Most enroll in certificate programs in hopes of quickly changing careers. For example, you might be employed as a counselor but want to qualify for a new job as a project manager. You want to qualify to work as a project manager as quickly as possible—ideally within a year. In this case, you’d be wise to focus your studies on a certificate in project management.
If you already hold a bachelor’s degree but want to expand or update your skills you might also enroll in a certificate program.
Perhaps you hold a bachelor’s degree in counseling. You earned that degree a decade ago. You’ve been working at a youth home but want to specialize in working with a new, better-paying population. You’ve heard there are lots of job openings for counselors who specialize in drug addiction.
Enrolling in a graduate-level certificate in addiction counseling would be a cost-effective and fairly rapid way to re-focus your career. Focusing on the certificate would also allow you to “try out” this new skill area without the hassle or additional paperwork of formally applying to a master’s degree program.
Also, certificate programs often offer open admissions, letting you bypass the need and wait of gathering and submitting old transcripts or taking admission exams.
TIP: You could also consider earning a second bachelor’s degree, but unless a second degree is absolutely required for some sort of state licensing requirement, you’ll achieve your career change quicker and more cost effectively if you limit your studies to a certificate program.
Meet Licensing Requirements
Some careers are regulated by state licensing boards. Counseling is one such career area. In some states, such as New York, you can qualify to enter one of America’s fastest growing career niches—drug and addiction counseling—by taking a handful of courses related to counseling and addiction along with working as a supervised counseling intern for a short period of time.
A certificate in addiction counseling would be an idea educational program in the above situation.
TIP: In many cases, the credits earned while completing a graduate certificate online can be transferred later toward a master’s degree (this is not always the case, so check carefully if you want to use your certificate as the foundation for a master’s degree in the near future).
Show Me a Certificate
Below is a certificate offered by the University of Massachusetts Online in Security Stuides. It is aimed at several types of students: those with a general interest in homeland security, professionals who are currently employed in security-related jobs, and others interested in pursuing careers in security.
UMassOnline Graduate Certificate in Security StudiesCurriculumRequired Courses:
Overview of Homeland Security
Terrorism/Counter-Terrorism
Elective Courses (Choose 2):
Crisis and Emergency Management
Domestic Terrorism and Hate Crimes
Threat Assessment and Risk Management
Crime Analysis and Mapping
Criminal Justice Organizations and National Security
Criminal Justice Intelligence & Information Sharing
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