Graduate and Professional Certificate Programs
Choose from more than 15 for-credit graduate certificate programs or enroll in one of seven professional development certificate programs offered by a research center or institute at the GW School of Business (GWSB). Many graduate certificates can be completed entirely online.
Graduate Certificates
Please note: International students are not eligible to apply for certificate programs on a standalone basis. Some degrees allow for students to complete a certificate as part of their degree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Expand the tab below to browse information related to our graduate certificates.
- Graduate Certificate FAQ
Admissions
- Who can apply to the GWSB Graduate Certificate Program?
- Who benefits from earning a graduate certificate?
- What documents need to be included with the online application?
- What background do students need to qualify for admission to the Graduate Certificate Program?
- Can credits earned in a graduate certificate program be applied to a specialized master’s or MBA program?
- How long does it take before I get an admission’s decision?
- What is the cost of a graduate certificate?
- Are graduate certificates eligible for federal financial aid?
- Where do I send official transcripts and other application documents?
Program and Schedule
- When can students begin a graduate certificate?
- When and where do classes meet?
- How many classes are needed to complete a graduate certificate?
- Can graduate certificates be completed online?
- Do any graduate certificates have prerequisites?
- How long does it take to complete a graduate certificate?
- If I have more questions about the Graduate Certificate Program, who can I contact?
Who can apply to the GWSB Graduate Certificate Program?
Any professional who would like to enroll in a part-time GW School of Business graduate certificate program. The graduate certificate program is not a degree-granting program; therefore, international applicants are not eligible to apply, because they cannot be granted a student visa.
Who benefits from earning a graduate certificate?
This program is designed to give working professionals the opportunity to learn while they earn. Certificate students take twelve credits in a dedicated subject at the GW School of Business (GWSB). GWSB professors teach all graduate students, including students in Graduate Certificate programs.
What documents need to be included with the online application?
Transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate academic institution, a professional resume, one letter of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. GMAT or GRE scores are optional.
What background do students need to qualify for admission to the Graduate Certificate Program?
Students must have an undergraduate bachelor’s degree. Current GWU graduate students must be in good standing to apply to and be admitted into the Graduate Certificate Program. First semester GW graduate students must have grades posted for the first term to be admitted into a certificate.
Can credits earned in a graduate certificate program be applied to a specialized master’s or MBA program?
Yes, if these credits and courses are within the elective courses of the master’s or MBA program. Graduate certificate students apply separately to the master’s or MBA program after they have completed the entire 12 credit hours and earned the certificate. Credit hours expire after five years.
How long does it take before I get an admission’s decision?
Once the application file has been marked complete, it is sent to the admissions committee for review. The review process takes several weeks. An applicant will then be notified and will receive an admissions decision by email.
What is the cost of a graduate certificate?
Each class is either 1.5 or three credit hours. Tuition rates per credit hour may be found here. Information about any additional fees can be found on the Student Accounts Office, Finance Division website. The phone number is (202) 994-7350.
There are no scholarships awarded for the tuition of a graduate certificate. However, if after completing a graduate certificate, a student wants to earn a master’s degree, the tuition paid during the certificate program may be applied to the cost of the master’s degree. Merit-based scholarships are awarded for master’s programs.
Are graduate certificates eligible for federal financial aid?
Please visit the website of the Office of Student Financial Assistance for information on obtaining federal financial aid for graduate certificate programs.
Where do I send official transcripts and other application documents?
Applicants attach them their online application. If they do not have official documents at the time of application submission, they can email official documents to business
gwu [dot] edu (business[at]gwu[dot]edu). Email is the preferred method of receiving official documents, transcripts and test scores.OR official documents may be mailed to:
The GW School of Business, Graduate Admissions
Duquès Hall, Suite 550
2201 G St NW Washington, D.C. 20052When can students begin a graduate certificate program?
Semesters begin in August (fall) or January (spring). The application is online. The application deadline is posted on the GWSB website. Admission decisions are released several weeks after the receipt of a complete application.
When and where do classes meet?
GWSB classes are offered on the Foggy Bottom campus in downtown Washington, D.C. Classes are held once or twice a week, often starting in the late afternoon or early evening, to accommodate a working professional’s schedule. All classes are taught by GWSB professors. Your classmates are MBA and specialized master’s students.
How many classes are needed to complete a graduate certificate?
Twelve credits are required to complete a graduate certificate. Each certificate offers a combination of required and elective courses. Semester-long classes are three credit hours. Half-semester classes are 1.5 credit hours. To earn the certificate, all 12 credits must be completed at GWSB. No transfer credits are accepted and no merit-based scholarship aid is awarded.
Please note: Course offerings are dependent on a number of factors, and course availability may change. Students will be notified of any changes by their academic advisor before the start of the semester.
Can graduate certificates be completed online?
In addition to our online degree programs, the graduate certificates on this page can be completed entirely online.
In the upcoming academic years, GWSB plans to offer even more online graduate certificates.
Do any graduate certificates have prerequisites?
Yes, for Business Analytics, applicants must have completed statistics, calculus, higher level math (such as linear algebra), and computer programming.
How long does it take to complete a graduate certificate?
This is a part-time program. Students attend one or two classes per semester. These classes are held once or twice a week, often in the late afternoon or early evening. In accordance with GW School of Business policy, course work must be completed within five years of admission. The shortest time-frame a student can complete a certificate is within two to three semesters, depending on when courses are offered.
If I have more questions about the Graduate Certificate Program, who can I contact?
For answers to questions about the application process or admission requirements, contact the GW School of Business Graduate Admissions Office at (202) 994-1212 or business
gwu [dot] edu.
Professional Certificates
- Certified Youth Sports Administrator Program
The rapidly changing sports market is requiring more sophisticated marketing and greater fiscal responsibility from sports organizations and management. At the same time, youth sports managers do not often have the time, resources or opportunity to earn an advanced management degree or receive relevant management training.
The National Council of Youth Sports has partnered with the George Washington University School of Business to develop a customized, flexible and affordable educational program that provides needed management-related courses that are ideal for youth sports administrators, managers, volunteers, and coaches who do not have the time to attend an in-person, classroom program. The Certified Youth Sports Administrator program was designed with convenience in mind. Students have three months to complete each course online. Users can bookmark their spot in the lecture so they can exit and re-enter the course. It’s accessible 24 hours a day, and online learning gives users the opportunity to learn at their own pace.
Courses offered are:
- Marketing Sports Organizations
- Sponsorship and Negotiations
- Risk Management
- Event Management
- Funding Sports Organizations
- Management and Leadership of Sports Organizations
Completion of all six courses is required for the Certified Sports Administrator certificate.
- Professional Certificate in Cultural Heritage Tourism
Increasingly, travelers are interested in authentic experiences that will allow them to witness firsthand the lives and traditions of indigenous people. And for these communities, which are often marginalized and struggling to find alternative ways to increase their livelihoods, tourism can provide an economic incentive to sustainably maintain their cultural and natural resources while fostering a sense of cultural pride.
Our program is designed to provide tourism entrepreneurs and community leaders with the tools to identify and develop the assets that would most appeal to tourists — from cooking and crafts workshops to nature walks to historical sites.
What can you expect to gain from the program?
- Develop an understanding of trends in cultural heritage and native tourism
- Learn best options and approaches for managing tourism at the community level
- An understanding of how to conduct a comprehensive tourism assessment and evaluate the potential of cultural heritage tourism for your community
- The tools needed to introduce cultural heritage tourism to your community and to plan for its adoption and growth
- Professional Certificate in Event Management
Meetings, music and film festivals, fundraisers, trade shows, conferences... whether it’s a spectacular celebration or a buttoned-up business meeting, coordinating the multiple moving parts of any event requires thorough research, planning, promotion and seamless coordination.
The GW School of Business (GWSB) Professional Certificate in Event Management prepares you to design, plan, and execute successful events.
The Professional Certificate in Event Management program is a non-degree, non-credit program that provides continuing education units (CEUs). This program may be completed in the classroom, online, or in a blended format that combines both online and on-campus courses.
What can you expect to gain from the program?
After successfully completing the Core Course Series, which gives you the foundational skills of event management, you can choose a focus track: corporate event management or live event management.
- Learn best practices and current in the design, planning, and execution of successful events and meetings.
- Gain insight into the event and meeting industry by studying scenarios and completing activities involving seminars, conventions, conferences, expositions, trade shows and special events.
- Learn how to conduct effective event and meeting management research, including needs assessments, site analyses, situation analyses and feasibility studies.
- Professional Certificate in Hospitality Management & Leadership
Whether you want to advance your career in hospitality or build a new one, the Professional Certificate in Hospitality Management & Leadership from the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) provides the specialized knowledge and skills you need to succeed. Grounded in the principles of global and strategic development and management, this online program will build your expertise in hotel and resort management. Learn from some of the industry's leading experts on winning approaches to sales and marketing, effective sustainability initiatives, talent development, financial management and business analytics.
What skills and knowledge will you acquire from the program?
- Inclusive leadership and leading global teams
- Corporate strategies in hospitality
- Hospitality financial management
- Global hospitality talent development in diverse organizations
- Business analytics for strategic decisions in hospitality
- Digital marketing for the hospitality industry
- Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Destination Management
Well-planned and sustainably managed tourism can contribute to the environmental, social and economic health of destinations. In fact, the United Nations declared 2017 the International Year of Sustainable Tourism because of the industry’s ability to contribute to key Sustainable Development Goals.
The George Washington University’s Sustainable Tourism Destination Management program provides a strategic overview of responsible destination management along with practical applications. The certificate is designed for tourism professionals and career changers who want to advance their careers and take advantage of the increasing opportunities in the field. Participants will learn strategies and tools for recognizing and developing tourism products, creating visitor markets, minimizing the potentially negative effects of tourism and enhancing the sustainability of destinations so that they remain viable and attractive to visitors, and support their host communities.
What can you expect to gain from the program?
- Strategies to sustainably develop and manage tourism destinations
- Essential information on effective promotion
- Guidance on designing tourism policies and working with stakeholders
- Instruction on developing new tourism experiences and products
- An overview and introduction to key players in the field
- Skill sets that you can apply to your career right now
- Sports Philanthropy Executive Certificate
The Sports Philanthropy Executive Certificate Program at the GW School of Business — the first and premiere program of its kind — provides a groundbreaking online curriculum tailored to the unique needs of those who work for professional sports teams, leagues, athletic foundations, sports-related companies with an emphasis on corporate social responsibility, non-profits using sports for social good and for individuals looking to enter the field. The program is in partnership with the GW Sports Management MBA Program, ranked the number three postgraduate sports business program in the country by SportBusiness International Magazine.
Built around your busy schedule, the certificate includes 10 core online courses, guest calls with industry leaders and a capstone project that will bring together elements of what students learn during the program. The program also includes a two-day in-person residency at the beginning of each cohort. This residency will not only provide an opportunity for experiential learning but will allow time to meet fellow students and exchange ideas.
- The Minerva Program
The Minerva Program is a 16-week executive education program in modern market economics. Created in 1994, the program is designed specifically for public- and private-sector executives from Latin America.
Minerva Program participants master concepts in economics, finance, economic policy-making, regulation, and public ethics. Program participants receive:
- A deeper understanding of modern market economics
- A broader perspective on the impact of local, state, and national policies have on the welfare of a nation
- An opportunity to observe how public and private entities operate in the United States
- An overview of how private and international financial institutions operate in the global marketplace
- A firm grasp of the domestic and global challenges facing developing economies
Minerva Program participants return to their home countries with an improved understanding of the roles of both the public- and private-sectors, and with an awareness of the policy measures necessary to promote economic development.
To date, the program has graduated more than 500 Latin American executives, many of whom credit the Minerva Program experience for their subsequent promotions to highly prominent positions.
A Focused Curriculum
The Minerva Program’s curriculum combines classroom lectures, seminars, and off-campus visits.
Classroom Lectures
The program’s theoretical content, presented in a small-group lecture format by prominent GW professors, consists of five major modules:
- Principles of Microeconomics
- Principles of Macroeconomics
- International Trade Theory
- The Role of the Financial System
- The Role of Government
Seminars and Presentations
Seminars and presentations focus on current topics in economic theory and their applications, such as:
- Economic and Financial Stability
- Financial Systems and Risks
- Measuring Government Performance
- The Costs of Corruption
Off-Campus Visits
Because the program takes place in Washington, D.C., participants get to visit many of the federal and multilateral institutions headquartered there, such as the Federal Reserve, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, and other world-class organizations.
Graduate-level GW Elective Course
Participants also take one formal graduate-level university course in the subject area that best fits their individual professional interests.
Research Paper
Each Minerva participant writes a substantial research paper, in English, that applies his or her theoretical studies to current policy issues at home.
Who Can Participate?
Participants in the Minerva Program are chosen through a rigorous screening process. The program draws participants from all levels of government and industry. Ideal candidates possess:
- A Bachelor’s degree
- At least five years of professional experience
- A command of oral and written English
- The potential for superior performance in their chosen career paths
Applicants are carefully screened in an interview with the director of the Minerva Program to determine their suitability for the demands of the program.
Next Steps