These certificate programs are designed to hone critical thinking skills and personal knowledge of a chosen field, in addition to encouraging professional development.
For some disciplines, this certificate requires a three-year post-bachelor's program equivalent to a Specialist degree.
The certificate generally takes one to two years to complete, including a culminating cumulative exam or extensive project.
Such programs are offered by many, but not all, of the U.S. institutions of higher education that issue American Library Association-accredited master's degrees.
[12][13] At the University of Lausanne and EPFL, a Certificate of Advanced Studies is awarded upon completion of a programme comprising at least 120 contact hours (resulting in between 10 and 29 ECTS credits), a written examination and, in certain cases, a dissertation.