Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a Graduate Certificate Program?
A: A Graduate Certificate is awarded by the Graduate School to students enrolled in Graduate Degree programs who complete an approved program in a focused area of study.  The graduate certificate program is designed to enhance the education of matriculated graduate or professional students beyond the requirements for the degree pursued by the student, and to add an interdisciplinary aspect to extend students expertise beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Q: I am already getting a Master's or Doctorate degree. What is the value of a Graduate Certificate Program? 
A: The Graduate Certificate offers four distinct benefits:

1. A curriculum developed to provide knowledge and training in a focused interdisciplinary program of study in a selected specialty;
2. Participation in a community of faculty and students from a multitude of departments who share the common goal of environmental stewardship and sustainability;
3. The opportunity to explore environmental problems, and develop solutions, in a multidisciplinary environment, incorporating a wide range of perspectives and priorities;
4. A printed Certificate and record in your transcript from the Graduate School to document successful completion of a focused program.

Q: Will the Certificate program extend my time to degree at UW?
A: The Certificate programs consist mainly of coursework and projects associated with courses. Students in non-thesis programs may find that the Certificate program increases the total number of credits required. Many students in thesis/dissertation programs continue to take courses after completing courses required for the degree, and may find that the Certificate program does not increase the number of credits they may take otherwise, nor extend their stay at UW beyond the time needed to complete the thesis/dissertation. If you are unsure whether you can complete Certificate requirements in the time you complete your degree requirements you should speak with your thesis/dissertation advisor or with the Graduate Coordinator at Program on the Environment.

Q: How do I enroll in a Graduate Certificate program?
A. Each Certificate program has its own enrollment procedure.  See the individual web page for each certificate program for application/enrollment procedures.

Q: I am very interested in your graduate certificate programs.  Can I enroll in a Certificate program without pursuing a Master's or Ph.D.? 
A: The certificate programs are not available as stand-alone programs.  Rather, they are designed to complement the great disciplinary strengths already provided by individual schools and departments of the University, and are offered only to students enrolled in graduate degree programs.  The University of Washington does not offer a degree in Environmental Management, but the University does offer a number of degree programs that are directly applicable to environmental science and policy. Faculty in Botany, Zoology, Anthropology, Geography, the College of Forest Resources, the College of Ocean and Fisheries Science, Atmospheric Sciences, the Evans School of Public Affairs, and Civil and Environmental Engineering, to name a few, are active in environmental research.  A good starting point to learn about environmentally related graduate degree programs is available on our
related degree page.

Applications for admission to graduate programs generally require two separate sets of application forms be sent: one to the University of Washington Graduate School and the second to the department or program you
wish to enroll in. For more information, please see Graduate School application procedures.

Application forms for many degree programs can be downloaded from the web pages for the individual programs. http://www.grad.washington.edu/admissions/viewchoice.html

Once you are admitted to a graduate degree program, you can apply to the Environmental Management Certificate Program or other Certificate program that matches your interests.

Q: What happened to the Graduate Certificate in Conservation Biology Policy?
A. The Graduate Certificate program in Conservation Biology Policy was terminated by the Graduate School following its initial five-year review, and new students are no longer being accepted into the program. An interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff, and graduate students are currently working toward developing a revised program. Information about that effort is available at the Conservation Biology Committee website.