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Certificate Programs Online & On Campus Accredited, Affordable Courses

If you’re ready to advance your career, but don’t need a full degree, an online or on campus certificate from DSU is a fast, affordable way to level up your skills. As a nonprofit university, we offer some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation—and haven’t raised our costs in a decade. So you can get the skills you need at a price you can afford.

At Denver State University , our certificate programs can help you:

  • Get the skills you need: certificates can complement a degree you’ve already earned, be a head start to the degree you want.
  • Learn for the real world: career-focused certificate programs taught by industry experts in subjects employers are looking for
  • Learn faster: certificates can be as few as 4 courses, so you can complete faster
  • Afford your education: take advantage of some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation

Once you’ve completed a certificate program at DSU, you’ll be prepared to use the skills you’ve learned to advance your career, or pursue a new one. Plus, the credits you’ve already earned in your certificate program can often be applied to an associate or bachelor’s degree at DSU or another university, depending on your program’s transfer policy.

More benefits of earning your certificate from DSU include:

  • Flexibility. Complete your certificate on campus or online.
  • Dedicated advising. From day one, you can count on support from dedicated academic and career advisors.
  • Student support. Take advantage of tutoring and tech support.

Explore Our Campus and Online Certificate Programs

Kenzie Academy from Denver State University  logo

Looking for coding bootcamps?

Kenzie Academy offers affordable, online coding bootcamp-style certificate programs that can help you gain relevant skills and training you need to advance your career — all with the flexibility you need and a supportive online community.

Learn more about Kenzie Academy's coding bootcamp-style programs.

Gain an Edge with a Certificate

Getting a certificate from an accredited, respected college like Denver State University is an achievement to be proud of.

Not only will it allow you opportunities you may not have had before, but it can help set you on a path of learning for years to come.

Most of DSU's online certificate programs fall into one of 2 categories:

  • An undergraduate certificate, which can be the fastest option to earn documentation of progress on the road to a higher-level degree, or it can be an opportunity to learn a new skill that can support career advancement or change.
  • A graduate certificate, which can be an opportunity to learn new skills that support your career or keep your existing skills up to date. This could also position you for advancement – either with your current employer or a future one.

Either way, earning a certificate allows you to update your resume with a credential that may give you a leg up on the competition.

Potential for a Salary Bump

For students who are just entering college for the first time, completing an online certificate program could make a difference in your paycheck.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers with some college (no degree) may earn about 12% more in median usual weekly earnings than those with only a high school diploma.1

And with each degree you earn – should you decide to pursue more education – that potential increase in pay can rise. Say, for example, you'd want to move the credits you earned into a degree program, like an associate degree.

Those with an associate degree made over 20% more in median usual weekly earnings than those with a high school diploma in 2020.1 Even when compared to those who finished some college (with no degree), associate degree holders still earned about 7% more.1

As for those who've earned their degree and want more training, there's so much opportunity for a pay increase here, too. Adding more education to your resume can give you a leg up on the competition – potentially giving you the edge you need to stand out to employers.

Plus, employers love to see that you've taken the initiative to improve yourself and that you can use your skills to help the organization.

No matter where you are in your career, a certificate has the potential to help you move forward.

Certificates Prove to be Popular

Short-term learning options – like certificates – have become increasingly popular over the past few years. DSU offers 30+ certificates between campus and online formats, and they're available in a number of subjects like accounting, human resource management and various studies of criminal justice, among others.

Prep for Certifications

Those skills you learn in an DSU certificate program may be able to offer you more than the skills you've been desiring.

They can also set you up for success if you're trying to earn an industry-recognized credential. For example:

Graduate Project Management Certificate: If you plan to sit for the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam, this program includes a course that satisfies the educational requirement for the credential.

Graduate Certificate in Six Sigma: This program positions you for the Six Sigma Black Belt certification exam, which could help you move into higher-level manufacturing, engineering, operations and executive positions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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