Graduate Certificate and Minor Programs

Graduate Certificate Programs

Missouri S&T offers a number of graduate certificates that are designed to appeal to those working professionals who are interested in furthering their education and who seek the knowledge to understand and contribute to an emerging area of their professional lives.

The information provided in this section outlines the minimum requirements established by the graduate faculty of Missouri University of Science and Technology.  Individual programs may have additional requirements set by the academic department.  More information about each specific graduate certificate program is available on the departmental websites and in the areas of study sections of this catalog.

Time Limit

Once admitted to a certificate program, a student will be given six years to complete the program.  A student may take a leave of absence, up to one year only, which will not count toward the six-year time limit.  To apply for a leave of absence the student must consult with their academic advisor to complete the Leave of Absence Request form and submit for approval, first to the department chair and then to the vice provost of graduate education.

Academic Advisor Requirements

All students pursuing a certificate will have an academic advisor who must be a member of the Missouri S&T graduate faculty. 

Transferring Credits

A maximum of one course (equivalent to at least three credit hours) may be transferred from another university as long as these credits have not been used to meet the requirements of another degree and were registered as graduate credit when they were taken. Students must have earned at least a grade of B or equivalent for the course to be transferred to a Missouri S&T certificate.  The transfer course, the Missouri S&T equivalent, and the certificate course that is being replaced must be indicated on a Substitution for Required Certificate Course(s) form. A transcript that includes the course to be transferred must be attached to the form and submitted for approval, first to the department chair and then to the vice provost of graduate education.  Approval of the form will allow the transferred course to be entered on the student’s Missouri S&T transcript, but only after the registrar’s office has received the student’s official transcript from their previous school.

General Requirements

Certificate programs require the completion of twelve credit hours (four designated courses) of 3000-, 4000-, 5000-, and 6000-level lecture courses (1000/2000-level courses cannot be included). Courses taken for a specific certificate cannot be counted toward an additional certificate.  A Certificate Program Courses form must be signed by the student and the academic advisor for each certificate program and then submitted to the vice provost of graduate education before the second or subsequent certificate can be awarded.

Certificate programs may be offered by more than one program and/or department, which must be chosen by the student upon application. 

Acceptance into a Master’s Degree Program

If the four-course sequence is completed with at least a grade of B in each of the courses taken, the GRE/GMAT will not be required upon application into a master’s program.   However, all other program prerequisites and admission requirements must be met. If the certificate requirements are not met, students may still apply to the master's program of their choice, but normal admission requirements (including minimum GRE or GMAT scores) must be met.

The certificate courses can be applied toward a master’s program. However, once the master’s degree has been awarded, any courses used on that plan of study cannot be used for additional certificates, unless the certificate program admit term is prior to the awarding of the master’s degree. 

Procedures for Earning a Graduate Certificate

  1. Students must apply and be admitted to each certificate program.
  2. The student will consult with their academic advisor about course scheduling and registering for classes.
  3. The student will complete the required certificate coursework. 
  4. For students enrolled in and/or completing more than one certificate, a Certificate Program Courses form must be submitted for approval, first to the academic advisor for each certificate program and then to the vice provost of graduate education, before the second or subsequent certificate can be awarded.
  5. The student must apply for completion through their Joe’SS account by the deadline posted by the registrar’s office.
  6. The Board of Curators, upon the recommendation of the graduate faculty, grants the student the certificate when all requirements are met and all enrollment or examination fees have been paid.

Graduate Minors

Students enrolled in master’s or doctoral degree programs at Missouri S&T may designate a graduate minor if they choose. Designated graduate minors are offered by individual degree-granting departments. Requirements for the graduate minor are determined by the department offering the minor. Graduate minors can only be awarded when the major degree is awarded, and all requirements for the graduate minor must be completed while the candidate is working toward their major degree.

Any graduate student interested in pursuing a graduate minor should consult with their academic advisor. Applications for a designated graduate minor must be completed and submitted for approval to the minor-granting department and must be approved at least one full semester prior to the candidate’s planned graduation date. The application form for designated graduate minors is available at http://registrar.mst.edu/forms/.