Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between earning an industry-recognized certification and earning a certificate?
Certifications: Earning an industry-recognized certification requires you to pass a comprehensive exam that
validates and demonstrates you possess specialized knowledge, skills and expertise. Most certifications typically require recertification to ensure practitioners stay current in their field. Also, many industry-recognized certifications are
awarded by industry-specific non-profit organizations that specialize in training and maintaining best practices for specific fields. Government agencies and for-profit corporations, such as Google, IBM, Salesforce, Microsoft and Cisco, also administer and award certain certifications.
Peirce College allows you to embed specific professional certifications into your program and awards college credit for those certifications. Peirce students can earn select Google Career Certificates at no cost that can also be applied as credit (up to 9-12 transfer credits depending on the Google Career Certificate) to an undergraduate program.
Certificates: Colleges and universities confer undergraduate, graduate and noncredit certificates
to students who successfully complete a course or series of courses. At Peirce College, undergraduate and graduate certificates are stackable, which means the credits earned in the certificate apply directly to a degree program. Both credit-bearing
and noncredit certificates have learning outcomes that demonstrate the skills and knowledge you will gain upon completion of the program. Non-collegiate educational and training providers can also award noncredit certificates.
How do credits awarded for industry-recognized certifications fit into Peirce’s degree programs?
Credits awarded for industry-recognized certifications fit into most undergraduate degree programs at Peirce College. Depending on the degree program, credits awarded by Peirce for professional certifications can be applied to meet program
requirements or open electives. For example, many IT, cybersecurity and project management certifications apply to program requirements in the College’s BS in Information Technology degree. Those same certifications can be applied
to meet elective requirements in most of Peirce’s other undergraduate programs. The most flexible programs include the BA in Liberal Studies, BS in Organizational Leadership and Management, BS in Technology Management, AA in General Studies
and AS in Leadership Development.
What are good “entry-level” certifications for students with limited professional experience who want to change careers or prepare for professional advancement?
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) is an in-demand, entry-level certification that is applicable to a wide range of industries, including IT, business and management, marketing and many other fields. This could be helpful
for the student who is not yet sure about a specific career. The credential is issued by the Project Management Institute.
IT Fundamentals (ITF+) certification is a pre-career certification that helps students or career changers determine if they have a competency for information technology and if it is the right career path for them, and provides a foundation for A+ certification. This certification is awarded by CompTIA.
A+ certification is a good fit for students interested in an IT career who have little or no IT experience. The certification is issued by the organization, CompTIA. Other in-demand entry-level IT certifications include Network+, Security+
and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).
Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) is a good choice for students interested in entering the finance field. The exam is issued by FINRA and students can earn the credential without being required to work a financial institution.
How do I prepare to earn a professional certification?
Peirce College partners with Kaplan University Partners to offer flexible, noncredit training courses that prepare students for specific
professional certification exams. Most of these prep courses are about 8 weeks long. Some are asynchronous and others have a live component with an instructor. In most cases, you will spend less
earning an industry-recognized certification than you would taking only the equivalent Peirce course. View our current training courses.
Does Peirce College award credit for other professional certifications and training?
Yes! See the links below to learn more.
Google Career Certificates (Peirce students can earn select Google certificates at no cost)
IT and Cybersecurity Certifications
Health Information Management Certifications
Law Enforcement Training
Peirce College also awards credit for military training and professional training as well as credit-by-exam programs, such as CLEP® and DSST®, and online courses provided by Study.com, Onlinedegree.com, StraighterLine.com and Sophia.org.