Many professionals know that continued education can open doors—but when you’re balancing a full-time job and life’s responsibilities, how do you fit it in?
Increasingly, the answer is a professional certificate. Once a small segment in the world of continuing education, in recent years certificates have emerged as respected and sought-after credentials in the professional market.
Enrollment in undergraduate certificate programs grew 6.6% this fall, the largest increase among all undergraduate credential types, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
The report also noted that enrollment in other credential programs is growing, including a 3.1% increase for associate-level certificates and 1.2% for bachelor’s degrees.
The Benefits of Earning a Certificate
Many certificate recipients are working professionals who have identified a skills gap that is preventing them from elevating their career to the next level. A certificate represents an expedited path to building more value in your current workplace. In as little as three months, you can gain knowledge in areas like project management, business, or healthcare that will benefit your employer and your career.
Because a certificate holds value on its own as a credential, you can pursue one to learn specific skills or gain knowledge in a single subject area. You will be able to apply the skills you learn in the certificate program almost immediately, making you more attractive to future employers. Adding these certificates to your resume and LinkedIn profile also shows employers that you’re committed to lifelong learning, professional development, and keeping up with industry trends.
How to Choose the Right Certificate
Here are some factors to consider when choosing the best certificate for you:
- Consider the source. While there are seemingly endless options in online continuing education; the Brand Perceptions in Higher Education survey–commissioned by Ipsos OTX–revealed that hiring managers vastly prefer public university degrees.
- Pick a format. You can find reputable certificate programs in both face-to-face and online formats. Choose the option that will best work with your lifestyle, and you’ll be more likely to succeed.
- Understand the cost. The cost of a certificate program can vary greatly, depending on the format. Some certificates range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand or more. Instead of paying by course or by credit, UW Flexible Option lets you pay a flat rate for a subscription period. If you are highly motivated, you may be able to accelerate your progress and shorten your time to graduation. This structure saves you time and money.
- Recognize the scope of the program. Programs that are too broad might not provide enough in-depth knowledge to be valuable, but with too niche a focus, you may have a hard time finding a job that would benefit from those specific skills. Ensure the certificate’s outcomes align with your career goals.
Develop New Skills with UW Flexible Option Certificates
Here are several certificates available through UW Flexible Option that were created specifically with the working professional in mind:
- The Project Management Certificate, offered in partnership with UW-Parkside, is ideally suited for employees with mid-level business experience whose careers would benefit from an increase in project management skills, or entrepreneurs who would like to improve their ability to lead projects within their own organization.
- The Business Analytics Certificate, offered through the UW Flexible Option, gives you the analytical skills to lead change and solve the issues facing your organization by transforming data. You will learn how to use the right tools to distill data and communicate the results into actionable plans. Successful business analysts have strong communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
- The Healthcare Informatics Certificate, offered in partnership with UW-Milwaukee, will expand your skills in informatics or data analysis. Whether you are an existing IT professional seeking a position in healthcare, or an existing healthcare practitioner interested in expanding your role to IT, this credential will signal to your employer your increased value in the workplace, and can lead to expanded job opportunities. The certificate may also give you a solid foundation to pursue a graduate program in the field.
- UW-Madison’s Substance Use Disorders Counselor Certificate is the only state-approved online program in Wisconsin that fulfills the educational requirements for becoming a certified substance abuse counselor in the state of Wisconsin. Even if you don’t seek licensure, this program is a great way to build your knowledge about substance use disorders and better prepare yourself to help others in counseling, criminal justice, or other roles.
These certificates, like all the program offerings through the UW Flexible Option, are designed specifically with busy, working adults in mind. They’re competency-based programs—they allow students to leverage knowledge they’ve already mastered to move more quickly through the program. There are no rigid semester or course schedules; you can advance through the material at your own pace, mastering competencies in as little or as much time as you need.
Want to Learn More?
If you think a certificate might be the right answer for your educational needs and want to learn more about UW Flexible Option programs, call 1-877-895-3276 or email flex@uwex.wisconsin.edu to speak with an enrollment adviser today!