I believe that a
certificate program can be broken down into three categories. It is worth noting that these categories are not necessarily exclusive to one another but at times may overlap. It is also worth noting that these are my personal observations, there may be programs which do not fit neatly into my little categorization scheme as listed here.
The certificates, as I see them, are:
- A.) Academic Certificates
- B.) Professional Licensure Certificates or "Certifications"
- C.) Professional Certificates or "Certifications" (non-licensure)
First there is the Certificate of Completion, the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies, Graduate Certificates, or Certificate in (name the discipline). Generally, these are for credit certificates which are based upon the completion of actual classroom work where semester credit hours are awarded per class and a transcript will be provided. Often times, these certificates are an abbreviation of a particular degree plans "major" coursework requirement.
A good example of this type of certificate can be found at Louisiana State University (http://www.is.lsu.edu/CreditCertificateProg.asp?nid=103&Level=CO&Online=1 or http://www.is.lsu.edu/ACCTCertificateProg.asp?nid=103&Level=CO&Online=1) and as a graduate certificate, Northcentral University
(http://www.ncu.edu/academics/cags/cags.aspx).
Second, there are professional certificates, commonly called "certifications" required for licensure, such as the Certified Public Accountant (which in Texas is) http://www.tsbpa.state.tx.us/ or the American Bar Association's "Bar Certified" attorneys http://www.texasbar.com/. Both of these certifications are perfect examples of professional certifications and are generally required for license to practice a given profession overseen by the state in which that professional works.
For example in Texas, you have to pass the Texas Certified Public Accountancy exam in order to be a CPA. You have to have a CPA in order to be a licensed Public Accountant. The same can be said for the Texas Bar Association. For example, in Texas in order to be licensed as an attorney, you must pass the Bar Exam and to qualify for the Bar Exam you have to have attended a school which is accredited by the American Bar Association.
Third, not all professional certificates or certifications are required for working in a profession within a given field, however. For example, you are not required to be a CompTIA A+ Certified Technician http://certification.comptia.org/ in order to fix a computer (sadly), but it does help you in the job search and provide a potential customer and/or employer with evidence that you have reached a certain level of competency in the field.
Another example can be seen at Rutgers University http://onlinetraining.rutgers.edu/, which offers professionals the ability to:
Conclusion
The basic premise of any certificate or certification is that it will display a given level of competency to a third party of your respective skills. Often times a certificate will require a certain degree or level of education in order to obtain the certificate, such as the Texas Bar Association's requirement of a Juris Doctorate Degree in order to sit for the State of Texas Bar Exam.
Some certificates are a way of proving a competency through merely testing and demonstrating those skills with no prerequisite for education, such as the CompTIA, A+ Certificate.
Some certificates are simply an educational supplement such as LSU's offerings.
Hope this helps define a certificate.