Admission Into a Graduate School of Engineering Graduate Certificate

Current GSE Degree-Seeking Students

In order to be considered admissible to a College of Engineering graduate certificate, current GSE students:

  1. Must be in good academic standing. Students on academic probation will not be admitted into a graduate certificate program.

  2. Must apply for admission to a certificate program in the fall or spring semester and prior to their final term of study. Requests for admission in the summer semesters or final term will not be considered, regardless of whether coursework has been completed. 

  3. Current College of Engineering PhD students must also have the approval of their PhD faculty advisor.

Non–Degree-Seeking Students

In order to be considered admissible to a College of Engineering graduate certificate, non–degree-seeking students must have:

  1. A minimum 3.000 grade-point average.
  2. Completed a relevant engineering undergraduate degree.
    • Applicants without an engineering undergraduate degree should apply to the Graduate Certificate in Technology Systems Management.

Application Procedures

Apply via the Certificate Application for Current COE Graduate Students. Graduate School of Engineering continuing students are not required to resubmit their admissions documents or pay the application fee. Contact the Graduate School of Engineering Admissions team (coe-gradadmissions@northeastern.edu) for questions about the application process.

Academic Standing

All certificate-seeking students must meet the GSE requirement of a 3.000 GPA to remain in good standing. Only students who complete the required coursework and remain in good standing will be eligible to be awarded a certificate.

GSE Certificate Policies

  • Students must complete the certificate coursework before or in the same semester that they complete their primary degree coursework.

Domestic Students

  • May take courses on-ground at student’s campus of study or online, provided the certificate is approved and offered at that campus.

International Students

  • May take courses on-ground at student’s campus of study, provided the certificate is approved and offered at that campus.
  • During every required academic term, international students must maintain full-time status and appropriate on-ground presence at Northeastern University to comply with federal immigration regulations. International students must consult with the Office of Global Services to determine eligibility for enrollment in online courses. 

Certificate Coursework Credit Sharing with GSE Degrees

In approved circumstances, certificate coursework completed by graduate students may also be applied toward requirements of a College of Engineering graduate degree program. Two factors will be considered: course eligibility and the number of courses permitted to be applied to requirements of both the degree program and the certificate program (double counting).

Course Eligibility

GSE certificate courses may be counted toward an engineering graduate degree if the degree program requirements allow for the course. Refer to the specific graduate degree requirements in the university catalog. Students cannot substitute any of the certificate courses, except by petition.

Course Double Counting

For most disciplinary degrees, students can double count up to 8 semester hours of eligible courses for a graduate degree and graduate certificate. An exception is made for the following disciplinary degrees where students can double count up to 16 semester hours of eligible courses (with academic advisor approval for courses):

For all multidisciplinary degree (MGEN) programs: Students can double count up to 16 semester hours of eligible courses for a graduate degree and graduate certificate.

Double Counting Across Certificates

Engineering graduate courses may not be double counted across graduate certificates.

PlusOne Programs

Engineering graduate courses may not be triple counted for graduate certificate and/or degree programs. Graduate courses that are double counted toward the bachelor’s and master’s degrees (e.g., PlusOne programs) may not be counted toward a graduate certificate.

Graduate Courses Applied to an Undergraduate Degree

Graduate courses that were applied toward an undergraduate degree cannot be double counted for a graduate certificate. Graduate courses completed as an undergraduate that are taken above and beyond the requirements for the undergraduate degree may count toward a graduate certificate.

Co-op

Students enrolled in only a certificate program are not eligible to participate in co-op. Co-op eligibility will reside with the graduate degree program of the degree-seeking student. There are no additional considerations allotted by the certificate program.

Applying to Graduate

Students must apply to graduate for their certificate when the application for graduation window opens or no later than the beginning of the term they plan to graduate. If graduating with both a certificate and a degree program, they must apply for the certificate first and then the degree program. Both the certificate and degree program will be awarded concurrently, even if the certificate coursework is completed before the degree coursework.

Certificate Transcript

Awarding of a certificate will be noted on the official Northeastern University transcript of students who complete a certificate program.