Entertainment, Design & Creative Enterprise Stackable Certificates

Each certificate fosters opportunities for you to engage with industry professionals through guest lectures, workshops, and valuable feedback to ensure you gain valuable insight and to enhance your work. These certificates also offer courses that focus on emerging technologies, techniques, and trends in the creative arts and media industries, ensuring that students are equipped with up-to-date knowledge and skills. 

Although the certificates are offered online, most of them have travel courses built in to encourage collaboration and networking among students, professors and professionals in the industry through events, partnerships and virtual platforms, fostering a supportive and dynamic learning community.

Students entering any of the certificate programs will be more prepared to work within the arts industry. Additionally, those who teach in the arts will gain valuable knowledge on new industry technologies, techniques and teaching creative arts/media.

Minimum standards for stackable certificates

• All coursework used to satisfy a particular certificate’s requirements must be completed within a 3 year period with a grade of “C” or higher.
• After completing three stackable certificates a student can earn an MFA through an approved Capstone project and by taking the Capstone course for credit between 3 - 6 hours. The student has five years to complete the Capstone project and earn the MFA.
  • Capstone projects must be approved by and overseen by the Graduate Certificate Committee which consists of faculty from each discipline withing the CEA.
• Students must earn a grade point average of at least 3.0 in all courses used to satisfy any certificate program.
• Substitutions on course requirements can only be given with the approval of the Director of the Entertainment, Design & Creative Enterprise program.
• The maximum professional credit that can be given in any one certificate is nine hours per certificate.

How long does it take to complete a certificate?

For most, it will take 9 months per certificate. 
 

What if I can't do any of the travel courses, are there other options for credits to replace travel courses?

Yes, there are non-travel electives that can be taken.
 

Do the classes meet as a group or is it all strictly work at your own pace?

The courses will be a mixture of video content and assignments as well as a synchronous course that meets online each week for 3 hours. This is a time for professional and student feedback on work, asking questions, additional instruction and community building for those enrolled in the course.
 

I've completed one certificate, can I go on to another certificate and continue building toward an MFA?

Yes, however, there may be some limitations depending upon how long ago you earned your certificate and restrictions on which semester you may begin. This can be discussed with the program director or advisor.
 

Do I have to apply for the MFA or can I just apply for a certificate and then decide if I want to continue?

You can apply for one certificate at a time.
 

Can I be an international student and still take the courses?

Yes, however zoom meeting times may be late night or early morning depending on the time zone difference.