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Northwestern University SCHOOL OF CONTINUING STUDIES

Prepare for the next phase of your education or your career.

Post-baccalaureate certificates offer a unique opportunity for targeted study to advance your career or prepare for graduate or professional school.

Student Profiles
Rebekah Raleigh Post-baccalaureate Programs

"The program made me a more competitive candidate."
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Post-baccalaureate Programs

Post-baccalaureate certificate programs offer you a unique opportunity for targeted study to advance your career or prepare for graduate or professional school. Many students use post-baccalaureate certificates to strengthen their academic transcript, show recent academic success and secure current letters of recommendation from Northwestern faculty. Many programs can be customized to accommodate a student’s individual interests and experience. A Northwestern University certificate is a credential that will enable you to enhance your professional expertise or to stand out in your application for advanced study.

Concentrations

Accounting and Finance

  • Advanced Accounting

    The Advanced Accounting certificate is designed for those who wish to sit for the CPA exam, but who have already completed significant course work in accounting, such as the Fundamentals of Accounting certificate. 

  • CPA Preparation

    This certificate is designed for those who want to become a Certified Public Accountants (CPA). Coursework meets accounting credit requirements for the CPA Exam in Illinois and other states.

  • Finance

    A solid foundation in finance is required for many business careers and for admission into certain graduate schools of business administration. The Finance certificate consists of courses that provide core knowledge.

  • Fundamentals of Accounting

    A solid foundation in accounting is required for many business careers. The Fundamentals of Accounting certificate consists of coursework on the principles and practices of accounting.

Business

  • Advertising for Creatives

    The Advertising for Creatives certificate provides industry-specific education for future advertising writers, account executives and art directors. Students take courses to learn about the creative advertising industry and its best practices while developing a professional portfolio.

  • Business Practices

    The Business Practices certificate is designed for those who are new to a business environment or who lack an academic background in business.

  • Business Writing and Communications

    The Business Writing and Communication certificate is designed for professionals who are responsible for developing business communication.

  • Global Business

    Working internationally requires business professionals to have an understanding of diverse cultures and practices to meet the strategic needs and mission of their own organizations. The Global Business certificate provides a flexible curriculum, allowing students to individualize their study.

  • International Studies

    International Studies stresses a global perspective, critical thinking abilities and the cultural sensitivity to work with people from all backgrounds. The certificate provides a flexible curriculum.

  • Math Fundamentals for Business

    Designed for students who have had limited college-level math course work, the Math Fundamentals for Business certificate provides a foundation for future study while developing skills that have immediate relevance in many workplaces.

  • Strategic Marketing

    Designed for those who are new to marketing, who are responsible for marketing functions or who seek to enter marketing, this certificate blends theory and practice, so that courses have immediate real-world relevance.

  • Strategic Organizational Management

    The certificate is designed for human resource professionals, as well as those in management and leadership positions or who aspire to such roles.

Information Technology

  • Internet and Web Development

    The Internet and Web Development certificate gives students the skills to develop internet applications using HTML and other software tools. The curriculum utilizes the use of technology to meet strategic business and organizational objectives.

  • Network Systems

    The Network Systems certificate is designed for students looking to advance their careers in the telecommunications and networking fields.

  • Programming

    The Programming certificate helps students developing skills in programming and software design and implementation.

Premedicine & Professional Health Careers

  • Premedicine

    A program designed for career changers and students lacking a science background, the Premedicine certificate allows students to take the laboratory science courses in biology, chemistry and physics required for application to medical and related professional schools.

  • Prenursing

    A program designed for career changers and students lacking a science background, the Prenursing certificate allows students to take the laboratory science courses in biology, chemistry physics, psychology and statistics required for application to nursing and related professional schools.

  • Preclinical Psychology

    A program designed for career changers and students lacking a psychology background, the Psychology certificate consists of nine psychology courses required for application to most graduate programs awarding either the doctor of psychology in clinical psychology (PsyD) or the doctor of philosophy in clinical psychology (PhD).

  • Prephysician Assistant

    A program designed for career changers and students lacking a science background, the Prephysician Assistant certificate allows students to take the laboratory science courses in biology, chemistry, statistics and language required for application to most physician assistant graduate programs in the Chicago area.

  • Prephysical Therapy

    A program designed for career changers and students lacking a science background, the Prephysical Therapy certificate allows students to take the laboratory science courses in biology, chemistry, physics and statistics required for application to physical therapy graduate programs (MPT or DPT).

Pregraduate Study

  • Creative Writing

    The Creative Writing certificate students hone their craft, formalize their training and build a portfolio of work for application to MFA and MA/PhD programs in writing. Students can explore a variety of writing areas, or they may specialize their study by genre.

  • Pregraduate Business Administration

    The Pregraduate Business Administration certificate prepares students for the core curriculum of many graduate business school programs. The curriculum allows students to develop the tools and credentials to prepare a competitive application for graduate business study.

  • Custom Pregraduate Study

    The Pregraduate Study certificate allows students to create a custom course of study to prepare for graduate school, professional school and PhD programs. In this program, students have the opportunity to strengthen their academic transcript, show recent academic success and secure current letters of recommendation from NU faculty.

Management

  • Dispute Resolution

    The Dispute Resolution certificate offers courses dealing with theories in negotiation and persuasion, as well as courses dealing with the practical application of those theories during conflict resolution or arbitration.

  • Fundamentals of Human Resources

    The Fundamentals of Human Resources certificate is designed for human resource professionals or those who want to transition to the field. The courses in this certificate provide foundational preparation and expose students to the current practices for this fast-changing profession.

  • Innovation and Change Management

    The Innovation and Change Management certificate provides a comprehensive overview of what it takes to thrive in an age of innovation and strategy. Students will take courses in marketing and organization behavior to learn to identify and analyze opportunities for change and innovation, in service, products, communication or organizational strategy.

  • Leadership

    Designed for those who seek to expand their leadership potential, the Leadership certificate will help professionals in any field learn the theories and best practices of leadership. Students take courses in communication studies and organization behavior that focus on the development of cutting-edge leadership and management skills.

  • Training and Development

    The Training and Development certificate is designed for students who aspire to careers in employee training and development and those who must make decisions about the implementation of training programs. Students take courses covering the psychology of adult learning, management and leadership, theories of organizational change and the latest trends in training and development.