CAGS vs Graduate Certificates

[marianne202]

What is the difference between a certificate of advanced graduate studies for those with Master's degrees and regular graduate certificates for those with bachelor's degrees? Aside from the obvious degree level you need to take these courses, what is the difference as far as employer's or schools are concerned? Can a graduate certificate be of value even if you are getting a master's in a related subject area? I want to take a certificate program in healthcare informatics, but I'm going to do my Master's in Healthcare Admin, and while these are two different areas they are related, so is it worth the money for the certificate? I'm just wondering if they are worth spending money on? I teach and the certificate is only 17 hours, so I'm not sure if that would be enough to qualify as a discipline, although my school uses job experience more than education for a lot of areas. I'm hoping someone with some experience with these certificates can shed some light on this for me.

Thanks!