CSU currently offers 27 undergraduate certificates from 4 Colleges
Undergraduate certificates consist of 9 –15 credits, of which 9 credits must be at the upper-division level (300 – 500 level)
Students must apply for and complete the certificate requirements while enrolled in their baccalaureate degree
Undergraduate certificates by title are noted on the student’s transcript at the time of degree conferral
The certificate title is not noted on the diploma
The Nancy Richardson Design Center (RDC) offers the 9-credit undergraduate certificate in Design Thinking
Since implementation in 2019, residential students from over 60 different majors and concentration and all eight colleges have enrolled in certificate courses
Goals for participation
Assess the current definition and requirements for a certificate at CSU with an eye to making these credentials accessible to non-degree-seeking students (e.g., reducing the number of prerequisites and upper-division credits required)
Expand access to design thinking certificates
Develop a fully online version of the Certificate in Design Thinking aimed toward improving access, including for dual enrollment high school students and non-degree seeking adult learners
Collect qualitative and quantitative data comparing student experiences in the face-to-face and online certificate courses and programs
Examine policies and systems to identify opportunities and barriers certificate enrollment, including retroactive credentialing
Implement an Associates in General Studies (AGS) degree, which will retroactively be applied to eligible former students who did not complete their bachelor’s degree and who opt in
Examine benefits of micro-credentials for non-degree-seeking students as well as for current students to enhance their career readiness and post-graduate success
