Benefit of graduate certificate programs

Pursing a graduate certificate in project management would be an excellent option for Tina, enabling her to immerse herself in project management and open up new career possibilities.

Regardless of where you are in your career , there is always room for professional development. For those further in their career, a graduate certificate shows that you are staying current on industry trends.

While this can be a benefit depending on your lifestyle and preferences, it also means that the breadth of your studies is going to be significantly smaller. While it does further your education, its primary purpose is to make you more employable in a specific field.

The shorter nature of the program also means you have far less anxiety to contend with. It usually takes one or two years to complete these degrees when enrolled full time.

The MBA usually has the heaviest coursework. During the program, you will have to complete between 30 and 36 credit hours in a certain specialization. Each university has its own requirements in terms of which foundation courses have to be completed in order to make sure that students understand the material covered by the program.

Choosing between the two is a personal decision. To make that decision, however, you need to understand how the two differ, and what the pros and cons of both options are. The following information may help you to determine that. Learners enrolled in a graduate certificate program will often find themselves in the same courses as those pursuing a master's degree, completing the same tasks and objectives.

Because of this, many of the credits are transferable, and people will often use their certificate program as a stepping stone to a full-fledged master's degree. Earning a certificate first may give you the confidence to pursue a degree, and it allows you to explore program options if you're not quite sure where you'd like to focus your graduate studies. Some of the required courses and electives she took amounted to a Human Resources Management certificate.

Now, she can boast both credentials on her resume. Although graduate certificate and master's degree programs share rigorous course loads, there are several differences between the two programs, including time, cost and skills.

A graduate certificate can be earned in less time than it would take to earn a master's degree, allowing you to move quickly from theory to application. They typically range from credits and can be finished in as soon as 4 or 5 months, depending on the certificate program.