Certificate

A certificate (or professional certificate) is a focused or intensive study program earned in a specific field. Students can pursue a certificate in conjunction with a degree program (undergraduate or graduate) or within a continuing education program. Certificates generally require fewer classes than a degree; classes can be taken for credit or non-credit and enrollment is either full or part-time. With the number of study options (on campus and online, credit or non-credit) certificate programs are a quick and easy way to establish proficiency in a specific field.

Over the last decade, certificate program have grown in popularity in the United States due to several factors including increased demand from employers for industry specific training (design, languages, business) and more emphasis on continuing education.  Professional development and greater career advancement are fueling this trend with adult learners holding an undergraduate or graduate degree composing a majority of this student population.

Continuing education, or adult education as it's sometimes called, grew out of the aftermath of World War II.  Leaders in the field of education saw this as an excellent opportunity to provide educational opportunities for soldiers returing from the horrors they witnessed overseas. An educatied populace, they thought, would create a better society and help avoid the extreme political movements that had quickly spread throughout Europe just years earlier.