Online Education Certificate Programs
Strengthen your resume for education roles with new or updated skills.
Quick Ways to Reach Career Goals
Our online graduate certificate programs in education are designed to help you develop in exactly the areas in which you want to grow, enabling you to achieve the next step in your education career. Whether your goal is to earn principal licensure or teach dual credit courses, get master’s plus 30 or an additional endorsement, we have an affordable certificate program that can help you get there. So, what’s the next step in your career?
Skills and Knowledge Gained
Certificate programs are great for targeted skill and knowledge development in the field of education. Added to your resume, they can demonstrate the range of your expertise and qualify you for more career opportunities. Here are just some of the skills and knowledge you can acquire from an ACE certificate program:
- Using evidence-based research for effective problem-solving
- Coaching, mentoring and leadership strategies
- Communication skills that encourage collaboration
- Using educational data to make instructional improvements
- Creating inclusive and accessible school cultures
Education Career Alignment
ACE’s online certificate programs are designed to help you reach specific professional goals so that you know you’re spending your time and money on exactly what you need to get ahead. Here are some of the milestones our certificates can help you accomplish:
- Earning initial teacher licensure
- Earning your administrative or principal certification
- Completing coursework for endorsements
- Obtaining credit hour requirements to teach dual credit courses or at the college level
- Getting 30 additional graduate credits which may elevate your salary tier
Admission for Education Certificate Programs
Along with ACE’s general admission requirements, our graduate certificates in education have minimum GPA requirements that must be met for admission. For most certificates, you must hold a degree at the bachelor’s level with a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for full admission. However, this varies from program to program.
Some certificate programs also require additional documentation, such as an initial teaching license. Find detailed admission requirements for your program of interest on the program’s page.
¹Source: Student Right to Know
Online Education Certificate Programs FAQs
What is an education certificate program?
An education certificate program is typically a short series of courses that focus on a specific topic or skill within the field of education. They usually can be completed more quickly than a degree program and are designed to help educators meet specific requirements, whether that be for professional development, to obtain an endorsement or qualify to teach a specific type of course.
How is an education certificate different from a degree?
While you may earn academic credit while completing an education certificate, especially if you complete it through a college or university like ACE, you will not earn enough to fulfill the requirements of a full degree. Earning a degree may require more coursework and more credits.
Some of the certificate programs at ACE do contain courses that overlap with our degree programs, which means you may be able to fast-track degree completion by applying the work you’ve already done through your certificate.
What can you do with an education certificate?
Certificates can often be key to career advancement in education. Some certificates help you fulfill coursework requirements for essential credentials, like teacher or principal licensure. Others may help you reach designations that can trigger a salary increase, like having a master’s plus 30 credits. Still others can play an integral role in enhancing your resume, proving that you have knowledge in crucial instructional areas.
How long does it take to earn an education certificate online?
The time it takes to complete a certificate will depend on how many courses it consists of. Some of our certificates take eight to nine months to complete.* However, our certificates that lead to initial teaching licensure take longer at around 14-16 months.* You can find time to completion information for each of our certificates on the program’s dedicated page.
What specializations are available in education certificate programs?
You can specialize in a wide variety of topics and skills through an education certificate program. Some examples include adult education and training, instructional coaching and teacher leadership, principal preparation, teaching English learners and special education.
Can credits from a certificate program be applied toward a degree?
At ACE, they can! Some of the certificate programs at ACE contain courses that overlap with our degree programs, which means you may be able to fast-track degree completion by applying the work you’ve already done through your certificate.
*This is an estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, satisfactory pace, multiple course requests, successful course completion, and meeting program milestones as required.