Certificate Programs

(1) Weitzman students in the MUSA, M.S. in Architecture, and MSD programs are not able to complete a certificate concurrently with their degree program because they do not have enough elective slots to accommodate enrollment in the specific and additional courses required for a certificate. Additionally, Weitzman does not offer extensions to degree program length for the purpose of completing a certificate.

(2) Weitzman certificate programs are not available to Penn undergraduate students.

(3) Certificate programs do not qualify for a student visa. International students who wish to come to study at the University of Pennsylvania must apply to a degree-granting program.

Weitzman students in the Master of Architecture, Master of City Planning, Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of Science in Historic Preservation, Master of Fine Arts, the PhD in City Planning, and the PhD in Architecture degree programs are eligible to apply for a certificate program. Note: only Master of Architecture students may apply to the Environmental Building Design certificate.

University of Pennsylvania students enrolled in a graduate program in another Penn school are eligible for all Weitzman certificate programs, except: Environmental Building Design, Real Estate Development and Design, Landscape Studies, Urban Resilience, and Urban Design. Integrated Product Design is open only to students from Weitzman, Wharton and SEAS.

Students already enrolled in a certificate program may not enroll in a second certificate program. A student may apply for an internal transfer to a new certificate program while enrolled in a certificate program, but will be withdrawn from the initial certificate before being able to enroll in the new certificate.

International students already enrolled in the Weitzman School or in another Penn program may pursue a certificate at the same time as they are pursuing their primary graduate degree. However, visa policies require that students be enrolled in a degree-granting program; enrollment while taking courses that count only towards a certificate is not permissible.

Design professionals are eligible for Stand-Alone certificate programs, as noted in the chart above.

Certificate programs are the only programs at the Weitzman School of Design that allow spring admission.

Application deadlines:

• For Spring 2024 admission, applications are due on November 1, 2023
• For Fall 2024 admission, applications are due on February 1, 2024 (Application will open January 1, 2024)

Weitzman and University of Pennsylvania graduate students may apply to a certificate program only after they have matriculated into their degree program. This means that applicants to a graduate degree program at Weitzman or another Penn school may not submit a certificate application at the same time that they apply to the degree program. The earliest a Weitzman or Penn graduate student may apply to a certificate program is during the first semester of their graduate program. The latest a Weitzman or Penn graduate student may apply to a certificate program is during their second-to-last semester of their graduate program, provided they have room in their schedule in their final semester to complete the certificate requirements. Students in the final semester of their degree program who submit an application for Fall admission will be considered applicants to a stand-alone certificate program.

Students who are not formally accepted into a certificate program, even if they have applied or are planning to apply, are not eligible for reserved seats or course permits in certificate courses that are not open to non-certificate students.

Transcript notation and recognition at graduation for certificate completion is reserved only for those students who completed the certificate after they applied and were accepted to the certificate program. If a student completes all the certificate requirements on their own but did not apply and/or was not accepted to the certificate program, the certificate will not be noted on their transcript nor recorded in other official University systems. Students who simply take all the courses for a certificate may wish to share the certificate information (found on the website) with potential employers to show that they have taken coursework in the certificate content area.

Application

The application is available here. All applications must be submitted through our online application system; we no longer accept emailed applications.

The University of Pennsylvania uses course units as its currency. One course unit equals four credit hours. All Weitzman certificates require five course units (equal to twenty credit hours) for completion. For tuition rates, fees, and the books and supplies budget for one academic year, please visit our section on tuition and financial aid.

Weitzman does not offer financial aid to students enrolled in stand-alone certificates or to Weitzman students pursuing a certificate if this extends the length of their degree program. Stand-alone certificate programs do not qualify for federal loans.

Weitzman and Penn Students: Enrollment in a certificate program does not change a student’s original expected degree completion date. Students are expected to complete the certificate requirements before or during their final semester of their degree program. Important notes:

• The option to complete a certificate after graduating from the degree program is not available to international students due to student visa requirements.
• U.S. students completing certificate-only coursework after graduation from a degree program are no longer eligible for federal student loans, regardless of how many CUs they take in a term.

Stand-alone certificate students typically complete their five course units of study over two semesters, although occasionally and depending on the certificate, they may complete it in one semester or extend the completion time beyond one year.

Certificate Notation: All students who complete a certificate, whether completion is alongside a degree program or through a stand-alone certificate, will have the certificate noted on their transcript and will receive a certificate of completion from the Weitzman Office of Student Services. Certificates do not yield a University of Pennsylvania diploma.

Questions regarding the certificate application process: admissions@design.upenn.edu.

Questions regarding the certificate coursework and completion: des-studentservices@design.upenn.edu