Professional Development Education Terms


Education can be jargon-heavy. As you search for professional development options to further your career, here are some options that you may encounter during your search.

Certificates

What are they?

These terms are not clearly defined by educational institutions, so take time to be clear about what you are buying.
•At Metropolitan State University, a certificate can be a credit-based and concentration of graded courses focused on a specialized skillset earned from one of the academic colleges – like the Cybersecurity Certificate earned through and issued by the College of Science.

•Or, a certificate can be professional development (non-credit, non-graded) courses that are stacked with a capstone experience that is endorsed with Metropolitan State University’s seal of quality – like the Business Architect Certificate for the Institute for Professional Development. This certificate is also endorsed by the Business Architecture Guild – a global organization – but the certificate credential is issued by Metropolitan State University.

When to use?

Choose a credit-based certificate when:
-you need a specific credit-based certificate for the job you want
-your employer provides tuition reimbursement – most employers will only reimburse for credit-based programs, so be sure to check your organization’s policy
-a professional development certificate is not readily available or assessable for your skillset need

Choose a non-credit or professional development certificate when:
-you want to demonstrate a specific skill set on your job resume
-you need your resume to be searchable for terms for the job you want
-you want to add credibility added to your LinkedIn page
-you need to develop a specific skill set for your current position that is more about application and methodology than theory
-you want to use training dollars provided by your employer

Certifications

What are they?

Again, this term is not clearly defined by educational institutions or training organizations, so take time to be clear about what you are buying.
•In our Institute for Professional Development, we use the term Certification to indicate that the course contains or leads to an industry-recognized certification, such as the SrumMaster Certification® that is endorsed and issued by Scrum Alliance. Scrum Alliance, not our university, is setting the standard. Project Management Institute® or CompTia® certifications would be another example of certifications. Not always, but often an exam must be passed to earn a certification.

When to use?

•Make the effort to pass an exam and earn certification when:
-you are applying for positions that specifically state that certification as a qualification for the job
-your resume needs bulking up to be searchable for the skills offered by that certification title
-you want to add credibility added to your LinkedIn page
-your employer requests that you earn the certification (and is paying for it)

Courses

What are they?

A course is a stand-alone learning opportunity.
•A course can be credit based (graded) or non-credit (no grades, but often provide continuing education units (CEU’s). CEU’s can have special names based on industry or credential – for instance, Project Management Institute® calls them Professional Development Units® or PDU’s.
•A course can be as short as a few hours or several sessions spread over a traditional academic term
•A course can be a one-time learning opportunity to target a specific need or often time modularly stacked to be part of either a credit-based or professional development certificate
•In professional development (non-credit), courses can also be in the form of modules, sessions, workshops and conferences.

When to use?

•Take a course when:
-you need development in a specific skillset for your current role (and most likely your employer is paying for it)
-you need to gather CEU’s to maintain a professional certification you have earned
-you are “testing the waters” to see if a certificate program is what you need for you next career step