Georgia Institute of Technology offers two types of graduate certificates: embedded certificates and stand-alone certificates.

Embedded Graduate Certificates Guidelines

Embedded certificates are intended to encourage students to use the elective requirements in their degree program to form a coherent concentration of coursework in a specified area.

1. Embedded certificates will be granted only to students who, in addition to the certificate program requirements, have satisfied requirements for a graduate degree. The offering unit is responsible for verifying satisfaction of all certificate requirements, as well as completion of a graduate degree. Embedded certificates are not recorded on the student's transcript or diploma. Arrangements must be made for awarding embedded certificates within colleges or offering units. Embedded certificates will not be awarded at the Institute level.
2. All graduate embedded certificate programs must be approved by the Graduate Curriculum Committee and by the Academic Senate.
3. Departments, schools, and colleges are eligible to offer graduate certificate programs in well-defined and coherent subject areas. Certificate programs sponsored jointly by more than one academic unit may be designated as multi-disciplinary certificates, subject to the special requirements listed below.
4. A certificate program generally will be available to all graduate students, subject to the restrictions below. Exceptions must be clearly justified in the certificate proposal.
5. All proposals for a certificate must originate from the faculty of the academic unit offering the certificate or, in the case of a multi-disciplinary certificate, from the faculty of each participating academic unit. Proposals must be endorsed by the appropriate College Dean(s) and by the Provost.
6. In addition to the academic requirements for the certificate, the proposal must define the procedures for management of the program and for awarding certificates. The offering unit must record and maintain enrollment and completion for certificates. The design and working of certificates must be approved by the Provost and a draft must be submitted with the proposal.
7. The embedded certificate program must comprise at least 12 semester hours in a coherent program of which at least three semester hours are foundational to provide a broad overview of that discipline. A multi-disciplinary certificate program will additionally require that courses be taken from more than one academic unit and that at least three semester hours be taken outside the student's major field. Cross-listed courses may be counted as being outside the student's major field.
8. No more than a total of 4 semester hours of Special Problems courses may be included in an embedded certificate program.
9. Courses used in a certificate also may be used to fulfill elective requirements in the student's major degree program.
10. A course may not be counted toward more than one certificate.
11. All courses counting toward the embedded certificate must be taken on a letter-grade basis, and be completed with a grade of B or higher.
12. The availability of a certificate should be noted in the catalog, at least by title, under the appropriate academic unit(s). The academic unit(s) offering the certificate shall publish and make available to students the requirements for the certificate – the courses and total number of hours required, along with the enumeration of any particular courses that are mandated or excluded, and any grade requirements that differ from the general grade requirements of this policy.
13. All certificate programs are to be reviewed during the scheduled academic program review in the sponsoring unit(s).

Georgia Institute of Technology offers two types of graduate certificates: embedded certificates and stand-alone certificates.

Stand-Alone Graduate Certificates Guidelines

Stand-alone certificates may be completed independent of students being enrolled as Master’s or Doctoral student. These certificates represent a cohesive program of study of a smaller size than a Master’s program and provide more flexibility to professionals for pursing graduate education, including a means for professionals to renew and retrain due to a fast-changing work force. When completed, these certificates appear on the student’s academic record (transcript), and the student receives a certificate of completion.

Curricular Requirements and Approvals

1. Departments, schools, and colleges are eligible to offer graduate certificate programs in well-defined and coherent subject areas. Certificate programs sponsored jointly by more than one academic unit may be designated as multi-disciplinary certificates, subject to the special requirements listed below.
2. All proposals for a certificate must originate from the faculty of the academic unit offering the certificate or, in the case of a multi-disciplinary certificate, from the faculty of each participating academic unit. Proposals must be endorsed by the appropriate College Dean(s) and by the Provost.
3. All Graduate Certificate programs must be approved by the Institute Graduate Curriculum Committee and by the Academic Faculty Senate.
4. In addition to the academic requirements for the certificate, the proposal must define the procedures for management of the program.
5. The certificate program must comprise at least 12 semester hours in a coherent program of which at least six semester hours are required and the remaining hours may be selected from a set of elective courses. A multi-disciplinary certificate program will additionally require that courses be taken from more than one academic unit. No  Special Problems courses may be included in a certificate program. 
6. A course may not be counted towards more than one certificate.
7. For students enrolled as a Master’s or a Doctoral student, courses used in a certificate also may be used to satisfy requirements in the student's major degree program, unless otherwise designated by the academic unit(s) offering the certificates.
8.  All courses counting toward the certificate must be taken on a letter-grade basis, and be completed with a grade of C or higher with a minimum GPA of 2.7 for the certificate.

Admissions

1. Students must be admitted to the Institute as either Graduate Certificate-seeking students or degree-seeking graduate students. 
2. Admission requirements for Graduate Certificate-seeking students are listed in the description of the Certificate in the Catalog. A minimum requirement is a Bachelor’s Degree.

Completion

1. Certificates will be granted only to students who have satisfied the requirements as listed in the Catalog. Students must complete the certificate requirements within a four-year time-frame.
2. The offering unit is responsible for verifying satisfaction of all Certificate requirements with the final audit being conducted by the Registrar’s Office.
3. Upon completion of the required courses, the student must apply for the stand-alone certificate online through the on-line application for graduation. Stand-alone certificates will be awarded three times per year, in May, December, and August. The award of the Certificates coincides with the award of degrees.
4. Award of the Certificate will be posted by the Registrar to the academic record (transcript), and the Registrar’s Office will issue a certificate of completion. The design of the certificate of completion will be uniform across the Institute and will be managed in a fashion similar to diplomas.

Management of the Program

1. The availability of a stand-alone certificate should be noted in the Catalog, at least by title, under the appropriate academic unit(s). The academic unit(s) offering the certificate shall publish and make available to students the requirements for the certificate – the courses and total number of hours required, along with the enumeration of any particular courses that are mandated or excluded, any grade requirements that differ from the general grade requirements of this policy, and whether the courses taken for the certificate can be counted towards an MS Degree in that unit.
2. The offering unit must record and maintain data related to student learning and professional opportunities enhanced related to Gainful Employment requirements. Data related to Gainful Employment is required if the Certificate is approved as eligible under Federal Title IV financial aid rules.
3. All certificate programs are to be reviewed during the scheduled academic program review in the sponsoring unit(s).
4. Costs may vary by program.