Graduate Certificate on Coursera

Graduate certificate programs provide knowledge and expertise through a series of curated courses. Students can apply certificate course credits toward the ME-EM on Coursera if they wish to complete the full master’s degree.

  • Each certificate is comprised of nine credits.  
  • Designed for ֱ Boulder ME-EM and MS on Coursera degree students.
  • Certificate course credits can be applied towards the ME-EM on Coursera degree or another master’s degree (check with other programs for eligibility); courses cannot double count between multiple certificates.
  • Up to 9 credits of coursework from certificates from other ֱ Boulder on Coursera Engineering Graduate Programs may be applicable towards the ME-EM degree. Students must officially declare their intent to pursue any certificate offered by another ֱ Boulder on Coursera program by enrolling in at least one course via the enrollment form for that certificate's home program. For example, to earn the Data Science graduate certificate offered by the MS-DS on Coursera program, you must enroll in at least one course via the MS-DS enrollment form. 

Engineering Management Graduate Certificate

Advancing your career as a successful manager of technical and engineering teams means demonstrating effective leadership and possessing a range of real-world competencies. In this online graduate certificate program, you will master the key elements of engineering management and business-related functions, including finance, project management, and authentic leadership. Through this comprehensive approach to management, you will be well-prepared to make an immediate and significant impact within your organization.

The Engineering Management Graduate Certificate is an affordable way to gain new skills, earn an industry-recognized credential, and prepare to advance you within your career. If you are interested in continuing your education, the certificate consists of the first three specializations within the ME-EM on Coursera master’s degree and can be stacked toward the full degree.

Please refer to the ME-EM on Coursera master’s degree for more details on curriculum, policies, FAQs, finances and the calendar, as well as information for current students.

  • Master essential management principles and prepare for leadership roles within technology-driven industries.
  • Learn new skills, earn an industry-recognized credential, and prepare to advance within your career.
  • Gain specific tools and knowledge to lead technical teams: leadership, project management, and finance for technical managers.
  • Analyze personal leadership awareness.
  • Manage complex projects with a systems-approach.
  • Understand the financial implications of engineering decisions.

There are no formal prerequisites for the Engineering Management Graduate Certificate, but we recommend that prospective students have an undergraduate degree in engineering, science, or a technical field (including areas such as physics, applied mathematics, and computer science). If they do not have an undergraduate degree in engineering or a technical field, we recommend that students try the non-credit versions of courses to test their readiness before upgrading to the for-credit versions.

The Engineering Management Graduate Certificate requires 9 credit hours of graduate-level coursework (required courses listed below) and a minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0. Courses in which grades of C+ or below are received may not be applied toward the certificate, but will count toward the cumulative GPA (no more than three credits of C+ can be applied toward graduate certificate requirements).

You must complete 9 credits of coursework in finance, project management, and authentic leadership.

Finance for Technical Managers (3 credits)​

Project Management (3 credits)

Principles of Leadership: Leading Oneself (3 credits)

The Engineering Management Graduate Certificate on Coursera is $667 per credit hour.

The program requires 9 credit hours of coursework, the total program cost is $6,003. Because this program is 100% online, the tuition is the same for all students regardless of residency status.

Students will only pay for the courses they enroll in for each session. You do not have to pay the full cost of the certificate once you enroll for-credit.

  • This program is not currently eligible for financial aid provided through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • ֱ Boulder does not currently offer scholarships for this program.
  • Employer reimbursement may be an option for you. Check directly with your employer to see if they have a "tuition assistance" or "tuition reimbursement" program where your employer helps finance your education.
  • This program is eligible for education benefits offered through Veterans Affairs (VA). Check with your VA advisor and visit the WEAMS website for more information.

Students can always work on the public/non-credit version of courses before enrolling for credit. We recommend that students always start the courses in the public version first, no matter how far along you are on your certificate completion.

When you work on the course in the public (not-for-credit) version, you can work at your own pace and redo assignments. Then when you are ready to enroll for credit, you use the enrollment form, pay tuition and complete the account linking and onboarding, the progress you made on the coursework in the public version will transfer into the for-credit version. Then, you will access the restricted for-credit content (usually a final exam or project) and complete the requirements by the session deadlines for credit.

Take the next step in your education to boost your career. This Graduate Certificate can be stacked toward the Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) on Coursera degree if you are interested in continuing your education.

All three required specializations are ME-EM on Coursera Core. They are required courses to complete the ME-EM degree. Finance for Technical Managers (3 credits)​ and Project Management (3 credits) are also ME-EM pathway specializations.

To pursue admission to the ME-EM degree program, you’ll need to complete the following requirement:

  • Indicate interest in degree admission (via the ME-EM enrollment form)
  • Earn a 3.0 ֱ cumulative GPA.
  • Pass one pathway specialization with a pathway GPA of 3.0 or higher.
    • B- is passing for most classes. Up to 3 credits of C+s can count towards your degree. After grades are finalized, you will receive an email from emp-coursera@colorado.edu confirming your admission.
       

By completing these steps, you will go from working on a certificate to earning a degree.

ֱ Boulder will mail your complimentary paper certificate approximately eight weeks after the end of the session in which you complete your certificate requirements. 

You should verify both your name that will appear on your diploma, as well as the address your diploma will be mailed to in your Buff Portal. You will need to Update Your Contact Information if your name and/or home address are not listed correctly.

You also have access to a Certified Electronic Diploma & Certificate (CeDiplomas/CeCertificates). Go to the electronic diplomas & certificates card in Buff Portal and click the "Access your CeDiploma/CeCertificate" link to access CeCredential Trust, an approved third-party vendor of ֱ Boulder. Please see CeDiplomas/CeCertificates for additional information regarding electronic diplomas. 

How do I get started to earn this certificate?

Enroll in a course and pay tuition ($667 per credit hour). Tuition is due at the time of enrollment. You will receive a confirmation message after your enrollment has been processed, typically within 24 hours.

  • We recommend that new students take one course at a time to start. This allows you to adjust to the graduate-level coursework and get a better sense of how much time you need to budget for the program.
  • Visit the Bursar's Degrees on Coursera for more information about payment, account statements, and refund policies.
  • You must activate your ֱ Boulder identikey and email, link your ֱ Boulder and Coursera accounts, and complete a short onboarding course to get access to your for-credit courses. Read more here.

What will I get if I pay for this program?

You will get access to all graduate certificate courses. You will also get feedback from the course facilitators on your projects. You’ll be working with an elite network of peers towards your goals. 

Can I take this program for free?

No. The Graduate Certificate is available only to learners who have paid for the program.

What is the refund policy?

To drop a class and receive a full refund, two requirements must be met:

  • You must submit a drop request within 14 days of the class start date or their enrollment date, whichever is later; and
  • You must not have accessed restricted content (e.g., password quiz, honor code verification, final assessment such as final exam/project, etc.) in the course or received a course grade. See the “Grades” section if restricted content has been accessed.

Is financial assistance available?

This program is not currently eligible for financial aid provided through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Employer tuition assistance may be an option for you. This program may be eligible for education benefits offered through Veteran and Military Affairs (VMA).

Design for the Circular Economy Graduate Certificate

The design for the circular economy certificate on the Coursera platform provides students and working professionals the skills necessary to succeed in the emerging field of the circular economy, where businesses are focused on redesigning products to be less resource intensive and can readily be transformed into new products at the end of their life.

Career opportunities in this field are expanding rapidly within business, government and nonprofit enterprises.

The curriculum focuses on the unique requirements of technical management of circular business models and product development initiatives within an organization, including cradle-to-cradle design methodologies, sustainable and resilient operations and supply chains, and leadership.

This program is offered 100% online, enabling students’ greater flexibility with their work schedule and providing for broad reach to students across the globe.

Learning outcomes for completion of the certificate include foundational technical knowledge and practical professional skills. Students will be able to integrate sustainability and circular economy concepts with the design of products and services that have positive environmental and social impacts, while creating and leading organizations that incorporate principles and practices of the circular economy as core strategic initiatives. 

Our graduates will be specialists in the rapidly emerging field of the circular economy. They will understand the underlying foundations of sustainability engineering, the context of how this knowledge can be successfully applied in a business setting, and the leadership skills to drive transformational change within their organizations and communities. As specialists, students will be able to:

  • Have a science and fact-based discussion with friends, family and work colleagues that explains the need to rapidly move to a more circular economy.
  • Describe our current economic and industrial model of “take-make-waste” and the need to transition to a more resilient and sustainable circular economy.
  • Design sustainable products and packaging using cradle-to-cradle methodologies.
  • Quantitatively assess a product and organization’s social and environmental impacts using the latest data scoring frameworks, including life-cycle analysis, carbon and water footprint analyses.
  • Employ brand management strategies to communicate the organization's values and value proposition to their customers.
  • Establish operations and supply chains consistent with the organization’s sustainability and circular economy goals.
  • Identify and apply international frameworks (i.e., ISO 14000) within the organization.
  • Product design
  • Social and environmental impact analysis
  • System thinking
  • Innovate business models
  • Sustainable finance management
  • Marketing and brand management
  • Sustainable and resilient operations and supply chains
  • Stakeholder communication
  • Change management
  • Technical skills
  • Business skills
  • Leadership skills

The online Design for the Circular Economy Graduate Certificate is a 9-credit hour, 100% online program. The program offers four specializations consisting of twelve 1-credit hour courses, as outlined below.  From the list below, students are required to complete any two 3-credit hour specializations (totaling 6 credit hours) and 3 additional courses (totaling 3 credit hours), which could include another specialization, or any three topical electives.

To remain in good standing in the program, students must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (no more than one credit of C+ can be applied toward certificate program requirements). Once the certificate requirements are met, the certificate will be automatically awarded and transcribed on the student’s transcripts. 

Applied Sustainability for Technical Managers (3 credits)

Sustainable and Circular Product Development (3 credits)

Sustainable & Resilient Operations and Supply Chains(3 credits)

Transformative Leadership in the Circular Economy (3 credits)

There are no formal prerequisites for the Design for the Circular Economy Graduate Certificate, but we recommend that prospective students have an undergraduate degree in engineering, science, or a technical field (including areas such as physics, applied mathematics, and computer science). If they do not have an undergraduate degree in engineering or a technical field, we recommend that students try the non-credit versions of courses to test their readiness before upgrading to the for-credit versions.

The Engineering Management Graduate Certificate on Coursera is $667 per credit hour.

The program requires 9 credit hours of coursework, the total program cost is $6,003. Because this program is 100% online, the tuition is the same for all students regardless of residency status.

Students will only pay for the courses they enroll in for each session. You do not have to pay the full cost of the certificate once you enroll for-credit.

  • This program is not currently eligible for financial aid provided through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • ֱ Boulder does not currently offer scholarships for this program.
  • Employer reimbursement may be an option for you. Check directly with your employer to see if they have a "tuition assistance" or "tuition reimbursement" program where your employer helps finance your education.
  • This program is eligible for education benefits offered through Veterans Affairs (VA). Check with your VA advisor and visit the WEAMS website for more information.

Students can always work on the public/non-credit version of courses before enrolling for credit. We recommend that students always start the courses in the public version first, no matter how far along you are on your certificate completion.

When you work on the course in the public (not-for-credit) version, you can work at your own pace and redo assignments. Then when you are ready to enroll for credit, you use the enrollment form, pay tuition and complete the account linking and onboarding, the progress you made on the coursework in the public version will transfer into the for-credit version. Then, you will access the restricted for-credit content (usually a final exam or project) and complete the requirements by the session deadlines for credit.

Take the next step in your education to boost your career. This Graduate Certificate can be stacked toward the Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) on Coursera degree if you are interested in continuing your education. By stacking this 9 credit certificate into your 30 credit degree, you would have completed 30% of your ME-EM degree.

To pursue admission to the ME-EM degree program, you’ll need to complete the following requirement:

  • Indicate interest in degree admission (via the ME-EM enrollment form)
  • Earn a 3.0 ֱ cumulative GPA.
  • Pass one pathway specialization with a pathway GPA of 3.0 or higher.
    • B- is passing for most classes. Up to 3 credits of C+s can count towards your degree. After grades are finalized, you will receive an email from emp-coursera@colorado.edu confirming your admission.

By completing these steps, you will go from working on a certificate to earning a degree.

ֱ Boulder will mail your complimentary paper certificate approximately eight weeks after the end of the session in which you complete your certificate requirements. 

You should verify both your name that will appear on your diploma, as well as the address your diploma will be mailed to in your Buff Portal. You will need to Update Your Contact Information if your name and/or home address are not listed correctly.

You also have access to a Certified Electronic Diploma & Certificate (CeDiplomas/CeCertificates). Go to the electronic diplomas & certificates card in Buff Portal and click the "Access your CeDiploma/CeCertificate" link to access CeCredential Trust, an approved third-party vendor of ֱ Boulder. Please see CeDiplomas/CeCertificates for additional information regarding electronic diplomas. 

Quick Facts

  • Start dates per year: 6
  • Total classes: 9
  • Weeks per class: 8
  • Total credit hours: 9
  • Cost per credit hour: $667