Academic Advising Graduate Certificate Programs

Updated: Oct 29, 2024

Children and adults deciding on their career paths often seek guidance from schools and other independent advisors. It's important for this advice to be relevant at each stage of a student’s life, and subject to individual preferences rather than just economic needs.

To ensure the skills of each person are carefully acknowledged and guided, Academic Advising Graduate Certificates are available for educators and counselors who wish to enter this rewarding career.

What Are the Online Academic Advising Graduate Certificate Requirements?

Schools and other academic institutions providing Academic Advising Graduate Certificates will expect you to be working towards or have fulfilled a particular set of criteria and skills when applying. These often include:

A relevant four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited academic institution
Minimum GPA of 3.0, though some schools may ask for higher
Copies of academic transcripts
A CV/resume
Application form and fee
Recommendation letters from academics and/or employers
Schools may also ask that you submit a personal statement about your career aims and experience
Further, you may be asked to answer an essay question about an issue affecting academic advice
Applicants who speak English as a second language are required to submit scores from any accepted spoken certifications. These include but are not limited to IELTS, TOEFL, and PTEA. Even when spoken as a second language, some origin countries are excluded from this requirement

What Types of Classes are Included in the Online Academic Advising Graduate Certificate Curriculum?

What subjects will you take in an Academic Advising Graduate Certificate program? Courses include titles such as:

Academic Advising in the Collegiate Environment
Academic Advising History and Practices
Introduction to College and University Administration
Introduction to Student Affairs Administration Work in Higher Education
Counseling
Counseling Theories
Multicultural Counseling
Student/Adult Development
Adult Learning Through the Lifespan
Psychology in Teaching
Learning and Cognition in Education
Applying Student Development Theory to Practice
Academic Advising Assessment
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Advocacy for Advisors
College Student Development

What Types of Careers Can I Pursue with an Online Academic Advising Graduate Certificate?

This graduate certificate program will provide you with an entryway into a number of career choices:

Academic Advisor: The most likely route for this type of qualification is working to help high school, college, and university students decide what to do with their futures.
High School Teacher: Academic advice starts in the classroom. If you're a qualified and licensed teacher, you are in the best position to help guide your students toward a career.
College Application Advisor: Rather than helping them decide on a path to a career, you will advise students through college applications – finding funding, compiling information, and helping the process go as smoothly as possible.
College Counselor: Academic advice may be one small part of your role, but it won't be everything you do. Instead, you'll help students struggling with academic work and external pressures.
Undergraduate Affairs Coordinator: This role involves helping students navigate and adjust to life and academic work.