Program Certificates

The University of Northern Iowa makes available, in addition to traditional programs, the opportunity for students to earn program certificates. Program certificates provide an alternative to programs leading to a degree, a major, or a minor; they certify that an individual has completed a program approved by the university. For information on any specific program certificates, contact the college or department indicated or the Office of the Registrar, which serves as the centralized registry.

The university offers a variety of interdisciplinary curricula to meet the growing need and interest in work beyond collegiate division. The following undergraduate majors and minors are under the supervision and jurisdiction of several committees, departments, or colleges as indicated. The programs include:

Program Certificates

• Applied Business Concepts (Continuing Education and Special Programs)
• International Business, Culture, and Language (also listed in Department of Languages and Literatures and the Wilson College of Business)
• Interdisciplinary Studies (graduate certificate)
   
• Museum Studies (also listed in Department of Art and Department of History)
• Sustainability
• Graduate Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies (also listed under College of Social and Behavioral Sciences)

Certificate in Applied Business Concepts 

The certificate in Applied Business Concepts will provide Bachelor of Liberal Studies (BLS) students as well as other adult learners access to a program that is convenient, flexible and offers an alternative to the traditional path to a certificate program. This program aligns well with the BLS degree since it allows students the opportunity to complete a certificate completely online. Offering a fully online certificate program creates access for BLS students, but also helps to recognize the unique needs of adult learners -- by providing access to education that can be balanced with work and family obligations. Access is one of UNI's strategic initiatives. The student learning outcomes for this program will be tied to course-level and university-level learning outcomes.

Priority registration will be given to Managing Business and Organization BAS students; however, exceptions to the BAS admission prerequisite will be given to BLS students wishing to pursue the certificate. All BLS students must register through the Online and Distance Education office (http://distance.uni.edu/enroll).

Select five courses from the following:		15
ECON 1031	Introduction to Business Economics
BUSINESS 3025	Business Analysis Techniques
BUSINESS 3030	Accounting Concepts
BUSINESS 3035	Information Systems for Professionals
BUSINESS 3060	Law, Society, and Business
BUSINESS 3065	Entrepreneurship and Opportunity
BUSINESS 3070	Topics: Effective Business Practices
BUSINESS 4040	Applied Business Finance
BUSINESS 4045	Practical Marketing for Organizations
Total Hours		15

Certificate in International Business, Culture, and Language

The Certificate in International Business, Culture, and Language is available to Wilson College of Business students majoring in Accounting, Economics-Business Economics Emphasis, Finance, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, and Real Estate and to students completing the General Business Concepts minor. The purpose of this certificate is to encourage students to seek language and cultural knowledge in order to build a foundation for understanding the global environment in which business operates. For more information students should contact UNIBusiness Advising, CBB 5. To enroll in this program students must declare their intent on a Declaration of Curriculum form. The form may be obtained in CBB 5.

International Business
MGMT 3189/5189	International Management	3
Cultural and Political Perspectives
Select one of the following:		3
Political Science:
POL INTL 1024	International Relations *
Geography:
GEOG 1110	Global Geography *
Sociology:
SOC 1000	Introduction to Sociology *
Anthropology:
ANTH 1002	Introduction to Cultural Anthropology *
Philosophy and World Religions:
RELS 1020	Religions of the World *
RELS/PHIL 1540	Ethics in Business
Foreign Language and History +
Select one of the language options below:		9-15

Chinese (14-15 hours)

CHIN 1001	Elementary Chinese I **	4
CHIN 1002	Elementary Chinese II **	4
Select two of the following:
CHIN 1011	Intermediate Chinese I	4-5
RELS 2100	Hinduism and Buddhism	3
RELS 2110	Confucianism, Daoism, and Zen	3
HUM 3124	China *	3
POL COMP 3162	Politics of East Asia	3
HIST 4850/5850	Pre-Modern Chinese History	3
HIST 4860/5860	Modern Chinese History	3

French (12 hours)

FREN 1001	Introduction to French Language and Culture I **	3
FREN 1002	Introduction to French Language and Culture II **	3
Select two of the following:
FREN 2001	Intermediate French Language and Culture	3
FREN 2002	Composition	3
FREN 2012	Advanced Topics in French Conversation: ____	3

German (12 hours)

GER 1001	German Language and Culture I **	3
GER 1002	German Language and Culture II **	3
Select two of the following:
ENGLISH/CAP 3148	The Holocaust in Literature and Film	3
HIST 4460/5460	History of Germany to 1648	3
HIST 4630/5630	History of Germany Since 1648	3

Spanish (12 hours)

SPAN 1001	Elementary Spanish I **	3
SPAN 1002	Elementary Spanish II **	3
Select two of the following:
HUM 3123	Latin America *	3
SPAN 2001	Intermediate Spanish	3
SPAN 2002	Oral and Written Spanish	3
SPAN 2053	Spanish for Special Purposes: ___________	3
SPAN 3001	Advanced Writing ***	3
SPAN 3006	Spanish for Heritage Speakers ***	3
SPAN 3020	Latin American Culture and Civilization ^	3
SPAN 3050/5050	Written Communication ***	3
SPAN 3052/5052	Contemporary Hispanic Culture	3-5
HIST 4720/5720	Modern Latin American History	3
POL COMP 3167	Latin American Politics	3

English (9 hours)****

Select one of the following:		3
HIST 1023	History of the United States
POL AMER 1014	Power & Politics in the U.S. *
Select two of the following:
ENGLISH 2520	Multicultural Literature	3
ENGLISH 2340	Survey of English Literature II: Romantics to Post-Colonialism ^	3
ENGLISH 2420	Survey of American Literature ^	3
ENGLISH 4410/RELS 4230/5230	Early American Literature ^	3
ENGLISH 4420/5420	The American Renaissance ^	3
ENGLISH 4445/5445	American Novel Since 1900 ^	3
HIST 4235/5235	Popular Culture in the United States	3
HIST 4275/5275	United States Constitutional History	3
HIST 4240/5240	History of American Thought	3
HIST 4250/5250	Religion in America	3
RELS 3180	Religion and Politics: (Topics)	3

+

A student's native language cannot be used to meet the language requirement of the certificate.

*

Credit hours in these UNIFI/General Education courses may be applied toward the completion of the UNIFI/General Education requirement and the completion of this certificate program.

**

Students who received credit toward the foreign language competency requirement for UNI graduation from satisfactory performance in high school language courses or students who can pass an equivalency examination do not need to take these courses.

***

Students may choose only one of the following courses as an elective: SPAN 3001, SPAN 3006, or SPAN 3050/5050

****

Available only for students who are non-native English speakers.

^

The following courses have additional prerequisites:

SPAN 3020 has prerequisite of SPAN 3001 or SPAN 3006 or SPAN 3050/5050 or equivalent.

ENGLISH 2340 and ENGLISH 2420 have prerequisite or corequisite ENGLISH 2120.

ENGLISH 4410/5410, ENGLISH 4420/5420, and ENGLISH 4445/5445, have prerequisites ENGLISH 2120 or consent of instructor, and junior standing.

Summary

1. International Business		3
2. Cultural and Political Perspectives		3
3. Foreign Language and History *		9-15
Chinese: 14-15 hours
French: 12 hours
German: 12 hours
Spanish: 12 hours
English: 9 hours
Total Hours		15-21

Interdisciplinary Studies (graduate certificate)

This certificate consists of a set of individualized courses to be tailored to the specific needs of students which can then be applied towards the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies or any other UNI graduate degree with departmental/program approval. Certificate credit hours may range between 9 to 15 credit hours.

Admission requirements: Non-Degree status has been established for a post-baccalaureate student who:

1. wishes to take graduate courses for self-enlightenment unrelated to any graduate degree program.
2. plan to demonstrate competence in graduate studies in support of consideration for admission to a degree program at a later time.

The admission process for Non-Degree status applicants begins when the application for admission and all supporting documents have been received in the Office of Admissions. Requests for Non-Degree Status are reviewed and acted upon within the Office of Admissions. The application will also be reviewed by a Graduate College representative who will then contact the departments/programs to assist the student in the design of the certificate to meet career goals. A student must complete the certificate with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from a college or university accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools or a corresponding regional agency, or have a bachelor's degree from a foreign institution recognized by that country's Ministry of Education. All students wishing to earn non-degree graduate credit from UNI must have a verified bachelor's degree (and master's degree if the student wishes to take doctoral level courses). The student must file an official transcript or statement of degree from each college or university from which they have received a degree, unless the degree was obtained from the University of Northern Iowa. Only documents sent directly from the issuing institution to the UNI Office of Admissions are considered official. Transfer credit is not processed for students in non-degree status at UNI.

Required:
a minimum of 9 credit hours selected in coordination with the Graduate College		9-15
Total Hours		9-15

Museum Studies Certificate

The Museum Studies Certificate exposes students to the array of occupations in the museum industry and provides them the opportunity to add an experiential component to their academic education. The certificate is available to upper-division undergraduate and graduate students who have completed the introductory course, seminar, internship, and methods and elective courses in their field of study.

The Museum Studies Certificate complements the existing frameworks of department majors. Students will take two or three (depending on variable major requirements) classes (including HIST 4020/5020/ANTH 3440/5440 Introduction to Museum Studies and ARTHIST 4003/5003/HIST 4003/5003 Collections Care and Management hosted by UNI Gallery of Art and UNI Museum), as well as an internship with a community partner. These internships and electives for the Museum Studies Certificate may be counted towards their major electives and/or university electives. For example, Textile and Apparel requires internships as part of the major; the internship requirements of the MSC will complement that major requirement. HIST 4020/5020/ANTH 3440/5440 Introduction to Museum Studies and ARTHIST 4003/5003/HIST 4003/5003 Collections Care and Management with UNI Gallery of Art and UNI Museum will be available every year.

The introductory course is taught by faculty in the History department, the seminar in collections care and management is conducted through the Art department by UNI Gallery of Art in conjunction with UNI Museum. Department faculty liaisons in students’ major departments define the methods and elective curricula and oversee their students’ museum internships.

HIST 4020/ANTH 3440/5440	Introduction to Museum Studies	3
HIST/ARTHIST 4003	Collections Care and Management	3
Major Department - External Museums Internship (see internship options below)		3-4
Major Department - Methods (see methods options below)		3-4
Major Department - Electives (see elective options below)		3-4
Total Hours		15-18

Sustainability Certificate

Sustainability encompasses a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary topics that address how to promote human prosperity while protecting the planet. The Certificate in Sustainability equips students to:

• Understand the ways in which the economy, environment and human welfare can operate in harmony
• Understand how to apply a systems thinking approach
• Recognize and address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Students select electives within the Foundations and Integrative Perspectives categories. Foundation electives reside within three distinct bin types: Scientific Reasoning, Responsibility and Human Condition.  Integrative Perspective electives also reside in three distinct bin types: Natural Systems and Stewardship, Social and Cultural Dimensions, and Business, Technology and Policy. Together these electives aim to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of sustainability and environmental literacy. 

This university wide certificate is for students interested in exploring Sustainability. There is one required course with twelve elective credits to reach the minimum of fifteen credits. As students complete this certificate there is a required, non-credit, reflection form and advisor meeting. This form may be obtained from the Sustainability Advising Director. 

Required Course
TECH 1015	Introduction to Sustainability	3
Foundations - Choose one course from two bins		6-7
Scientific Reasoning
BIOL 1012	Life: The Natural World
BIOL 2051	General Biology: Organismal Diversity
EARTHSCI 1400	Introduction to Environmental Earth Science
GEOG 2250	Nature-Society Relations
PHYSICS 1000	Physics in Everyday Life
Responsibility
CHEM 1012	Matter Matters
EARTHSCI 3336	Natural Resources and Civilizations
ECON 1001	Economics of Social Issues
HIST 3110	Conflict and Justice in History: (Topic) (with Sustainability theme)
PHIL 1560	Science, Technology, and Ethics (STE)
Human Condition
ANTH 3010	Climate Change, Human Migration and Conflict
FAM SERV 1140	Exploring Family Diversity in America
GEOG 1110	Global Geography
GEOG 1120	Peoples, Cultures, and Environments
HIST 1210	Making the Modern World
PHIL/RELS 2550	Environmental Ethics
Integrative Perspectives - Choose one course from two bins		6-7
Natural Systems and Stewardship Dimensions
BIOL 3100	Evolution, Ecology and the Nature of Science *
EARTHSCI 1300	Introduction to Geology
EARTHSCI 1410	Field Studies in ____________
GEOG 2210	Modern Climate Change: Evidence and Predictions
GEOG 4310/5310	GIS Applications: (Variable Topic) *
PH 3710/5710	Environmental Health Science
RTNL 3778/5778	Community Based Tourism
RTNL 4554/5554	Managing Recreation Impacts on the Natural Environment
RTNL 4776/5776	Eco, Adventure and Sport Tourism
Social and Cultural Dimensions
CAP 3173/PHIL 3510/RELS 3510	Bio-Medical Ethics
GEOG 4115/5115	Climate Change and Social Justice
GEOG 4120/5120	Demography and Population Geography
HIST 2210	Problems & Perspectives in Global History: (Topic)
HIST 4170/5170	U.S. Environmental History
PHIL 1040	Justice and the Good Life: Philosophical Perspectives
RTNL 4552/5552	Theory and Practice of Outdoor Education
SPAN 3023	Culture and Civilization of Spain *
Business, Technology and Policy Dimensions
ACCT 2130	Principles of Managerial Accounting *
BIOL 4157/5157	Biostatistics *
ECON 3125	Economics of Sustainability *
ECON 3225/5225	Environmental Economics *
GEOG 2350	Intro to Environmental Data Analysis
GEOG 2410	Geographic Information Systems I
GEOG 3220	Environmental Geography: Variable Topic *
GEOG 4170/5170	Climate Action Planning
GEOG 4370/5370	Remote Sensing of the Environment
INTDSGN 1001	Introduction to Applied Design
MGMT 3167	Global Supply Chain Management *
MKTG 3163	Distribution and Logistics *
PHYSICS 4300/5300	Introduction to Electronics *
PHYSICS 4310/5310	Physical Computing *
POL AMER 1048	Introduction to Public Administration
POL AMER 2131	American State Politics
STAT 3771/5771	Applied Statistical Methods for Research *
TECH 1010	Fundamentals of Metal Removal
TECH 3148	Machine Design *
TECH 3180	Lean and Sustainable Operations *
Total Hours		15-17

*

Some of the courses listed may require prerequisites prior to enrollment. Consult with the UNI course catalog or appropriate department to determine requirements for the courses.

Graduate Certificate in Women's and Gender Studies

The Graduate Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies is under the jurisdiction of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

The Graduate Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS) provides students the opportunity to be exposed to the rapidly expanding interdisciplinary scholarship on women’s and gender studies. This program is designed for students currently enrolled in a graduate program at UNI and are seeking a graduate certificate in WGS. The WGS graduate certificate requires 12 credit hours, which must be successfully completed during a five year period to earn the certificate. At least nine hours have to be completed at UNI and at least six of the 12 hours have to be at the 6000-level. Courses fulfilling the certificate program may be used to meet the requirements in a degree program in accordance with the policies of the Graduate College.

Curriculum requirements consist of one core course and a minimum of nine credit hours of electives. Students must take at least six credit hours of elective course work outside the degree-granting program. Students may petition the Director of WGS to add a relevant course. For more information, contact the Women’s and Gender Studies office, Sabin 225, wgs@uni.edu, or csbs.uni.edu/womenstudies.

Required
Select one of the following:		3
Languages and Literatures:
ENGLISH 6120	Feminist Literary Theories and Practice
Humanities:
WGS 6289	Graduate Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies: Comparative Feminist Theories
Sociology:
SOC 4071/5071	Feminist Theories in the Social Sciences
Electives		9
Must choose one course from the Social Sciences Category A, one course from the Humanities Category B, and one course from either A, B, or the Experimental Category C.
Category A: Social Sciences
Educational Psychology:
EDPSYCH 4188/5188	Current Approaches to Multicultural Education
Design, Textiles, Gerontology, & Family Studies:
FAM SERV 3145/5145	Violence in Intimate Relationships
Political Science:
POL AMER 4142/5142	Problems in Juvenile and Family Law
History:
HIST 4260/5260	United States Women's History
HIST 4690/5690	Modern European Women's History
Sociology/Criminology:
SOC 3045/5045	Social Inequality
SOC 4071/5071	Feminist Theories in the Social Sciences
CRIM 4331/5331	Women, Crime and Society
Category B: Humanities
Communication and Media:
COMM 4446/5446	Voices from the Margin: Performance, Rhetoric, and Social Change
COMM 4346/5346	Gender Issues in Communication
Languages and Literatures:
ENGLISH 4120/5120	Literature, Gender and Intersectionality
ENGLISH 6120	Feminist Literary Theories and Practice
Humanities:
HUM 3160/5160	Black Women in America: Challenge, Spirit, Survival
WGS 6289	Graduate Seminar in Women's and Gender Studies: Comparative Feminist Theories
Category C: Experimental
Social Science:
WGS 3195/5195	Internship in Women's and Gender Studies
Practicum that has a gender focus and is advised by a WGS faculty member.
Total Hours		12