Graduate Certificate Programs
A Graduate Certificate is a focused collection of courses, consisting of 12-18 credits, which are successfully completed by students in a given discipline or a set of related disciplines. Students that successfully complete a certificate program at the graduate level will receive a certificate of completion statement on their official transcript and a formal certificate from the NMSU Graduate School. A graduate certificate is not an official graduate degree of New Mexico State University. A student has 3 years to complete a Certificate Program.
Graduate Certificate Programs
NMSU currently has two Certificate Programs available to students:
Teaching Certificates
Engineering Certificates
Admission to a Graduate Certificate Program
Certificate programs are available to students who are currently enrolled as degree-seeking students and students that meet the admissions criteria but who enroll as graduate students solely to obtain a certificate.
- Students applying only to a graduate certificate program must meet the same admissions criteria as students applying into graduate degree programs of the Graduate School, which includes submitting an application, paying the $30 application fee, submitting all transcripts, and having a previous GPA (undergraduate or graduate) of 3.0.
- Students applying to graduate certificate programs must also meet requirements of the department(s) offering the certificate program, which may include a 3.0 GPA, GRE or other standardized test, TOEFL, IELTS, letters of recommendation, letter of interest or intent, and work experience. Please check on these requirements at the Certificate Program websites listed below.
- Students who are currently enrolled in a degree program at NMSU who wish to pursue a Graduate Certificate must apply for admission to the Certificate Program prior to completing half of their required degree credits. These students must fill out a Change of Status Form and indicate that they wish to add a Graduate Certificate Program. This form can be found at this website: http://gradschool.nmsu.edu/forms-index.html.
- Certificate-only seeking graduate students who are not currently enrolled in either a Master’s or Doctoral degree program will be admitted into a separate classification of “graduate certificate students” for each Graduate Certificate Program.
Completion of a Graduate Certificate Program
You must meet several requirements to receive your Graduate Certificate. These requirements are listed below. You can also find more information about receiving your Graduate Certificate at the FAQ – Certificate Programs link above.
- Submit an Application for Certificate: This form is submitted directly to the Graduate School, along with the Application for Certificate fee of $25. The form can be found here: http://gradschool.nmsu.edu/forms-index.html.
The deadlines for submitting this form are as follows:
October 1st for December certificate
February 15th for May certificate
May 15th for August certificate
Note: Late applications are automatically transferred to the next award period.
- You must be enrolled or pay the special Exam Fee: You need to be registered for at least one credit during the semester in which you plan to complete your Certificate. If you are not registered, you must pay the Exam Fee: http://gradschool.nmsu.edu/forms/ExamFeeForm.pdf
- Approved Program of Study: You must also fill out a Program of Study for your Graduate Certificate Program. These forms are specific to each Graduate Certificate Program and can be found at this website, under Forms for Graduate Certificate Programs: http://gradschool.nmsu.edu/forms-index.html.
- Grade Point Average of 3.0: You must have an overall GPA of 3.0 to receive your Certificate.
Additional Links
Forms for Certificate Programs
Guidelines for Faculty to Develop Certificate Programs