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Earn a Graduate Certificate in Education

Online Programs

Graduate Certificates

Our online graduate certificates are designed for professional development, catering to both online and on-campus students working toward their degrees who wish to enhance their expertise in a specific field. These online certificates are ideal for individuals aiming to elevate their career prospects by demonstrating specialized knowledge.

Acquire a certificate by completing two to five courses, depending on your chosen program. These education certificate programs are tailored for both graduate students seeking additional credentials and bachelor's degree holders not currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. The credits earned through our graduate certificates can be applied towards a compatible master's program.

Certain graduate certificate programs qualify for financial aid and are transcriptable, while others do not qualify for financial aid and are non-transcriptable. You can find information on that within the graduate certificate's description.

Applying for Financial Aid Eligible and transcriptable graduate certificate programs - If you are applying for a graduate certificate program that is eligible for financial aid and transcriptable, you can find detailed information about the application process here. To begin your application, visit the application portal here. And choose the 2025 Graduate College Application option while applying.

Applying for Non-Financial Aid Eligible Programs 

If you are applying for a graduate certificate program not eligible for financial aid and non-transcriptable, please review the application process guidelines here. You can submit your application here. Choose option 2025 Non-Degree Application (CITL)  while applying.

Program Details

Course Format: Online | Total Credit Hours: 8-16  |  Course Duration: 8 Weeks and 4 Credit Hours Each

Tuition Costs: $538 tuition and fees per credit hour

Application Deadlines: 4-6 convenient deadlines throughout the year. Please refer to each program for exact details or contact us with questions.

For frequently asked questions, please refer to the information at the bottom of this page.

 

Bilingual/Bi-cultural

Equips educators with essential teaching strategies to support multilingual students effectively in their classrooms.

Cancer Education & Management in Underrepresented & Diverse Communities (CEMUDC)

Financial Aid Eligible

Trains individuals in developing and implementing cancer management solutions and designing and conducting studies to measure the change in response to cancer management interventions.

Community College Leadership (CCL)

Equips individuals to take on positions of leadership, from dean to the presidency, in the two-year higher education sector.

Digital Learning

Explore the potential of technology in diverse learning environments, such as schools, museums, and after-school settings. Discover educational applications, games, and toys that enhance the learning experience.

Diversity & Equity in Education

Provides educators with transformative, social justice-oriented approaches for diversity and equity issues within P-20 learning environments.

Early Intervention

Prepares you to implement recommended practices in early intervention (services for children 0-3 with disabilities or delays and their families).

Global Studies in Education (GSE)

Addresses education and global change from social justice and critical democracy perspectives.

Human Resource Development (HRD)

Enhances knowledge and the applied processes used to improve workplace performance and individual learning in organizations.

Instructional Design MasterTrack®️

Acquire sought-after skills for success in the growing field of instructional design. Launch your instructional design career in four months with this two-course training program.

Instructional System Design Management and Leadership (ISDML)

Financial Aid Eligible

Enhance your skills with a practice-oriented program grounded in instructional system design and learning technologies and is positioned to efficiently up-skill the training and learning development workforce in organizations.

International Education Administration and Leadership (IEAL)

Financial Aid Eligible

Lead internationalization efforts in education or business settings, including higher education, with this graduate certificate. Equip yourself with the necessary skills to drive global engagement and cross-cultural collaboration.

Leadership & Equity

Empower practicing and aspiring leaders to bridge the knowing-doing gap. This program prepares leaders to act decisively, disrupt, and dismantle the status quo practices that perpetuate inequality and injustice.

Learning Design & Leadership (LDL)

Financial Aid Eligible

Prepare for practices in a wide range of sites, including formal education from K-12 to higher education, workplace, and community settings, and informal learning.

Middle Grades Education

Financial Aid Eligible

Prepare professionals to teach in grades 5-8 by combining foundational knowledge and practical experience to ensure a well-rounded approach to teaching in middle grades, resulting in effective engagement.

Online Teaching in Higher Education Environment

Enable individuals in higher education to design, implement, and sustain meaningful online experiences for diverse populations with this graduate certificate in higher education.

Technology Specialist

Equips educators to understand technology and apply it in their classroom or workplace. Exploring emerging technologies and their implications on teaching and learning, fostering a tech-savvy approach that enhances educational practices and outcomes.

Trauma-Informed Education

Identify and implement trauma-informed practices in education settings with this program to have a more compassionate and supportive educational environment.

Unlock Your Potential with the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois is at the forefront of advancing education through our comprehensive array of graduate certificates. A passion for academic excellence is at the center of our philosophy, and we strive to create new, dynamic programs that empower you to translate your skills into impactful contributions to the public. Whether your goal is to enhance your expertise with a certificate of higher education in online teaching or switch careers with a curriculum and instruction certificate, our diverse online graduate certificate programs are designed to foster professional advancement across numerous specialized areas. Our online education certificate programs offer flexibility, convenience, and an opportunity to join a vibrant community of learners. Start your journey and apply today! 

How do I find out if I am eligible for financial aid?

Please contact the University of Illinois Student Financial Aid directly at (217) 333-0100 or finaid@illinois.edu for any questions you may have related to financial aid.

What will my student enrollment status be when I am in a graduate certificate program?

If you are not currently an enrolled student, you will be enrolled as a “CERT” student if you are in a financial aid-eligible program, and if you are in another program, you will be a non-degree student.

Can current students enroll in a graduate certificate program? You can enroll in a graduate certificate if you are already enrolled in a degree program. Please contact the Office of Online Programs at onlineprograms@education.illinois.edu to help you enroll in a graduate certificate.
Will my graduate certificate show on my transcript?

Graduate certificates not eligible for financial aid are not transcripted, and the courses taken will appear on the transcript. However, the name of the certificate will not.

Financial aid eligible graduate certificates are transcripted. Your transcript will display the courses taken and the name of the graduate certificate.

When will I receive my graduate certificate?

Financial aid eligible graduate certificates will be awarded at the end of the traditional semester following the campus graduate degree conferral schedule.

Other certificates can be awarded upon course completion. Once you have completed the coursework, please complete the request form to receive your certificate. You will receive your certificate via email or be notified if there is an issue with your request.

All students who earn a graduate certificate will also receive a certificate for their program via Accredible, which can be shared and displayed online.

Weekly Online Synchronous Sessions

Online education certificate programs consist of online video synchronous sessions that typically meet once per week, Monday - Thursday, anytime between 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm CT. These sessions are required and are designed for you to interact with your course instructors and peers synchronously for enriched learning experiences.

Admissions

Prospective students are encouraged to apply here if they are seeking a Graduate Degree and Transcriptable Credential or here if they are seeking a Non-Degree Credential.

Please contact the Office of Online Programs at onlineprograms@education.illinois.edu if you have any questions related to admissions.

Application Deadlines

Completed applications, including all additional materials requested, are due by the following application dates. Some programs do admit students on a different cycle. Programs that admit students on a different cycle will have specific information on their program pages.

More Information

You will find information about credit hour requirements, transferring graduate certificate credits towards a graduate program, time limits, and other requirements at https://grad.illinois.edu/files/pdfs/handbook.pdf

Tuition and fees are direct costs charged by the university. The cost of attendance also includes indirect cost allowances for food, housing, books, supplies, and other expenses. You will not be billed by the university for these costs unless you live in university housing.  Use the Illinois Cost Calculator for an estimated cost of attendance. Online students will only be charged $538 in tuition and fees per credit hour. Tuition rates are subject to change.

For more information about our online programs, contact us.