Core Differences
A certificate degree is a brief course providing specific skills and knowledge about the subject within less time compared to associate, bachelor’s, master’s and other types of traditional degrees. Some programs take only a few months, while others can last for up to two years depending on the subject and intensity of the certificate.
Focus and Scope
Certificate degrees are all about concentration in a specific area, as they’re generally specialized credential programs that give you the hands-on learning and precise skill-set required for particular jobs or industries. For example: Unlike other forms of academic degrees, they do not involve taking the liberal arts courses. For example, a certificate in web development would have classes pertaining to coding languages, web design and user experience — but not history or math.
Target Audience
Certificate programs are available for a wide range of students and working professionals that could be recent high school graduates, working executives or even someone who wants to change their career completely. With this accessibility in mind, certificate degrees are especially attractive as a supplemental source of fast and powerful employability and one that circumvents a four-year degree’s time and money investment.
Duration and Cost
On average, certificate programs are more affordable and take less time to complete than classic degrees. This efficiency is important for students needing to quickly enter the job market as it rapidly changes or, in many cases today, who don't have the money needed to fund additional years of earning higher education.
Academic Recognition
“To clarify, while certificate or badge programs contribute to individual skills and influence an array of factors in how we understand diploma value today; by definition they do not necessarily add up to academic credit conferred toward higher degrees.” This is something students must keep in mind if they are interested in pursuing more academic schooling. That said, certain colleges and universities might accept credits acquired from their certificate programs to be accredited towards a degree—though this will vary by the specific institution and the kinds of courses taken.
Career Impact
Certificates degree are usually accepted by one employer in indicating that you have practical job ready skills. Take an IT professional. They may choose to do a certificate in cybersecurity due to the increasing need for security experts in tech right now. These qualifications can go a long way in making an applicant more attractive to many lines of work or specializations as well.
This is explored further in detail for unique benefits and structure of these programs so that one could know what’s a certificate degree. Learn about the strategic advantages of certificate degrees in this resource on How Certificate Degrees are Affecting Specialization and Career Development.