Business Certificates

[dfrecore]

I found this article interesting because it really speaks to the range of what can be labeled a “certificate”.

At the high end, there are listings like the BU data analytics certificate. It is 16 graduate credits and can be transferred to their 40-credit masters in data analytics. So, it represents 40% of a masters degree. There is the University of Virginia’s accounting certificate, which requires 10 3-credit classes and is basically equivalent to an undergraduate accounting major. Both of these are serious programs that cost thousands of dollars, take months to complete, and would boost pretty much anybody’s resume. There are also certificates on the list that cost a few hundred dollars, take a few hours to complete, carry no credit (other than perhaps a couple of CEUs), and would do very little to help one’s resume.

I know there are people on this forum who don’t like to hear this, but there are employers who only look at people with degrees from a relatively small number of elite schools. If you want to work for them, perhaps in the legal or financial world, education from an elite school may well be the difference between getting the job or not.

So, is there a world in which it makes sense to spend $16,000 for that UVA certificate?  Yes, I think there is. But it is not for everybody. And, spending $16,000 for that certificates certainly does not guarantee you a job, for instance, with a Big 4 accounting firm with a fast-track to partnership.  Unfortunately, too many people view things that way. And too many universities encourage that sort of thinking.

With the BU Data Analytics cert - really, what that says to an employer is "I'm 40% done with my master's degree." Most employers are going to say "let me know when you complete your master's degree and we'll talk" if they're looking for that.  If they're not looking for that, then really, the cert still means nothing because they don't care.  I can't imagine any scenario in which a $16,000 cert that gets you 40% done with a degree is worth a dime.

There are very few fields that require a degree from an elite school, so if you need that, you're probably not on here looking for ways to get a cheap degree somewhere.