Can I waive a course in a certificate program based on previous education or experience?
Is there a graduation ceremony for my certificate program?

How do I earn my certificate?
To earn a certificate of completion, students must satisfactorily complete all requirements according to the standards defined for each program in the program brochure. Students are encouraged to complete the certificate within a single program cycle with their student cohort.

UW Extension certificate program students are evaluated in each course of the certificate program on the basis of standards established by the instructors, the Program Director and the Advisory Board. These standards may include specific requirements for completion of course assignments, projects, and examinations.

For noncredit, at a minimum, certificate program students are expected to attend 80% of all class sessions for each required course. Program instructors may set higher attendance standards.

Students are required to progress through the courses in a program in a timely and appropriate fashion. In the majority of cases, the way in which courses are ordered in a program is purposeful: students are expected to take the courses in this specific order. Extension courses that offer University of Washington undergraduate or graduate credit follow the same policies as regular UW credit courses.

What if I cannot finish my program?
Students who must drop from a certificate program due to unavoidable conflicts may be allowed to transfer to the following program year and complete the certificate. Students who wish to request a drop should contact their Academic Programs Direct Support representative.

Can I apply courses taken via single course enrollment towards my certificate?
This will vary from program to program. Typically a program will allow no more than two courses to be taken via single course enrollment. For information on a specific program, please contact UW Extension.

Can I waive a course in a certificate program based on previous education or experience?
Individual courses in a certificate program cannot be substituted or waived based on prior knowledge or experience. Certificate students may petition to waive up to two courses in a certificate program with proof of successful completion of the identical University of Washington course taken within the last two academic years as a non-certificate student. Before submitting a petition, contact the program director for your program to determine if there have been any changes to the program that would affect your request to waive courses. A written petition must be submitted after a student has been accepted to the certificate program, and should include the following information:

  • Full name of student
  • Name of certificate program
  • UW Extension ID number or Social Security number
  • Name of course(s) to be waived
  • Photocopies of UW Extension grade letters or University of Washington grade reports showing successful completion of identical course(s) during the last two academic years.
Petitions should be sent directly to the program director administering the certificate program. The program director will review the petition and approve or deny the request based on any changes to the program or individual course curriculum.

Is there a graduation ceremony for my certificate program?
The annual certificate program awards ceremony is held each summer and students are notified by official invitation. Students who are enrolled in a program still in progress or who have a grade of Incomplete on their record are invited to the ceremony.

Attendance is optional. Actual certificates will not be dispersed at the event, but mailed to students 4-6 weeks after program completion.

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