Help! Looking for (graduate) certificates in various disciplines

Hi there,

I have an MA in Applied Linguistics and I am working on my doctoral thesis in the same discipline. I would like to make myself a little more interesting on the job market, so I am looking for a certificate in something business-related that does not have to do with accounting/finance/general number crunching.

My best bet so far is the Applied Business Certificate at Minnesota, an 18-credit undergraduate program for people with no business background. http://www.cce.umn.edu/certificates/mgmt/abus/index.html

It looks like a good program, but the fact that it is undergrad bothers me a little. Plus, $362 per undergraduate credit is quite steep. Also, 15 credits would be enough, but that's not a major issue.
Accordingly, I am looking for viable alternatives in the disciplines of Communication, PR, Marketing, Sales, or Leadership/Management. I am pretty open. The program should be:

A. From a well-respected B&M university
AND
B. Cheaper than Minn
OR
C. Graduate level

Ideally, it would be a graduate certificate that also has a Master's program, into which I could transfer the credits if so desired. Gonzaga has something like that, but one has to enroll in the MA program, and it's tuition brings tears to my eyes.

I am somewhat considering Penn State's undergrad certificate in Organizational Communication, but its curriculum does not look all that exciting and its 12 credits cost almost as much as Minn.

Any input will be greatly appreciated!

 

None?

 

Southern New Hampshire University offers several graduate-level certificate programs. They are a B&M school with decent DL offerings. I don't know about cheaper than Minnesota, but the tuition seems reasonable enough.

 

UMass-Lowell offers an online graduate certificate in Foundations of Business;

http://continuinged.uml.edu/online/foundofbusiness.htm

Salve Regina University offers online graduate certificates in Management and Human Resources;

http://www.salve.edu/programs_esalve/Programs.cfm

 

UC Berkeley offers courses/certificates in business topics. Tuition fees are hard to locate on their site.
http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/online/#
I think most courses are undergraduate Upper Division - but UC Berkeley is certainly a well respected university and even one of their courses would look good on a resume.

 

Thanks for your suggestions. These look like some good programs.

I have one questions specifically about all these "Extensions." I know all UCs have them, and so does the University of Washington. Isn't there a risk that this term highlights the fact that we are not talking about the "real" university? I doubt anyone would ever have a problem with "Continuing Education" because this is what working adults do, but Extension sounds a lot worse in my ears. But I'm not a native speaker and I have been in this country for only a few years. How do you see this issue?

The UCB fees are indeed difficult to find (open the course catalogue and click on a course start date), but if these fees are per course and not per credit they are not bad at all.

 

I have credits from two University of California campuses through Extension programs. The only clue on the transcripts is that the courses are listed with an X prefix (e.g. X450 Geology of Death Valley). Excelsior accepted these extension couses for my BS degree.

 

Hm, that makes UCB's Marketing program really interesting, especially seeing that it beats Minnesota's tuition rate. So the transcript just says "UC Berkeley?" If you don't mind me asking, how do you put these courses on your resume?

Does anyone know what the certificates look like? Edit: Ah, got it! Google for UC Berkeley certificate. Not bad at all...

 

Correction to the above statement: The UC transcripts do say credits are through University Extension. Also my Excelsior transcript also says UC credits were through University Extension.

I also have a not-for-credit Certificate from Cal Poly. The certificate says Extended University and the course length was 30 hours.

When appropriate I include this certificate on my resume under academic qualifications:
Cerificate in Failure Analysis - California Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA. 1996.

 

For a non-native speaker, you speak English very well!

I grew up in a state that had a lot of Brick&Mortar "extension" colleges that were an extension of larger colleges and universities. To me, Extension just means that it's not on the main campus. If you're concerned about the transcript, it's worth it to contact the school directly. I emailed Fort Hays about a week ago and they let me know that they don't distinguish between online and on-campus classes. So the direct method sometimes works very well.

 

Thanks for your input, guys. I especially like the fact that UC Berkeley Extension means access to the UC alumni network.

But articles like this one spoil the fun: http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_harvard_extention_school_lower_quality.htm The guy is obviously not the brightest or most-open minded person in the world, but I am worried that the article reflects how employers may perceive Extension grads.

Thanks.

 

I doubt you could go wrong with this grad certificate from Kansas State.

http://www.dce.k-state.edu/business/administration/

 

Hm, looks like a good program...I'll have to look into it a little more.

Currently, I am still leaning towards the Minnesota program, which also allows me to transfer up to 6 credits into the program. My idea is to complete Tulane's Marketing certificate, which only consists of two 3-credit classes, and then transfer at least one of the classes into the Minnesota program. Does anyone know if something like this would accepted by universities?