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Capstone Certificates

French Studies

Fundamentals of Clinical Research

Geographic Information Systems

Global Health

Laboratory Quality Management

Master Administrator (school administration)

How to start a Capstone Certificate program at UW-Madison

What is a Capstone Certificate?

Capstone Certificates are a focused collection of courses that, when completed, afford the student a record of coherent academic accomplishment in a given discipline or set of related disciplines. Capstone Certificate programs do not lead to a degree. Students are awarded Certificates to designate completion of such a well-defined program of coursework. These Certificates are reflected on the student’s UW-Madison transcript.

Capstone Certificates offer innovative programs that serve the educational needs of specialized groups of nontraditional students and working professionals. Applicants must have completed a minimum of baccalaureate degree or its equivalent; several certificates require a minimum of a master’s or other advanced degree before admission. Students seek a certificate to enhance their prior training; they are often professionals returning to school for specialized education and skill building in the area of the certificate.

Current UW-Madison Capstone Certificates, descriptions and requirements

FAQs for Departments and Faculty

I am interested in exploring starting a new Capstone Certificates. What is the process?
What is the tuition for Capstone programs?
After a Capstone Certificate has been approved by the Graduate School, what does my department need to do?
What is the application process for Capstone Certificate students?
What is the ISIS career for Capstone students?
What happens when a student has completed all of the requirements for a Capstone Certificate?
Who are my contacts for questions about Capstone Certificates?

I am interested in exploring starting a new Capstone Certificates. What is the process?

Academic approval and oversight of all Capstone Certificates resides with the Graduate School and its Graduate Faculty Executive Committee. Read more about the process and standards.

Within these guidelines, academic departments determine the content, criteria for admission, required number of credits, and all other academic issues related to the Capstone Certificate program.

Because Capstone students apply as Special (nondegree) students, admission, enrollment, and other Dean’s office functions for Capstone programs are administered by the Division of Continuing Studies (DCS), which serves as the Special Student office for the campus. The decision to admit students to the Capstone Certificate program is made by the academic department, which houses the Capstone Certificate.

Because they are administered by DCS rather than the Graduate school, Capstone programs have greater flexibility with admissions standards and processes, term dates, etc. Capstone students register at the same time as Graduate students.

What is the tuition for Capstone programs?

Capstones programs may negotiate a specialized fee structure. Fee-structure negotiations take place between the individual capstone program—through their school/college budget officer—and the vice chancellor for administration.
Unless a program has negotiated a specialized fee structure, Capstone students are charged standard Graduate tuition.
Departments who have specialized fee structures must notify the Tuition Assessment Department (Craig Stevens, craig.stevens@em.wisc.edu) in the Registrar’s Office of those specialized fees. Graduate tuition is charged unless departments make special arrangements.

After a Capstone Certificate has been approved by the Graduate School, what does my department need to do?

The department must:

Assign a program administrator who will be the primary contact for DCS regarding the admission and enrollment process.
Set up an appointment to meet with DCS (Mary Quass, mquass@dcs.wisc.edu or Katy Duren, kduren@dcs.wisc.edu) to go over administrative procedures.
Provide DCS with a paragraph describing your Capstone program and the link to your Capstone Web site; DCS maintains a central Web site describing all of the Capstone programs.
Make sure that all written promotional/informational materials and Web sites reflect accurate information about the Capstone program. Where a department is also offering a Graduate Certificate, it is very important that the distinction between the admission requirements and procedures for the Capstone and Graduate certificates is clear. Students can be easily confused about these distinctions. Make sure it is clear to applicants where to go for more information.

What is the application process for Capstone Certificate students?

Students apply online as Special Students (UNCS).
Electronic applications are received by DCS, and a copy is sent to the Department administrator.
Department administrator contacts applicants about additional application materials (letters of reference, test scores, etc), where relevant.
Department makes decision to admit or not and contacts Mary Quass (mquass@dcs.wisc.edu) at DCS, who enters the admission approval codes (S60) into ISIS.
Once approved, ISIS automatically updates the program action to: DDEF, with an action reason of S32 – Admit Pending Residency; or ADMT, with an action reason of S11 – Admit as University Special Student.
All Capstone applications must have a residency decision regardless of the fee they are charged.
DCS serves as the Admitting and Dean’s office for Capstone students.
Once approved, the students receive an admission letter or e-mail from DCS, and directions on how to enroll in courses. Departments may also want to send welcome letters with further information specific to their Capstone Certificate program.
Capstone students enroll at the same time as other Graduate students, even though most Special students enroll later. Space may need to be reserved in the appropriate classes for your Capstone students.

What is the ISIS career for Capstone students?

Capstone students are nondegree Special Students. The following is the setup in ISIS:
Career=USPC; Program=UNCS

Plans:
Capstone Certificate in Bioinformatics—UNCS106
Capstone Certificate in Global Health—UNCS245
Capstone Certificate in French Studies at the Graduate Level—UNCS452
Capstone Certificate in Fundamentals of Clinical Researech—UNCS453
Capstone Certificate in Geographic Information Systems—UNCS-358
Capstone Certificate in Laboratory Quality Management—UNCS592
Capstone Certificate in Master Administrator—UNCS273

Plan Type=CAP for each plan
Enrollment Limit=12 credits

What happens when a student has completed all of the requirements for a Capstone Certificate?

The department must monitor the progress of its Capstone students. When a student has completed all of the requirements for the Capstone Certificate, the departmental program administrator must notify the degree audit department (Connie Chapman, constance.chapman@em.wisc.edu) in the Registrar’s office so that the Registrar’s office can post the Capstone Certificate on the student’s transcript. If the department wishes to provide a physical certificate of completion for the student, they may do so. The department is also responsible for ending the student’s UNCS status in ISIS at the completion of the Capstone Certificate.

Who are my contacts for questions about Capstone Certificates?

Dean’s Office, Division of Continuing Studies, 1305 Linden Drive
Mary Quass Senior Student Service Coordinator Room 324 Phone: 608-262-2862 Fax: 608-265-2901 mquass@dcs.wisc.edu	Katy Duren Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs Room 316 Phone: 608-263-5114 Fax: 608-265-2901 kduren@dcs.wisc.edu

Academic approval—Graduate School
Judith Kornblatt
Associate Dean, Graduate School
221 Bascom
Phone 608-262-2433
beecham@bascom.wisc.edu

Student billing
Craig Stevens
Enrollment Management
Office of the Registrar
Room 7223, 21 South Park St
Phone: 608-262-4031
craig.stevens@em.wisc.edu

Posting Capstone Certificates to student transcript
Connie Chapman
Enrollment Management
Office of the Registrar
Room 7223, 21 South Park St
Phone: 608-262-4540
constance.chapman@em.wisc.edu

Continuing Studies | UW Home

This page is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Continuing Studies Web site. We offer continuing education programs for learners of all ages; administer summer undergraduate and graduate classes; and provide counseling services for adult learners. Publications, information requests: info@dcs.wisc.edu. Web comments, questions, accessibility concerns: webmaster@dcs.wisc.edu.