Analytics and Modeling
Build the foundational skills and knowledge needed to help organizations use data science to meet strategic goals, improve outcomes, or simply gain deeper understanding of their operations.
Graduate Certificates
Build targeted skills to advance your career
Complete a four-course "stackable" graduate certificate and develop targeted skills that align with your career goals while earning a recognized credential from Northwestern. In addition, credits earned can be applied toward a related SPS master’s degree program, allowing for a seamless transition to further study. Most courses are offered online asynchronously — you can learn on your schedule from anywhere. With a stackable certificate, you can enhance your expertise, boost your resume, and explore whether a full master's degree program is the right path for you!
DETAILS
Analytics Management
Develop the communication and management expertise needed to be a data-driven leader who can utilize models, analyses, and statistical data to improve business performance.
College Sports Management
Learn how to manage the internal and external workings of an athletics department, including the unique human resource, legal, compliance, public relations, marketing, sponsorship, and financial issues facing college athletic departments.
Communication with Data
Communication professionals can build the tools they need to work with data and data analysts to accurately and effectively convey complex data into images and stories.
Content Strategy
Prepare for cross-functional and leadership communication roles by developing a deep and holistic understanding of today’s sophisticated digital media in order to lead the creation of memorable and engaging content.
Creative Writing
Strengthen your writing skills in small-group, workshop-style classes led by a faculty of published, award-winning authors. Enjoy convenient online and evening on-campus classes and connect with other writers at readings and events in an artistic community that extends beyond the University into Chicagoʼs vibrant literary scene.
Data Engineering
Add to your data science, engineering, or computer science background by learning to utilize system-wide problem-solving skills, choose hardware systems, and build software systems for implementing models made by data analysts to scale in production systems.
Database and Internet Technologies
Build the technical skills needed to analyze, design, implement, and manage software applications and digital media and to integrate data science concepts and machine learning algorithms to create value and solve business problems.
Esports
Develop a deep understanding of the esports landscape, the malleability to adapt to the continual shifts in the industry, and the skills to become a leader in this rapidly expanding sports business sector.
Global Health Leadership
Build practical management and leadership skills in a larger ethical context to shape mission-driven work on global health equity and access projects.
Health Data Science
Learn the unique complexities of handling health data while building the foundational data science skills (R programming, statistical analysis, data modeling) that are essential to many industries.
Health Informatics
Explores the intersection of information technology and health care to improve access to safe, quality health care services, maximize operational efficiency, and reduce costs.
Healthcare Industry
Study graduate-level health informatics and regulatory compliance courses to prepare for key roles in the U.S. healthcare system.Information Systems Management
Prepare for IT leadership roles by mastering essential information system management best practices — IT strategy development, project management methods, information security, and technology management techniques that apply to the entire system life cycle.
Information Systems Security
Learn how to plan, budget for, and implement secure network systems (LAN, WAN, wireless, mobile, IoT, AR) and lead organizational staff in the secure exchange of digital information across a variety of platforms.
Learning Design
Educators, corporate training professionals, online learning designers, librarians, and museum professionals can develop the tools needed to create meaningful and pedagogically sound learning experiences.Literature
This broad and stimulating intellectual challenge improves the ability to analyze complex information, challenge assumptions, weigh competing considerations and reach effective conclusions.PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Students in this hands-on program build practical managerial and technical skills for project management in the information systems software development lifecycle including requirements, analysis/design, implementation, and testing.
Public Policy and Administration
Those interested in working in government, education, and nonprofit fields can build the skills needed to assess and analyze data relevant to policy creation and understand the systemic processes involved in policy implementation and administration.
Regulatory Compliance
Choose from courses in clinical research, healthcare compliance, or quality systems and acquire foundational knowledge needed for roles in the healthcare regulatory industry.
Regulatory Policy and Health Systems
Learn from industry experts how organizations implement and comply with healthcare and regulatory policy.
Sports Analytics
Prepare for key positions in sports management and analytics by exploring analytics and modeling, probability theory, applied mathematics, statistics, and programming and their application in evaluating player and team performance and in sports team administration.Sports Communication
Prepare for careers in sports by building expertise in sports marketing and online communication strategy.
Sports Management
In this interdisciplinary program, students build the knowledge, skills and aptitude to lead sports organizations, use data-driven decision making, manage revenue streams and risk, and set strategic direction.
Technology Entrepreneurship
Students from a range of disciplines — often driven by advances and innovations in science and technology — develop the expertise needed to build a successful startup or reinvent an existing organization and move into new markets.
Find out more about graduate certificates at Northwestern.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a graduate certificate?
A graduate certificate is a credential awarded to students who complete a specific set of courses at the graduate level. These certificates are designed to provide specialized knowledge and skills in a particular field of study or professional area. The graduate certificates from Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies are comprised of four courses each, meaning that they can be completed in as little as one year.
Are graduate certificates worth it?
A graduate certificate is a great way to earn graduate-level knowledge and skills with fewer of the financial and time commitments associated with a full master’s degree program. When you earn a graduate certificate, you’ll be able to enhance your resume quickly with a new credential from a top university. Whether you’re looking to change careers or advance in your current field, a graduate certificate is a great way to demonstrate your drive and expertise to employers.
Graduate certificate vs. master’s degree—what’s the difference?
A master’s degree and a graduate certificate within the same subject area will have courses in common, but a graduate certificate only requires four courses for completion, while a master’s degree requires at least ten. A graduate certificate is not a degree—it’s a credential. However, the credits from certain graduate certificates can be stacked toward a related graduate degree. Look for the “stackable certificate” note on an individual program page or contact an enrollment adviser to learn more.
What are the pre-requisites for obtaining a graduate certificate?
Because graduate certificate programs consist of graduate-level courses, all students interested in applying must have a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or foreign equivalent. For certain certificates, particularly in STEM topics, prior knowledge of the field may be recommended. Courses within a certificate may also have a particular order to ensure that all students have the same foundation for building new skills.
How do stackable graduate certificates work?
With a stackable graduate certificate, the credits earned in the certificate program can be applied toward the graduation requirements of a related master’s degree. Some certificates can only be applied toward a particular program, while others may be applied to one of two graduate degrees. Please note that in the case of certificates with an option of related graduate degrees, two of the required courses, depending on your selection, will be counted toward the master’s degree progress. To learn more, please visit your graduate certificate’s page or connect with an enrollment adviser.
Interested in stacking graduate certificates toward a specific master’s degree? Use the accordions to see which certificates count toward your program of interest. Please note that credit from a graduate certificate or set of courses within a certificate may only be applied once toward a degree.