To get into certificate programs, students typically are required to have a high school diploma or GED. Many certificate programs in the health care field also require students to complete physical examinations and vaccinations against communicable diseases such as Hepatitis B. In addition, certificate program applicants in the health care field often must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, according to the University of Maine at Augusta. Some certificate programs also encourage students to submit high school or previous college transcripts, and students also might have to submit standardized test scores or complete college entrance exams, according to the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The curriculum in a certificate program varies depending on the field of study. Certificate programs are available in areas such as dental assisting and even accounting. Courses in a dental assisting program focus exclusively on dental-related topics such as radiology and dental materials. Meanwhile, accounting program classes cover specialized topics such as auditing and cost accounting. Unlike college degree programs, certificate programs do not require students to complete general education courses such as English or math. Instead, certificate programs might include only six classes and thus often can be completed in less than a year.
A chief benefit of college certificate programs is that students in these programs can prepare for a wide variety of fields without having to commit a large amount of time and money to training. In addition, many schools that offer certificate programs place an emphasis on creating small class sizes, thus giving students more one-on-one attention in the classroom so that they can succeed.
A certificate also allows students to transfer their credits to a college degree program if they choose to advance in their area of study. For this reason, completing a certificate program is a good initial step for students who plan to continue their education but want to get field experience rapidly. In addition, many employers like to see job candidates who have completed certificate programs because this demonstrates' individuals efforts to master a particular skill set.
Some professionals who already have a college degree actually choose to complete certificate programs in another area to give themselves more skills and employment opportunities. For example, a person who works in marketing might complete an accounting certificate program to understand the financial aspects of an organization as well. These professional certificate programs usually require students to already have a bachelor's degree, according to the University of California Berkeley. Also, graduate-level certificate programs allow professionals to meet licensing requirements in their field or launch a new career quickly, according to GetEducated.com.