What is non degree certificate program?

Answer 1

Answer 1: Most accredited colleges/universities offer some "continuing education," or "adult education" courses which are often "non-credit," meaning that they don't count toward an actual degree in anything. However, it's common for those who take such courses to get some kind of "certificate of completion."

Also, some non-credit certificates can be made-up of multiple non-credit courses.

There are also non-degree certificates (and even diplomas) that some colleges offer. Many of those are actually "for credit," but just not "degree" credit. So, in other words, they're not "continuing" or "adult" non-credit education, but, rather, the same kind and quality of for-credit courses that make-up degrees, except that instead of accumulating to create a degree, they accumulate to create only a certificate or diploma.

Someone who earns a bachelors degree, for example, but who wants some education in another subject, may sometimes earn a "Post-baccalaureate Certificate" that contains maybe six 3-semester-credit-hour courses (18 semester credit hours) of additional undergraduate coursework. Or, since s/he has completed an undergraduate bachelors degree, s/he may be permitted to get a higher-level "graduate" certificate, consisting of, again, around 18 semester credit hours of coursework, except that it would be graduate-level (and so, therefore, more difficult) coursework.

Finally, there's the "non-degree, career training certificate" system found at some accredited colleges. For example, the nationally-accredited both Ashworth College, and Penn-Foster College, both offer career training certificates which are just as accredited as their degrees, but which are shorter, easier and less expensive; and which focus entirely on just the courses needed to train someone for specific jobs and careers. Such as they are "non-degree certificate" programs.

Finally, if one is in the United Kingdom (UK), where bachelors degree are only three years long, the first year of a bachelors program is often called the "certificate" year because someone leaving said bachelors program after only the first year will earn a certificate in whatever is the bachelors degree's major. Such a "leaving" certificate would be considered a "non-degree" certificate; and if the student entered it with the intention of only earning just the first year certificate, then I suppose that could be considered a "program."

Much the same sort of pardigm exists in the UK for those who leave after the second year of a three-year bachelors program, at which point they're awarded a "diploma" in whatever is the bachelors degree's major. And, of course, if the student stays for all three years, then s/he earns the bachelors.

But, again, that's the UK, system; and not that about which I believe this questioner is inquiring.

I have the feeling that s/he's inquiring about something like what Ashworth and/or Penn-Foster offer, which are, indeed, non-degree certificat programs.

Other schools -- particularly schools known to be "career" schools -- also offer similar certificates. You see them advertising on daytime television (because they know that if someone's at home watching daytime TV on a work day, they're possibly either unemployed or underemployed, and so the schools offering career training certificate and diploma programs often advertise that way). Both Ashworth and Penn-Foster advertise that way; but there are many others, too...

...offering, for example, certificates in medical and/or dental assisting, or auto mechanics, or heating and cooling (HVAC), or electronics, etc., etc.

As long as the school that's offering the certificate is accredited by an agency approved by the US Department of Education (USDE), and/or the USDE-sanctioned Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), then any of its non-degree career certificates will be legitimate and actually helpful (and worthy of putting on either a job application or one's resume).

A degree, of course, is better; and I strongly recommend that you get one of those instead of a mere non-degree certificate. But any education, as long as it's accreded by a USDE- and/or CHEA-approved agency, is a good education!