Some Career Technical Education (CTE) departments offer certificates ranging from 12-108 credits to students who complete the course of study with a minimum 2.0 grade point average. Specific courses required for each certificate program, including any General Education requirements, are listed in the Programs and Disciplines section of the catalog.

PCC courses approved to be repeated for credit, other than Cooperative Education courses, may be applied only once in meeting a PCC degree or certificate requirement. Students may take a course additional times for credit, if the course is so designated, but those additional credits will not be used to fulfill PCC certificate requirements. Certain CTE programs have exceptions to this requirement; contact the appropriate department for information.

Credit courses, numbered below 100 cannot be used to fulfill the credit minimum requirements for certificates.

Certificate Requirements:

Two-Year (61-108 credits) Certificate Requirements

1. At least 24 credits must be earned at PCC, 18 of which must apply to the certificate requirements.
2. The final 9 credits that apply to the certificate must be earned at PCC; the department chair may waive this requirement if the student can demonstrate currency in the field.
3. A maximum of 24 credits of “P” (Pass) grades will apply to most Two-Year Certificates. Certain CTE programs have exceptions to this requirement as stated in the requirements for the specific Two-Year Certificate.
4. A maximum of 12 credits of Cooperative Education courses may be applied to most Two-Year Certificates. Certain CTE programs have exceptions to this requirement but no program can exceed 24 credits (12 per year); these exceptions are defined in the requirements for the specific Two-Year Certificate.
5. A maximum of 9 credits of 199 and 299 experimental courses may be applied to a Two-Year Certificate.

One-Year (45-60 credits) Certificate Requirements

1. At least 12 credits must be earned at PCC, 9 of which must apply to the certificate requirements.
2. The final 9 credits that apply to the certificate must be earned at PCC; the department chair may waive this requirement if the student can demonstrate currency in the field.
3. A maximum of 12 credits of “P” (Pass) grades will apply to most One-Year Certificates. Certain CTE programs have exceptions to this requirement as stated in the requirements for the specific One-Year Certificate.
4. A maximum of 12 credits of Cooperative Education courses may be applied to a One-Year Certificate.
5. A maximum of 9 credits of 199 and 299 experimental courses may be applied to a One-Year Certificate.

Less-Than-One-Year (12-44 credits) Certificate Requirements

1. At least 6 credits must be earned at PCC, all of which must apply to the certificate requirements.
2. The final 6 credits that apply to the certificate must be earned at PCC; the department chair may waive this requirement if the student can demonstrate currency in the field.
3. A maximum of 8 credits of  “P” (Pass) grades will apply to most Less-than-One-Year Certificates. Certain CTE programs have exceptions to this requirement as stated in the requirements for the specific Less-than-One-Year Certificate.
4. A maximum of 9 credits of 199 and 299 experimental courses may be applied to a Less-than-One-Year Certificate.
5. A Career Pathway Certificate is a specific type of Less-than-One-Year Certificate, consisting of courses that are wholly contained within an AAS degree, a One-Year Certificate, or a Two-Year Certificate to which the Career Pathway Certificate is linked. All requirements for the Less-Than-One-Year Certificate apply to Career Pathway Certificates. 

Employment Skills Training

Some CTE departments offer the Employment Skills Training Certificate (EST). The EST is an individualized certificate ranging from 12-44 credits that prepares a student for a specific job. Students should contact the appropriate CTE department to find out whether it offers the EST. More information can be found here: http://catalog.pcc.edu/programsanddisciplines/employmentskillstraining/.