Graduate Certificates and Diplomas are a form of post graduate studies. This means that you are required to have a Bachelors Degree (sometimes referred to as a first degree) in order to undertake the course. The post nominal’s for a Graduate Certificate is GradCert and GradDip for a Graduate Diploma.
Why would you take a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma?
There are two main reasons to undertake this form of study. First would be a career change, the second would be to re-tool.
You use the Graduate Certificate or Diploma as a career change where you have studied an unrelated degree to the field you are currently working in or wishing to work in.
For example, I have a BSc (HONS) in Sound Technology. After my degree I worked in an unrelated field which has resulted in me working in the educational sector. I have now enrolled on a Graduate Diploma in Additional Learning Needs by using my current degree.
This allows me to 'up skill' at an equivalent academic level to my first degree in the current sector.
Secondly, you might wish to use a graduate Certificate/Diploma in order to re-tool. This is where you utilise the course to specialise in a specific area of a field.
For example, a teacher has done their first degree in Religious Studies. They have however decided after working with a lower ability group that they would like to work in Special Education Needs (sometimes termed as Additional Learning Needs). One route would be to specialise using a Graduate Certificate/Diploma.
This would therefore work in conjunction with their first degree. This could be done before or after they had started the specific job. For further reading see geteducated.com's article.
What is the difference between a Graduate Certificate and a Graduate Diploma?
A Graduate certificate can often be completed within a year. The difference between a Graduate Certificate and a Graduate Diploma is the credit value. A Graduate Certificate requires 60 credits at level 6; whereas the diploma is double, requiring 120 credits at level 6. The diploma therefore would often take two years to complete.
What Academic level is a Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma?
The academic level (in the UK) is level 6 as mentioned. This is the same level as a Bachelors degree. Therefore academically even though it is classed as post graduate studies it is an academic level down from a Post graduate certificate/Diploma.
What is the progression?
While these are stand alone courses in their own right it is possible to progress and even utilise the course in that progression. The most likely progression would be onto academic level 7 either in the form of a PgCert, PgDip or Masters.
Some universities will accept modules or the course as a whole to contribute to the credit level at level 7. However there are no hard and fast rules and the only way to discover this is to speak to the university concerned.
Graduate Certificates and Diplomas can be an excellent way to 'up skill' or retool. They provide a fast and convenient tool to undertake subject specific skills. However, you must have a Bachelor’s degree to start with and there may be other alternatives such as a certificate at level 4 or 5. Additionally you could study at academic level 7 with a Post Graduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma or a Masters. This may give you a wider range of courses as not every University offers GradCert/GradDip; even if they do they could be in fairly specific subject areas. Therefore if the opportunity is there, within a subject that you are interested they can offer. They can provide an excellent option however if applicable a lower or higher academic qualification could be equally as valuable to your career move.
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