You're interested in graduate education, but you're not sure you can commit to a full degree program. Or maybe you've been trying to get ahead at work, but you need to get involved in something that will set you apart from your colleagues. Perhaps you're even considering a new career altogether, but you want to get an inside look at the field before you make a change.
If any of these statements are true for you, graduate certificate programs could be just what you've been looking for.

A graduate certificate program is a short-term program (usually 12-18 credit hours) that provides specialized training in a particular discipline. Graduate certificates allow professionals to develop expertise that can aid them in career advancement or career change.

And if you've been out of the classroom for a while, graduate certificate programs offer a relatively uncomplicated path to graduate education. Once you get your feet wet in a certificate program, you may even choose to continue your studies in a related master's degree program.

In your pursuit of a graduate certificate, you'll find programs in virtually every field, including health care, business, education, and information technology. Check out these popular graduate certificate picks in today's hottest industries:

Industry: Health Care
Graduate certificate program: Nursing Health Care Education
For: Health care and nursing professionals pursuing careers in education or service settings
Offers specialized training in: Patient teaching, continuing education or in-service education, community health education, role and delivery of academic education
Outcomes: Skills in curriculum development, assessment and evaluation, program design, teaching and learning strategies

Industry: Business
Graduate certificate program: Project Management
For: Project managers, other administrators
Offers specialized training in: Management and implementation of projects and systems changes within an organization
Outcomes: Skills to manage projects successfully and prepare for the Project Management Institute's Project Manager Professional certifying exam

Industry: Education
Graduate certificate program: Education Management
For: Education administrators, principals, assistant principals
Offers specialized training in: Management of education institutions, education corporations, corporate training divisions
Outcomes: Skills relating to managerial practices, program assessment, use of technology in education

Industry: Technology
Graduate certificate program: Information Security
For: Chief information security officers, data security managers, systems engineers, information security analysts, security officers, network managers, systems managers, consultants
Offers specialized training in: Security protection mechanisms for today's hardware and software vulnerabilities
Outcomes: Skills to ensure that all types of computer network systems are consistently protected and tamper-resistant
Enroll in a graduate certificate program, and watch your targeted training take you to new career and education heights.

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About the author:
Robyn Tellefsen is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about finding a school that's right for you.

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