This entry clarifies what is an educational certificate as compared to other commonly mistaken credentials and closes with an examination of the role of certificates in national and international comparisons of educational attainment. The certificate is an award offered at the end of a program of study whose duration is from less than an academic year to 4 years in duration. Educational certificates are awarded by institutions of postsecondary education upon the completion of a program of study, akin to other college credentials such as the associate degree or baccalaureate degree in the United States.

Certificates can be earned prior to earning a baccalaureate degree or after earning a baccalaureate degree. While college degrees are awarded based upon the accumulation of credit hours, certificates can be ...