Why Professional Studies?
The Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Professional Studies (iCert) is designed to provide flexible multidisciplinary course options aligned with individual or organizational needs.
The contemporary workplace challenges professionals to develop and sustain the ever-changing skill sets and multidisciplinary workplace competencies required for success as innovators, leaders and change agents. Organizations are similarly challenged in fostering employee professional development to meet the fluctuating demands of a highly technological and global economy. Today’s professionals desire state-of-the-art approaches for continuing their education, including shorter, flexible, modularized, and just-in-time academic opportunities. To meet the growing demand for 21st-century learning, custom tailored to individual and organizational needs, Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies created the Interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Professional Studies – or iCert for short. iCert represents a radically different approach to professional and academic learning. This first-of-its-kind certificate is uniquely designed to provide flexible multidisciplinary course options aligned with individual or organizational needs by incorporating three powerful learning components:
- Intentional Planning and Reflection: Students identify and reflect on professional strengths, needs, aptitudes and career interests in their iCert Foundations course, resulting in a personalized Professional Learning Plan (PLP).
- Individualized Program Design: Students choose courses from multiple program areas, based on their PLP, and customize to meet their academic goals.
- Innovative Experiential Learning: Students choose from credit or noncredit real-world learning opportunities through Northeastern’s online Experiential Network and their final iCert Capstone course, connecting classroom learning to their current or future professional aspirations.
More Details
Unique Features
- Students design a personalized Professional Learning Plan (PLP)
- Courses from iCert may be applied toward ten eligible Master's degrees
- Students participate in real-world learning opportunities through Northeastern’s online Experiential Network
- iCert Capstone course connects classroom learning to current or future professional aspirations
- Online format provides flexibility for working professionals
Program Objectives
iCert graduates will be able to:
- Identify, reflect on, and articulate professional goals in order to envision a future self.
- Develop a career focus that integrates and builds or enhances knowledge, skills, and attitudes around the following multidisciplinary workplace competencies:
- Communications
- Creative Problem Solving
- Cultural Responsiveness
- Leadership
- Lifelong Learning
- Management
- Systems Thinking
- Technological Proficiency
- Translate classroom learning into practice through authentic workplace experiences.
- Build a professional practice as individuals, members of organizations, and socially responsible members of the global community.
- Continue graduate studies in the following 10 master’s degrees:
- Corporate and Organizational Communication
- Education
- Homeland Security
- Human Services
- Leadership
- Learning Analytics
- Nonprofit Management
- Project Management
- Sports Leadership
- Technical Communication
What you'll study
General Requirements
Choose a minimum of 12 quarter hours from the following: