Certificate Programs at Iowa - Majors & Programs - Undergraduate Admissions

Certificate programs may be added to a major or minor to gain a specialty in a particular field. They’ll show a prospective employer not only that you have knowledge of a field but also that you went the extra mile to qualify for the certificate.

If you would rather major in an area that lists only a certificate or minor program, you may choose to develop a plan for a BA degree in interdepartmental studies that incorporates the subject matter of a certificate program. Check with an academic advisor for information on the process.

Certificate in Aging Studies
Certificate in American Indian and Native Studies
Certificate in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies
Certificate in Entrepreneurship
Certificate in Global Health Studies
Certificate in International Business
Certificate in Latin American Studies
Certificate in Medieval Studies
Certificate in Museum Studies
Certificate in Nonprofit Management
Certificate in Philosophies and Ethics of Politics, Law, and Economics (PEOPLE)
Certificate in Public Health
Certificate in Risk Management and Insurance
Certificate in Sexuality Studies
Certificate in Technological Entrepreneurship

Certificate in Aging Studies
The Aging Studies Program at Iowa fulfills the credentialing standards set by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. The program, which has about 50 students enrolled, features a multidisciplinary approach to gerontology and geriatric education. Students enrolled in the certificate program come from a wide variety of colleges, including the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Nursing, Dentistry, and Pharmacy, and the Tippie College of Business.

Course Work
The Certificate in Aging Studies requires 21 semester hours (s.h.) of approved aging-related courses. This aging-specific course work is defined as an Iowa course focusing primarily on older people, the aging process, or intervention methods or techniques directed toward the older adult. A grade-point average of at least 2.00 is required in all course work applied toward the certificate.

Students are required to complete the following six courses: Basic Aspects of Aging, Older Adulthood: Cultural Comparisons, Psychology of Aging, Biology of Aging, Fieldwork in Gerontology, and Aging Studies Colloquium. Students must also complete an additional 2 to 5 s.h. of elective course work from an approved list of aging-related courses.

With the approval of their major department, students may apply course work to their major or professional program of study. Six semester hours must be taken outside the major department.

Careers
This is a growing area of employment and interest. There are career opportunities in a variety of settings, including agencies serving the elderly, social services, retirement homes, long-term care facilities, hospitals, recreation departments, banks, industry, and health clubs.

Certificate in American Indian and Native Studies
The American Indian and Native Studies Program is a graduate and undergraduate certificate program with a reputation for excellence. Current students say they came to American Indian and native studies with curiosity about American Indians’ history, cultures, languages, and literature, as well as the contemporary legal and political issues that face Native Americans and other indigenous peoples. They chose to study at Iowa because of the program’s recognized high quality, support for students, and active Native American community on campus. There are approximately 15 students enrolled in the program.

You may combine this certificate with a variety of undergraduate majors. The department also offers a minor in American Indian and native studies.

Course Work
The curriculum emphasizes presentation of material from a native perspective as much as possible. By choosing from a wide range of courses in related departments, you may develop an interdisciplinary program that qualifies for the certificate or minor and is inherently related to your future plans. Students earning this certificate or minor frequently take courses in English, history, anthropology, geography, religious studies, and law. Other related course work you may choose would be in art and art history, American studies, or nursing. Students must earn at least 20 semester hours of credit in approved courses with a 2.00 grade-point average.

Careers
These studies can prepare you for professional training in museum studies, health care, business, and law. The program can help you acquire expertise for jobs involving cross-cultural work through experience with ethnic, social, and political diversity.

Cultural Experience
It is highly recommended, but not required, that you have an in-depth cultural experience, usually through study or volunteer work with American Indians. Faculty advisors will outline available options. Opportunities have included the six-week summer archaeological field school, in which students and faculty work together at an archaeological site; tutoring at the Meskwaki Settlement School; and participating in various American Indian Student Association cultural events.

Scholarships
There are many scholarships at the University available to first-year and upper-level students. The Tom Brokaw Scholarship Fund is available to American Indian students based on need and merit. The Madeline Peterson Scholarship offers full tuition, plus $4,000, to an entering first-year woman of American Indian descent with a tribal affiliation. Also, the First Nations program offers in-state tuition for nonresident members of tribes historically connected to Iowa.

Certificate in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies
The Certificate in American Sign Language and Deaf Studies is an interdisciplinary program in which students learn about the history, culture, and language of the American deaf community. Extensive research has established that American Sign Language (ASL) is comparable in complexity and expressiveness to oral languages. It also is associated with a distinct culture, and its study provides opportunities for exploration and research similar to those offered by spoken languages.

As with the study of any foreign language, students come to understand the nature of their own language better by broadening their understanding of how language may be constructed.

Students in a wide variety of disciplines—particularly those in linguistics, anthropology, history, American studies, psychology, education, speech pathology and audiology, and social work—find the ASL/deaf studies certificate a useful addition to their major.

Course Work
The ASL and deaf studies certificate requires completion of the ASL I-IV sequence (or demonstration of equivalent proficiency) and a minimum of 18 semester hours (s.h.) in approved courses from at least three different departments, including at least 6 s.h. chosen from the following:

History of the American Deaf Community
Topics in Deaf Studies
ASL Literature
ASL Conversation
Teaching Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students
Issues in ASL and Deaf Studies
Introduction to ASL Interpreting

In addition, students choose at least 12 s.h. from selected courses in at least two of the following departments: anthropology, special education (College of Education), history, linguistics, psychology, or speech pathology and audiology.

A minimum grade-point average of 2.00 must be maintained on all certificate course work, and courses used to satisfy the certificate may not be taken pass/nonpass. Transfer work may be accepted toward the certificate requirements for up to 6 s.h., with the approval of the ASL/deaf studies advisor.

A course may not be used to satisfy more than one certificate requirement, but certificate courses also may satisfy major or minor requirements.

Careers
Study for the certificate gives students the opportunity to develop insight into and appreciation for the culture, contributions, and contemporary issues of deaf people in the United States. Courses prepare students to communicate more effectively with deaf students, clientele, and fellow professionals or employees in business, industry, schools, colleges, and hospitals. In addition, the courses provide a solid and basic foundation for entry into any career in a deaf-related field.

The certificate can contribute to preparation for careers in education, counseling, human services, psychology, and interpreting. Students also may apply their knowledge of deaf studies to various graduate fields of study. Additional specialized training is needed to qualify individuals to be teachers of deaf children, ASL/English interpreters, sign language instructors, or speech pathologists/audiologists.

Certificate in Entrepreneurship
Through a unique collaboration among the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC), the Tippie College of Business, the health sciences colleges, and the Colleges of Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences, students may earn a Certificate in Entrepreneurship in addition to their undergraduate degree.

The entrepreneurship program was named the 2004 National Model Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Program by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship and is ranked among the top 25 nationally recognized entrepreneurship programs by Entrepreneur magazine.

The certificate program helps prepare students to start and manage their own ventures and to successfully lead existing companies and organizations. It encourages innovation and creativity; develops skill in recognizing, evaluating, and seizing opportunity; and teaches strategic business planning—all necessary for entrepreneurs and leaders.

Entrepreneurship students learn from a select team of faculty members and business leaders distinguished by their ability to teach, model, and inspire the entrepreneurial mind-set. Through the program, students develop their entrepreneurial leadership skills as they prepare to become the next generation of successful entrepreneurs and leaders.

The entrepreneurship curriculum incorporates several experiential learning opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills in their own ventures or with emerging and growing Iowa companies. JPEC recently opened the Bedell Entrepreneurship Learning Laboratory, a facility dedicated to student entrepreneurs pursuing the creation of a new venture. Other activities include I-Envision (the student entrepreneurship club), business plan competitions, mentoring, guest speaker series, and networking events.

Course Work
Students may enter the program as sophomores. To earn the Certificate in Entrepreneurship, students take a minimum of 18–20 semester hours (s.h.) of course work, which must include:

Entrepreneurship and New Business Formation (or Entrepreneurial Strategy for management majors)
Entrepreneurial Marketing
Capital Acquisition and Cash Flow Management
Managing the Growth Business

Nonbusiness students must also take:

Basics of Small Business Accounting (or an approved college-level accounting course)
Basics of Small Business Marketing (or an approved college-level marketing course)

To fulfill the remainder of the requirements, students may choose 6 (s.h.) of electives from the following:

Technology Applications for Entrepreneurs
Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship
Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation
Seminar in Entrepreneurship (topics include real estate and e-commerce)
Entrepreneurship: Business Consulting
Advanced Business Planning
Directed Readings in Entrepreneurship
Academic Internship: Entrepreneurship
Dynamics of Negotiation

Some course work for the certificate in entrepreneurship is available online.

Certificate in Global Health Studies
The Global Health Studies Program offers a certificate focusing on the themes, processes, and institutions that influence health and disease. Among these are technology, culture, politics, legal structure, history, and economy. As a field, global health studies assumes that health is everywhere, subject to dynamic processes of change that have impact worldwide.

The program provides an understanding of related global health phenomena such as:

Infectious and chronic diseases
Nutrition
Changing demographics
Global climate change
Natural disasters and health impacts
Environmental hazards
Use of illicit and proprietary drugs
Interventions against violence, war, and injuries
Advances in genetic, reproductive, and other biomedical technologies
Relation between human rights and health
Practices in non-Western cultures
Alternative therapies and health
Health needs of immigrants, migrants, and refugees

The program also provides an institutional, interdisciplinary focus where students and faculty from different departments, colleges, and disciplines can meet on the common ground of shared interest in global health issues.

Students obtaining this certificate will be introduced to the preliminary field experience needed to be competitive in the international job market.

Course Work
This program offers an interdisciplinary base for discussion of international health research, and it disseminates information to students about international health careers. To receive the certificate, you will take 8 semester hours (s.h.) of core courses and 17 s.h. of elective courses for a total of 25 s.h. with a grade-point average of 3.00 or higher. Detailed course lists are available in the General Catalog.

Global health studies organizes annual conferences on global health themes and hosts a health research seminar each semester. Programs are coordinated with other international programs at the University.

Study Abroad/Internships
Students must develop and conduct a research project or participate in a study abroad program or internship on a global health/environmental health issue, typically in a foreign setting. Projects require committee approval and a faculty member’s supervision.

Academic credit for research or internship experiences may be applied as electives toward the 25 s.h. total. A six- to eight-week experience usually is considered the minimum amount
of time to meet this requirement. Students will be advised about funding opportunities at the University for their foreign experiences, but funding cannot be guaranteed for every student seeking it.

Certificate in International Business
The Certificate in International Business is an opportunity to combine a business or liberal arts and sciences major with electives focused on international issues in order to develop a competent understanding of the complexities of international business. Foreign language majors often find that international business course work adds an interesting dimension to their studies.

Course Work
The program is concentrated in the following four areas: international business, international relations and institutions, foreign language, and area studies. You’ll take Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics, plus three other international business courses, two international relations and institutions courses, a foreign language sequence, and 6 semester hours of area studies from the geographic area of the language you selected to study.

This interdisciplinary program draws on the strengths of more than 80 departments in the Colleges of Business and Liberal Arts and Sciences, so you’ll have dozens of courses you can use to tailor your certificate program. Study abroad programs fit well with the certificate. Many of the classes that satisfy the requirements also may apply to General Education Program credit and your major or minor.

Certificate in Latin American Studies
The Latin American Studies Program focuses on the geography, history, politics, social organization, economy, art, and literature of Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The interdisciplinary curriculum leads to a certificate or a minor in Latin American studies.

Course Work
To earn the certificate, you must complete 24 semester hours (s.h.) of credit with a grade-point average of at least 2.00. You’ll take Introduction to Latin American Studies and Latin American Studies Seminar. Plus, you’ll take 6 s.h. in any two of these fields: anthropology, history, political science, or Spanish and Portuguese.

Study Abroad
Study abroad is highly recommended but not required. Faculty members will help you identify possible programs in many different Latin American countries. The University also offers a summer program with Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico and a health, nutrition, and environmental issues program in Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in the Dominican Republic. See the General Catalog for other details of this certificate program.

Careers
Students who complete the program are prepared for graduate study or for careers related to Latin America in business, communications, government, bilingual/bicultural education, teaching, community organizing, and international work.

Certificate in Medieval Studies
Using the medieval studies certificate program, you can link three or more disciplines into an organized program in order to study the Middle Ages. The certificate can be combined with focused study in any of several areas, including art and art history, cinema and comparative literature; classics, English, French and Italian, German, history, music, philosophy, religion, Spanish and Portuguese, theatre arts, and women’s studies.

Course Work
Courses applied toward this certificate program may be used to complete the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Program. However, you cannot use more than 7 semester hours (s.h.) of course work from your major to complete the certificate.

The 21 s.h. of study required for this certificate must be earned in at least three different departments. You also must demonstrate skills in a medieval language. Because some languages have prerequisite courses that are not offered frequently, you need to fulfill your language requirement early in the program of study and consult frequently with an advisor in your relevant language area.

Early in the program you should take Medieval Civilization and Literature and Culture of the Middle Ages. Your language requirement may be satisfied through the following courses:

Elementary Old English
Introduction to Old French Grammar
Middle High German
Second-Year Latin II
Medieval Spanish Literature

With the approval of the medieval studies coordinating committee, you can substitute other medieval language course work.

Certificate in Museum Studies
Iowa’s Museum Studies Program is a historically significant program. It is the oldest of its kind in the nation, with courses offered continuously since 1910.

It is a supplemental program; students are encouraged to major in one of the natural sciences disciplines, American studies, anthropology, art history, science education, or history. Students may take advantage of extraordinary campus resources, including the collections and exhibits at numerous campus museums. Among them are the Museum of Natural History, which is the oldest university museum west of the Mississippi River; the Museum of Art, with more than 9,000 objects in its collections; and the Old Capitol Museum.

Course Work
The program offers courses that provide a fundamental background in the history, organization, function, and management of museums. Students get professional-level experiences in curation, conservation, exhibit design, audience evaluation, K-12 curriculum development, and outreach programming.

The program offers an outstanding balance between theory and practice, with a great combination of classroom museological theory (history, philosophy, ethics, audiences, and so on) and hands-on, practical experience in real-world museum environments. Students are required to complete 21 semester hours (s.h.), including a 3-s.h. internship.

Internships
There are many opportunities to do internships for credit, both at UI museums and at external institutions. Students have access to established museums in the geographic area through internships and numerous field trips.

Careers
Most students who want to work in a museum after graduation will pursue graduate study. However, some entry-level positions may be available with a bachelor’s degree, depending on your major.

Graduates are directors, curators, and program specialists in museums throughout North America.

Certificate in Nonprofit Management
Nonprofit organizations play critical roles in communities. Their unique management, funding, and finance issues require specialized training. Iowa’s new Certificate in Nonprofit Management, offered by the Center for Credit Programs in cooperation with the Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center, provides valuable training for undergraduates considering careers in nonprofit work.

Course Work
Courses in this certificate program cover a wide range of topics, including community and government partnerships, organizational leadership, Web site creation and maintenance, financial accountability, and grant writing. Courses are offered primarily on the web.

The program requires completion of 18 semester hours of course work. Students complete Nonprofit Organizational Effectiveness I–II and Entrepreneurship and New Business Formation before registering for the remaining courses:

Organizational Leadership
Human Services Administration
Web-Based ePortfolios
Grant Writing

Careers
Students considering careers in large or small nonprofit organizations will gain leadership skills and a fundamental understanding of how nonprofits participate in building communities.

Certificate in Philosophies and Ethics of Politics, Law, and Economics (PEOPLE)
PEOPLE is based on the principle that societies institutionalize values. They generate institutions, such as legislatures, courts, corporations, and schools that guide individual and group conduct by governing opportunities, prescribing or prohibiting behavior, and influencing beliefs. The program examines how humans confront these social situations in three distinct ways: as subjects, decision-makers, and inquirers.

This is a cooperative, interdisciplinary program sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Law. Departments primarily involved in the program are economics, philosophy, and political science.

Although it is not restricted to these departments’ majors and minors, the PEOPLE program provides a convenient way for them to study how societies institutionalize values from theoretical and ethical perspectives.

It is a supplemental certificate, earned simultaneously with a BA or BS in another area. Declared pre-law majors may find the program especially attractive.

Course Work
Students majoring in philosophy, economics, political science, and sociology find that they meet many of the PEOPLE program requirements with courses taken for their major. To receive the certificate, students must complete 36 semester hours of course work. Because of the program’s multiple requirements, you’re urged to begin work on the certificate in your first year.

You’ll take a foundation of courses and then take three courses in each of two fields. Foundation courses include:

Principles of Reasoning
Philosophy and the Just Society OR Introduction to Ethics
Introduction to Political Philosophy OR Philosophy of Law
Introduction to Political Thought and Political Action OR Introduction to Political Behavior OR Introduction to Political Communication
Principles of Microeconomics OR Principles of Macroeconomics

Also required is one of these:

Undergraduate Seminar in Philosophy
Individuals and Institutions
Hard Cases: Science Policy and Values
Risk Technology and the Public
Democracy and Rule of Law
Seminar: Reasons, Causes, and Values

The fields from which you’ll choose the remainder of your courses are economics, philosophy, political science, law, and sociology.

Careers
There are many career opportunities for students with this certificate. Graduates have gone on to careers in fields such as law, politics, planning, and management.

Certificate in Public Health
This program is designed to strengthen the knowledge and skills in basic public health competencies. The program is primarily directed toward individuals in public health practice who are in the workforce.

All of the courses needed for completing the certificate are offered through a variety of venues, such as the Iowa Communications Network or the Internet, intended to appeal to nontraditional students. Courses also are offered on the Iowa campus and in the Summer Institute.

Qualifications for admission include 60 semester hours of undergraduate education and a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 2.50 on a 4.00 scale.

Course Work
Successful completion of the certificate program requires that the overall GPA for the certificate courses be 2.75 or above and that the course work is less than five years old upon successful completion. Required courses are Introduction to Public Health Practice and Evidence-Based Public Health Methods. Other courses include Introduction to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System, and Environmental Health.

Certificate in Risk Management and Insurance
Business organizations succeed not only by their ability to create value, but also by protecting value. While traditional business curricula focus on value creation, the Emmett J. Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance offers a Certificate in Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) that emphasizes asset protection through the effective use of insurance and corporate and financial risk management.

The RMI certificate is ideal for several types of students. Students in any major will find the classes have practical application to their careers and personal lives. Finance majors can concentrate in risk management and insurance, or complement their corporate finance and investment courses with one or more RMI courses. Also, Tippie College of Business students in majors other than finance, and students from other colleges at the University can take RMI courses to gain an understanding of the important issues in this area of financial services, as well as the exceptional employment opportunities in the industry. Actuarial science students can take insurance courses to help prepare for their actuarial exams, and math students may choose the RMI certificate as a separate complementary option to their education.

Course Work
To earn the certificate, students must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours (s.h.) of course work including the following required courses:

Introduction to Financial Management
Principles of Risk Management and Insurance
Corporate and Financial Risk Management

And two of the following:

Property and Liability Insurance
Life and Health Insurance
Employee Benefit Plans

To complete the certificate requirements, students select 9 s.h. of courses from a list of approved electives in finance, management, marketing, actuarial science, or engineering.

Careers
The RMI program provides students with a foundation for careers in corporate risk management, risk management consulting, employee benefits management and insurance consulting, insurance brokerage, and underwriting.

Certificate in Sexuality Studies
The Sexuality Studies Program focuses on the history and construction of human sexuality and gender identity. It encompasses areas of investigation including anthropology, art, health care, law, literature, popular culture, psychology, sociology, and theatre arts. It is multicultural, interdisciplinary, and international in scope.

Students gain a better understanding of human sexuality and background knowledge of a variety of humanities and social science fields. They’re also exposed to career options in education, counseling, law, medicine, nursing, and other health professions.

Course Work
To receive the certificate, you must earn 21 semester hours (s.h.) of credit with a grade-point average of at least 2.00. Course work must include Introduction to Sexuality Studies and Seminar in Sexuality Studies, plus at least two of the following courses:

Sex and Popular Culture in the Postwar U.S.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Identities
Diverse Sexual Communities
Performing America Queerly
Sexuality in Hispanic Cultures

The remaining 9 s.h. may be chosen from approved courses in American studies, anthropology, art and art history, cinema and comparative literature, education, English, health and sport studies, history, nursing, psychology, religion, social work, sociology, and theatre arts.

Certificate in Technological Entrepreneurship
The College of Engineering, the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC), and the Tippie College of Business offer an innovative and exclusive joint program leading to a Certificate in Technological Entrepreneurship, earned along with an engineering degree. It was the first program of its kind at any engineering college in the country.

Engineers are problem solvers who relish grappling with the unknown. Traditional engineers have tackled problems such as the tensile strength of concrete or electrical properties of the ionosphere. Engineering students at Iowa also are exploring venture capital, marketability of products, and technology transfer. They are preparing to launch tomorrow’s successful businesses—while earning their engineering degree.

This program enables students to study the entrepreneurial process as it relates to technology. It not only serves students who intend to start and operate their own business; it also helps any student interested in gaining a better understanding of the entrepreneurial process as it applies to existing companies. The wide range of electives permits students to tailor business courses best suited for their individual interests. They learn from a select team of University faculty and business leaders chosen for their ability to teach and inspire the entrepreneurial process.

Course Work
Students may enter the program as sophomores with a University of Iowa grade-point average of at least 2.75 and at least 45 semester hours (s.h.) earned toward the BS in engineering. To earn the technological entrepreneurship certificate, students take a minimum of 18 s.h. of course work, including:

Engineering Economy OR Introduction to Financial Accounting OR Accounting for Nonbusiness Students
Entrepreneurship and New Business Formation
Capital Acquisition and Cash Flow Management
Departmental Entrepreneurial Course

To fulfill the remainder of the requirements students may choose 6 s.h. of electives from the following list:

Entrepreneurial Marketing
Technology Applications for Entrepreneurs
Legal Aspects of Entrepreneurship
Strategic Management of Technology and Innovation
Seminar in Entrepreneurship (topics include real estate and e-commerce)
Entrepreneurship: Business Consulting
Advanced Business Planning
Directed Readings in Entrepreneurship
Academic Internship: Entrepreneurship
Dynamics of Negotiation
Biomedical Senior Design II