Certificate Program Online Degree Categories

Individuals who are interested in developing a set of specific skills may complete a professional certification program. Certificates are required for students who want to enter a vast range of trades, including disaster planning, auditing, accounting, phlebology and electrician work. There are product-specific, corporate and profession-wide certification programs. Of these three types, corporate certification programs are primarily used for internal purposes of an organization. For example, a company may need to verify that new personnel have fully learned how to complete a set of necessary tasks. Product-specific certification programs aim to help learners master the use of a certain tool or system, such as a brand of software. These students work to prove they can use the product or complete a skill. They can then apply this knowledge to different jobs. For example, medical technicians who earn a phlebology certificate will be able to draw blood at hospitals, hospices and private clinics anywhere in the U.S. Finally, profession-wide certifications, the most common type, qualify individuals to complete general work across an entire field. Most certifications are earned from official societies and institutes. For example, accountants are certified by the National Society of Public Accountants. After completing their certificate programs, professionals may advance in their career prospects by earning associate's and bachelor's degrees.

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