Admission to Certificate Programs

Applicants to graduate certificate programs must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Additional application requirements vary by certificate program. Applicants should refer to the Carey Admissions website for further application details. Students have three years to complete a certificate.

Additional materials are required for international student admission. See the International Student Admission Policy section of this catalogue for details. The Carey Business School does not issue I-20s for certificate programs.

Current Students Adding a Certificate

Current Carey students are permitted to enroll in only one graduate certificate program at a time. Current Carey students must be admitted to a graduate certificate program prior to the final semester of their master's degree. Consequently, no graduate certificate can be added to a student record during the same semester in which they graduate from an MS or MBA program. Additionally, Carey Business School does not retroactively award certificates to students who have completed their studies and are no longer enrolled. Due to significant overlap in course requirements, students may earn only one certificate from the following pairs: Digital Marketing or Entrepreneurial Marketing; and Financial Management or Investments. 

Part-Time Programs

Students currently enrolled in a part-time degree program who wish to add a certificate must submit an online application to the Office of Admissions no later than the semester preceding their final semester of the PT MS or Flex MBA program. Flexible MBA students may earn a certificate within the 54 credits of their program. However, PT MS students pursuing a certificate outside of their MS discipline may need to complete additional credits beyond their degree requirements, depending on the specific certificate curriculum.

Current PT MS students adding a certificate program derived from their MS degree are required to earn four unique certificate credits (two courses) beyond their MS requirements, totaling 34 credits to earn both the degree and the certificate. 

The following certificates are considered to derive from existing MS programs: 

  • Certificate in Business Analytics and Risk Management (from MS Business Analytics and AI)
  • Certificates in Financial Management and Investments (from MS Finance)
  • Certificate in AI for Business (from MS Information Systems and AI)
  • Certificate in Health Care Management, Innovation, and Technology (from MS Health Care Management)
  • Certificates in Digital Marketing and Entrepreneurial Marketing (from MS Marketing) 

Full-Time Programs

Full-time MBA students may utilize a portion of their elective credits to earn a graduate certificate during the second year of their program. These students must declare their intention to earn the certificate prior to Spring I of their first year and must complete all certificate requirements before graduation. As certain graduate certificates have specific policies regarding which MBA courses may count toward requirements, students should consult with their academic advisor for clarification. Full-time MBA students will not incur additional tuition if the certificate is completed within the standard 54 MBA credits. However, any credits taken beyond those required for the MBA program will be charged at the current part-time per-credit tuition rate. 

Please note that Dual Degree MBA and Accelerated MBA students are ineligible to concurrently enroll in a graduate certificate. Similarly, current full-time MS students are not eligible to add a graduate certificate during their MS program. The sole exception is the 15-month full-time MS Finance program, in which a limited number of students may be permitted to add the AI for Business Graduate Certificate. 

Recent Carey Graduates

Students who have recently graduated with an MBA or MS degree from Carey are able to apply to a certificate program and may use up to eight previously earned credits towards the certificate, if applicable. 

Note: Financial aid recipients must notify the Financial Aid office when changing or adding a degree or certificate program. Students in F-1 status must notify the Office of International Services for a new I-20 to reflect the change in program. Students using VA benefits must notify the VA Certifying Official in Veterans Affairs at the Office of Student Enrollment and Accounts Management (SEAM) when changing or adding a degree or certificate.