Issuing Office

Registrar's Office

Affected Parties

Students

Policy Language

UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATES

All matriculated students, whether Resident or Liberty University Online, must meet the same academic requirements for certificate completion. Online certificate-seeking students must have all courses within the certificate successfully completed before being considered candidates for the awarding of a certificate.

1. The undergraduate certificate requires a minimum of 18 semester hours. Each program differs; therefore, the student must follow the certificate requirements carefully.
2. Each undergraduate certificate program requires a minimum GPA of 2.00.
3. To satisfy the requirements for the fields of study, only final grades of C or above, in all certificate courses, will apply towards successful certificate completion.
4. Students who return to Liberty to complete a second certificate at the undergraduate level must have at least 3 credit hours remaining and must take a minimum of 3 additional hours of coursework at Liberty to qualify for a second certificate.
5. A minimum of 25% of the semester hours of the certificate coursework must be completed at Liberty.

*If previously completed courses (regardless of academic level) may complete requirements for a student’s current certificate, they will be applied to the certificate completion requirements where applicable.

A Certificate Completion Application must be filled out at the beginning of the final semester before the certificate can be awarded. The Certificate Completion Application is found here: http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=4849.

GRADUATE CERTIFICATES

1. The complete program of study for the certificate, as outlined in the catalog in effect when the student is accepted to the certificate, must be successfully completed.
2. The student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.00. Students pursing Executive certificates, Post-Graduate certificates, or the Graduate certificate in Epidemiology must have a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
3. The cumulative GPA will be used (a) to determine eligibility for conferral and (b) as the “Certificate GPA” that will be posted on the student’s transcript. The cumulative GPA comprises all Liberty University coursework completed at the Graduate academic level, regardless of prior degree conferral or certificate completion, broken enrollment, or a program/major change.
4. No grade of D may be applied to the certificate (includes grades of D+/D-). For students pursuing Executive certificates or Post-Graduate certificates, no grade below B- may be applied to the certificate.
5. A maximum of 50% of the program hours may be transferred if approved and allowable, including credit from an earned degree from Liberty University on the same academic level.
6. The student must submit a Certificate Completion Application to the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of his/her final semester.
7. Changes to the certificate will not be permitted once the student is in final courses for the current semester and the Certificate Completion Application is on file. 
8. The Registrar's Office will process the conferral of a certificate once all certificate requirements have been met including the minimum GPA requirement and certificate completion application. If a student wishes to take further non-applicable coursework, he/she must do so under a new application.*

*If previously completed courses (regardless of academic level) may complete requirements for a student’s current certificate, they will be applied to the certificate completion requirements where applicable.

A Certificate Completion Application must be filled out at the beginning of the final semester before the certificate can be awarded. The Certificate Completion Application is found here: http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=4849.

Policy Rationale

To outline the parameters set forth by the University regarding certificate-seeking students.

Definition of Glossary Terms

None specified

Procedures

None specified

Sanctions

None specified

Exceptions

None

Date of Last Review

12/7/2021

Date for Review

12/7/2026