A collection of sculptures from the ancient Mediterranean world on display in the Yale University Art Gallery

Yale Certificates for Students

Broadening your academic experience

Certificates in Yale College Certificates in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Yale College, in an effort to encourage students to engage within and across departmental, divisional, and disciplinary boundaries, offers language certificates, interdisciplinary certificates and a broad range of skills-based certificates. These certificates originate with faculty and are submitted to the Committee on Majors and then to the faculty for approval. Students can declare their intent to earn a certificate in Yale Hub. A few certificates require an application, see the description pages in Yale College Programs of Study for application information, if applicable. For a complete list of Yale College Certificates, see Certificates in Yale College.

The Graduate School offers a number of certificate programs as well. There are two types of certificates: academic program certificates and certificates in training. They provide graduate students the opportunity to gain secondary competency in a related field while pursuing their Ph.D. For a complete list of GSAS certificates and how to apply, see Certificates in GSAS.

Only students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program are eligible to earn a Yale College certificate.

Yale Classroom with students

Purpose

Certificates are not a smaller version of a major (YC) or a degree-granting department/program (GSAS); instead, they offer opportunities for students to deepen a skill or to bring disparate elements into focus.

Academic Policy for Yale College Certificates

Students interested in earning certificates should understand how these programs fit within Yale’s academic framework. Yale’s curricular policies help you organize your diverse academic interests into coherent sets of courses while ensuring depth in each area of study.

Curricular Combinations and Course Overlap Allowances
Yale directed studies students

YC Declaration Process

Declare your certificate by your final term of enrollment on either September 15 or January 15 on the Certificate page on Yale Hub.

Yale Hub

Progress Tracking

After declaration, Degree Audit will automatically track your certificate requirements alongside your major progress.

Degree Audit