About the Certificate Program:

SRJC offers a broad array of occupational certificate programs that provide a course of study preparing students directly for employment or self-employment upon completion of the program. Most certificate programs are developed through the collaboration of SRJC faculty and industry leaders and employers who sit on Advisory Committees for the occupational disciplines. There are two types of certificates recognized by the College: Certificates of Achievement and Skills Certificates.

Santa Rosa Junior College is committed to maintaining the academic rigor and relevance of its occupational curriculum. Each occupational program has an employer advisory committee to provide occupational outlook information and give input to the curriculum, ensuring that students are learning the skills needed by industry. Whether the student is exploring career choices following high school, considering a major career move, or seeking new skills for advancement, a wide variety of training options are available through these certificate programs.

The following certificates are available at Santa Rosa Junior College. This is an alphabetical listing of all currently active certificates. Please use the Advanced Search feature to locate certificates that have been inactivated or to refine your search by department, keyword, or number of units.

Certificates of Achievement:

Certificates of Achievement are programs of study consisting of 18 units or more that provide extensive preparation in the designated field. They are intended to certify that students who have successfully completed the program are prepared to enter the careers associated with their chosen certificate. They usually take at least one to two years to complete. In addition to local approval, these programs must also be endorsed by the Bay Area Occupational Planning Committee and receive approval from the California Community College Chancellor's Office. Prior to the 2008-2009 Catalog, Certificates of Achievement were designated as Career Certificates.

Skills Certificates:

In addition to Certificate of Achievement programs of study, the College also offers many programs resulting in the award of Skills Certificates. These certificates are under 18 units, and, while the local development and approval process is rigorous, they do not require approval by the state Chancellor's Office. These certificates are designed to provide the student with a brief but intense course of study in a particular area, so that he or she may develop specific skills or prepare for an entry-level position in the field. Successful completion of these programs also may certify that students are prepared with a particular set of skills, such as the job entry skills leading to a full Certificate of Achievement program, or skills to upgrade or advance in an existing career. These programs often provide advancement on a "career ladder," and are therefore of shorter duration and narrower in scope than the Certificate of Achievement programs to which they may lead. Prior to the 2006-2007 Catalog, Skills Certificates were designated as Completion Certificates or Competency Certificates. Prior to the 2008-2009 Catalog, Skills Certificates were designated as Achievement Certificates.

Certificate Coursework and Prerequisites/Advisories:

Courses in a certificate program may have prerequisites or advisories; that is, courses that must or should be completed before taking that course. Please check for prerequisites or advisories by clicking on the courses in the Program Requirements section of the certificate.

In addition, the reading and writing or mathematics level required for beginning certificate coursework and/or successful completion varies from program to program. Courses in a program may have a specific level of English or Math as either a prerequisite or recommendation (click on the course to find out more). Placement tests to help you determine you English or Math level are free and offered on a regular basis by the Assessment Office (527-4661).

If an English or Math course is a prerequisite to a course, you can seek to meet the prerequisite by:

• Taking a placement test to validate that your English or Math level meets or exceeds the requirement
• Enroll in and successfully complete the prerequisite English or Math class before enrolling in the course
• Successfully challenging the prerequisite (please contact the department for details)

If an English or Math course is recommended, it is considered an advisory, not a requirement. Advisories give an accurate indication of the skill level needed to do well in the program. Take these advisories seriously!

Certificate Requirements and Previous Coursework or Experience:

If you believe that you have already fulfilled a certificate requirement or course prerequisite through previous coursework or prior experience, please contact the program coordinator or a counselor for assistance.

The Certificate of Achievement and the Major (degree program):

Degree programs are often available for many occupational fields that also have a Certificate of Achievement program. Students in occupational programs are strongly encouraged to obtain an Associate Degree. This can be done by selecting a major related to the certificate program, or by pursuing a more general major, such as Humanities, Natural Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, or University Transfer. To be awarded an Associate Degree, a student must complete the requirements of the major, as well as other degree requirements.

A student who has completed a certificate program may be awarded the Associate Degree in a later semester providing all major and degree requirements are met.

The Certificate of Achievement and Selection Processes:

Some programs - particularly in the Health Sciences or Public Safety fields - may have a selection process for entering students. Please contact the department or a counselor for information about the selection process for any such program.

Coursework Requirements and the Certificate:

No course may be used more than once to fulfill a requirement in the certificate. Generally stated, a requirement in a certificate is:

1. a designated course (e.g., NRM 15)
2. a defined combination of courses (e.g., NRM 2.1 and NRM 2.2)
3. a set number of units that can be fulfilled from a list of courses (e.g., "3 units in any combination from the following: NRM 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 22, 56")

Term Effective and the Certificate:

The requirements for a certificate are effective beginning the semester shown for each certificate. Students who began working on the approved certificate before the effective semester may not be affected by the changes because they have catalog rights. Students should consult with the program contact person, department chair, or a counselor to determine their eligibility to complete the certificate under previous requirements.

Catalog Rights:

Requirements for a certificate are determined according to the catalog in effect at the time of initial enrollment. In order to maintain catalog rights, a student must be in continuous enrollment; that is, enrollment in at least one credit course during each successive academic year.

For the purpose of catalog rights, the academic year begins each fall and ends with the subsequent summer session. When a break in enrollment occurs, certificate requirements are determined according to the catalog in effect when continuous enrollment is resumed.