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The Graduate Academic Certificate and Post-Graduate Certificate programs are a graduate-level program of study that concentrates on a specific body of knowledge within a field of study. It is intended to prepare, upgrade, or retrain a person for immediate application of the knowledge learned. The credits earned as part of this program of study can be applied to a related degree program at Franklin University.

Graduate Academic Certificate Program Requirements

• The program must have a minimum of fifteen (15) credit hours with at least twelve (12) of those credit hours earned at Franklin University
• Students must adhere to the same admissions standards as those entering the graduate program
• All applicable prerequisites must be taken prior to enrolling in the required certificate courses
• Courses must be completed with a grade of “B-” or better (Nursing post-graduate and graduate certificates require a "B" or better in all courses)
• A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required to receive the certificate
• Students seeking a certificate must attain the requirements for the graduate certificate within four years of the first trimester completed under a declared program. Thereafter, a student is bound by current Academic Catalog requirements.
• Students should refer to the major programs section of the academic catalog that may outline additional requirements.

Application for Completion:

• Every student in a certificate program must complete an application for completion in order for the certificate to be awarded. Please contact your Academic Advisor for the application.
• Completed applications must be submitted to your Academic Advisor no later than 2 weeks prior to the end of the term of certificate completion.
• There is a $25 fee due with your application. Franklin University will not issue certificates to students with unpaid balances.
• Certificates will be mailed to the student’s home address at the end of the trimester of completion.

The admission process reflects Franklin University’s efforts to clearly identify the performance standards that can help predict student success in graduate level study. The selection criterion for Franklin’s graduate programs, as determined by faculty, emphasizes academic ability, contributory work experience, and personal qualities and characteristics.

Requirements for admission include having earned a bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACCJC), Higher Learning Commission (HLC), Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE), Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), Southern Association of Colleges and School Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), or a Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)-recognized accrediting organization with a GPA of at least a 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.

Applicants who earned at least a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale in their earned bachelor’s degree will automatically be granted conditional enrollment status. Applicants who earned lower than a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale in their earned bachelor’s degree can petition for conditional enrollment status to the program chair by submitting an essay detailing other criteria that the applicant believes should be considered to demonstrate their ability to be successful in a graduate program. This petition could include details on the applicant’s work experience, work ethic, level of professionalism, personality characteristics, level of difficulty of program of study previously completed, etc. 

Conditional enrollment requires students to achieve a final grade of “B” (3.0 GPA) or better in the first graduate-level course of their program. If the terms of the conditional enrollment are not met, the student will not be allowed to advance in their program and will be unable to earn this graduate degree from Franklin University. 

Program Prerequisites

None

English Language Testing & TOEFL IELTS

Prospective students must demonstrate English Language Proficiency. The requirement is met through any of the following:

• The applicant is a citizen of a country where English is the official language.*
• The applicant has received a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an institution located in an English-speaking country in which the courses were taught in English.*
• The applicant has earned appropriate scores on language proficiency exams taken within the last two years, as listed in the Academic Catalog.  

*For more information about English proficiency, including a list of English-speaking nations, please visit our International Students section.