A collection of sculptures from the ancient Mediterranean world on display in the Yale University Art Gallery

Yale Certificates for Students

Broadening your academic experience

Certificates in Yale College

To encourage students to engage within and across departmental, divisional, and disciplinary boundaries, Yale College offers language certificates, interdisciplinary certificates and a broad range of skills-based certificates. These certificates originate with faculty and are submitted to the Committee on Majors and then to the faculty for approval. The Graduate School offers a number of certificate programs as well.

For a complete list of Yale College Certificates, see Certificates in Yale College.

Only students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program are eligible to earn a Yale College certificate.

Yale Classroom with students

Purpose

A certificate is not a smaller version of a major; instead, it offers opportunities for students to deepen a skill or to bring disparate elements into focus. There are three types of certificates offered at Yale College:

  • Advanced Language Certificates
  • Skills-Based Certificates
  • Interdisciplinary Certificates

See Certificates in Yale College for complete information. Only students enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program are eligible to earn a certificate.

Academic Policy

Students interested in earning certificates should understand how these programs fit within Yale’s academic framework. Yale’s curricular policies help you organize your diverse academic interests into coherent sets of courses while ensuring depth in each area of study.

Curricular Combinations and Course Overlap Allowances
Yale directed studies students

Declaration Process

Declare your certificate by your final term of enrollment on either September 15 or January 15 on the Certificate page on Yale Hub.

Yale Hub

Progress Tracking

After declaration, Degree Audit will automatically track your certificate requirements alongside your major progress.

Degree Audit