For admission into a graduate certificate program, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. university and a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0. Applicants should follow the application procedures required for admission to the MBA program. International applicants must meet the Lindenwood University admissions standards for the year of their admission.
Transferring Graduate Credit into a Certificate Program
Students who have taken graduate level courses may request an SB&E review of their previous coursework. Previously completed courses will be evaluated, and the SB&E will determine whether any of those courses and their corresponding credit hours will be accepted in transfer into a graduate certificate program.
The transfer of credit is subject to the following conditions:
- A student may transfer up to nine semester hours of coursework from a regionally accredited (U.S.) institution.
- A minimum of 50% of the graduate certificate courses must be earned from the Lindenwood University School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
- Only credit earned within the five year period preceding the completion of all certification requirements, whether at the Lindenwood School of Business and Entrepreneurship or elsewhere, is counted toward a certificate.
A student wishing to transfer up to nine semester hours of graduate level coursework from a regionally accredited (U.S.) institution may do so by requesting that an official transcript be sent directly to Lindenwood University’s Office of Graduate Admissions by the school or schools that the candidate previously attended. Students should bring copies of these official transcripts when meeting with their academic advisors.
Students seeking to transfer international credit into a certificate program must bring to Lindenwood the following items and present them to his or her academic advisor:
- An official WES course-by-course evaluation of the international graduate level transcript showing the courses that the student wishes to transfer.
- A translated copy of the course description and syllabus for each course that the student wishes to apply to transfer.
- An official WES document evaluation of the international undergraduate transcript, confirming that a baccalaureate degree has been conferred.
Upon arrival to Lindenwood, the student should bring these items to his or her academic advisor. These items will be reviewed by the advisor and will be forwarded to the dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship for approval.
Note: The request for a transfer of credit must follow the SB&E procedures for transferring credit outlined in the catalog year of the applicant’s admission into the program. For more information, refer to earlier sections Transferring U.S. Graduate Credit into a Business Program, and Transferring International Graduate Credit into a Business Program.
Change of Status from Certificate to Degree Program
A student wishing to pursue a degree or program other than the graduate certificate program should consult with an advisor in the new program to determine whether additional application materials must be submitted for admission to the new program.
Master Graduate Pursuing a Graduate Certificate
A student who has earned a master’s degree from the SB&E and is interested in pursuing a graduate certificate must complete the required core courses of the certificate program. A minimum of 50% of the graduate certificate courses must be earned from the School of Business and Entrepreneurship. Only credit earned within the five year period preceding the completion of all certification requirements, whether at the Lindenwood School of Business and Entrepreneurship or elsewhere, maybe counted toward a certificate.
Master Candidate Pursuing a Graduate Certificate
A student who is currently seeking to earn an MBA or MS degree from the SB&E and is interested in pursuing a graduate certificate must complete the required courses for the certificate program. A minimum of 50% of the graduate certificate courses must be earned from the School of Business and Entrepreneurship. Only credit earned within the five year period preceding the completion of all certification requirements, whether at the Lindenwood School of Business and Entrepreneurship or elsewhere, is counted toward a certificate.
Note that students must determine whether they wish to complete the certificate program and/or pursue a graduate business degree such as an MA, MAcc, MBA, or MS prior to the completion of their third certificate course (9 credit hours). In the scenario in which a student decides to pursue both a certificate and a graduate degree (MBA or MS), the credit hours required for the graduate degree must be taken in addition to the credit hours required for their graduate certificate program. The graduate must complete the total number of credit hours sufficient to satisfy both the certificate and degree program requirements.
If, by the 9 credit hour mark, a student decides to pursue a graduate degree, the graduate certificate courses the student has taken may be used to fulfill the degree requirements of the MA, MAcc, MBA, or MS. In this case, the graduate courses taken will satisfy only the requirements of the degree program, and no graduate certificate will be earned or issued.