Certificate vs. Certification: What Is the Difference?
Although the terms “certificate” and “certification” are almost identical, knowing how they differ is important. When comparing a certificate vs. certification, some people mistakenly use the two terms interchangeably or believe that the two credentials are equal in the eyes of employers within their industries.
Knowing what a certificate is compared with professional certifications is critical for individuals who aspire to advance their careers or want to further develop their skill set and knowledge. Each has a direct impact on employees’ values, the job duties they’re allowed to perform, and even their salary.
Additionally, understanding the key benefits of certificate programs spotlights the value of microcredentials for learners and career-driven professionals.
What Is a Certificate?
When comparing a certificate vs. certification, having a clear definition of each is important. A certificate is what educators and upskilling organizations grant to their learners for completing a program of study. The program usually focuses on one academic area or on developing a particular skill set.
Certificate programs are typically referred to as “ongoing professional development” or “continuing education.” Since the goal of these programs is to teach or improve a skill, the term “upskilling” was recently coined to describe the learning process.
Universities, colleges, and professional development organizations offer certificates. They demonstrate that the certificate holder has received formal instruction in a particular study area. Certificates are typically intended for those who need to learn a critical skill for their current career and for those who aspire to switch careers and need to gain a new skill.
Examples of Certificate Programs
Certificate programs exist in virtually every industry. Universities may offer certificate in specific areas of study at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Organizations may offer certificates that hone in on particular technical or hard skills, such as programming languages or certain web applications.
Suffolk University’s Center for Continuing & Professional Education (CCPE) offers certificate programs for learners who want to advance their careers and stay at the forefront of their respective industries.
Becoming a Culture Change Agent: Harnessing the Power of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Suffolk’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) certificate teaches learners about the principles of DEI and how they can be used in professional contexts. Learners can explore concepts related to DEI, such as privilege, unconscious bias, power, and more. The certificate can also help learners understand their own unconscious bias and create personal DEI action plans to become culture change agents in their personal and professional lives.
The DEI certificate has five modules:
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)—Understanding the Fundamentals
- The Intersection Of Emotional Intelligence And DEI
- Organizational Culture and Supporting Others
- Communicating About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- DEI Action Plans
Design Thinking: Applying Discovery and Innovation in Practice
Suffolk’s design thinking certificate explores the principles of design thinking and how businesses can leverage them for success. It covers both conceptual and practical concepts and incorporates experiential learning opportunities so learners can design solutions to real-world problems. It also explores some of the tools and methodologies professionals use when applying a design thinking framework.
The design thinking certificate has five modules:
- What Is Design Thinking?
- Observe, Understand, and Create Empathy
- Reframe Concept Statement and Ideate
- Prototyping and Testing
- Social Good & Final Presentations
Ethical Principles, Critical Thinking, and Writing for Today’s Business
The business writing & ethics certificate program offered by Suffolk’s CCPE helps learners understand how to center ethics in their business decisions and communication. Through expert instruction, learners will gain the necessary skills to think critically and find ethical business solutions that aren’t covered in an organizational code of ethics. They will also learn how to effectively apply these skills to written business communication.
The business ethics & writing certificate has five modules:
- Thinking Through Right and Wrong
- Finding the Good
- Doing Your Duty
- The Virtuous Business
- Ethical Analysis
Marketing Strategy: A Customer-Centric View
Suffolk’s marketing strategy certificate shows learners how to effectively apply strategic thinking to marketing campaigns. It explores the essential components of customer-centric marketing strategies and how to apply them to existing companies or products. The certificate will also explain the difference between strategies and plans, as well as how to identify target audiences for different situations.
The marketing strategy certificate has five modules:
- What Is Marketing Strategy?
- Audience Identification and Why It Matters
- Developing the Marketing Strategies
- Measuring Success
- When Marketing Strategy Is Beyond the 4 Ps
Legal Innovation & Technology
The legal innovation & technology (LIT) certificate offered by Suffolk’s CCPE helps legal professionals stay at the forefront of the evolving legal world. Through instruction on legal technology and process improvement, learners can gain the skills and knowledge to make their law firms more client-focused and effective on various levels.
The LIT certificate has six modules:
- Process Improvement & Legal Project Management
- Design Thinking for Legal Professionals
- Legal Operations
- 21st Century Legal Services
- The Business of Delivering Legal Services
- Legal Technology Toolkit
What Are Professional Certifications?
A certificate is what a person receives for completing a program of study. Certification, on the other hand, is a credential, or a proof of qualification, that a person earns by taking an exam that certifies skills and knowledge in a particular field or area of study.
The value of earning a certificate vs. certification may depend on which role or career the learner is pursuing. Some careers may prefer job candidates to have professional certifications rather than certificates. The reason is that certification serves as proof that the candidate has been professionally assessed and has the required level of training and education to pass the assessment.
Typically, earning a professional certification is the next logical step after completing a certificate program or a degree program at a college or university. Some job roles require people to get board certified to confirm that they possess the skills and knowledge to begin working. Family nurse practitioners, for example, must pass a 150-question exam through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board. They must then recertify within five years by keeping an active license, earning continuing education credits, and accumulating clinical hours with on-the-job experience.
Since a professional certification is a confirmation of skills and knowledge, the incremental recertification requirement is common. Recertification confirms that the candidate still possesses the skills and knowledge required to work in a field, is getting the appropriate amount of on-the-job experience, and is engaging in continuing education.
Examples of Professional Certifications
Professional certifications exist in virtually every industry and serve to confirm education, a skill or skill set, or expertise in a specific area. Below are common examples of professional certifications.
Certified Public Accountant
To become a certified public accountant, candidates must demonstrate to their state board of accountancy that they meet the educational standards and possess the competencies. Candidates do this by passing the CPA exam, which is a 16-hour assessment with four sections:
- Business Environment and Concepts
- Auditing and Attestation
- Regulation
- Financial Accounting and Reporting
State eligibility requirements to sit for the CPA exam aren’t universal because each state’s board of accountancy sets them. Keeping that in mind, the two requirements that are most consistent are having a certain number of semester hours in the accounting concentration and having a degree in an accounting-related field.
The CPA credential is an example of a professional certification that requires a formal education from an accredited university to sit for the exam. Taking a certificate program would bring the candidate no closer to meeting the eligibility requirements to sit for the exam.
Salesforce
Salesforce is one of the most widely used customer relationship management platforms in the United States. Companies and corporations of all sizes use it in a wide variety of industries, from sales and marketing to advertising. It is offered in the following three service types:
- Software as a service
- Platform as a service
- Infrastructure as a service
Salesforce also offers various cloud-based services that enable users to run marketing campaigns, manage sales teams, conduct analytical research, and much more. Salesforce is a comprehensive customer relationship management application with massive capabilities, so the average user only needs to learn the part of the platform that applies to a specific job role.
This is where Salesforce’s professional certifications come into play. With more than 40 available, Salesforce certifications confirm that the candidate meets the educational and skill requirements of a particular role. Candidates can get certified in six Salesforce roles:
- Salesforce Administrator
- Salesforce Architect
- Salesforce Developer
- Salesforce Marketer
- Salesforce Consultant
- Salesforce Designer
Each Salesforce role is then divided into different levels of credentials that establish a certain level of knowledge or a specific area of expertise within the Salesforce role. For example, the Salesforce Administrator role has six different credentials, which include the following:
- Administrator
- Advanced Administrator
- Business Analyst
- CPQ Specialist
- Marketing Cloud Administrator
- Platform App Builder
For companies that use Salesforce and are searching for candidates with specific knowledge and a specific skill set, Salesforce certifications quickly illustrate whether they have the right experience and background to be effective in the role.
Unlike the CPA credential, a Salesforce professional certification is an example of a credential that doesn’t require that people who sit for the exam have a traditional college degree. In fact, most candidates either take a Salesforce certificate program or some form of specialized training before they sit for any of the certification exams.
Nurse Practitioner
The nurse practitioner (NP) role offers professional certifications in several different concentrations and specialties. According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board, the following certification areas are offered:
- Family nurse practitioner
- Adult-gerontology primary care nurse practitioner
- Emergency nurse practitioner
Other NP concentrations are offered through different certification boards. The American Nurses Credentialing Center Certification Program and the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Certification Corporation are two other agencies that offer professional certifications.
All NP certification boards have the same core requirements, including earning a degree from an accredited university and amassing a certain number of clinical hours.
Certificate vs. Certification: Key Similarities and Differences
There are several key similarities and differences between a certificate vs. certification. Understanding these similarities and differences is key for prospective learners.
Certificate vs. Certification: Key Similarities
The key similarities between certificates and certifications are as follows:
- They’re both credentials in their own right.
- They both help with career development.
- Neither is the same as a degree.
- They’re both available in a wide range of areas of focus.
Certificate vs. Certification: Key Differences
The list of key differences between a certificate vs. certification is much longer than their list of similarities. The most notable differences include the following:
- A certificate is evidence of taking an educational program; certification is evidence of passing an assessment and proving a certain level of knowledge and skills.
- Nationally recognized organizations, such as the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board or the state board of accountancy, issue professional certifications.
- Certificate programs generally cost more than the exam fee for professional certifications because the learner is paying for an educational program that lasts weeks or several months. However, there are additional costs to preparing for the certification exam.
- Professional certifications require incremental recertification to keep the credential valid whereas certificate programs don’t.
- Professional certifications are a requirement for certain high-level job roles (for example, FNP, CPA) whereas certificate programs usually serve as a precursor to a degree program, entry-level work, upskilling, or reskilling.
- The organizations that issue professional certifications own them and can take them away; certificates can’t be taken away once earned. However, certification requirements may change with time.
Key Benefits of Certificate Programs
In the age of information, there are more ways than ever to learn. For educators, this means offering a variety of the most in-demand educational programs that afford learners convenience and flexibility while still delivering an engaging classroom experience. For busy learners, educational programs must fit within their schedules and instill a skill set and knowledge that they can use to elevate their current careers or pivot to a new one. This is exactly where certificate programs come into play.
For a specific type of learner who can’t commit to a traditional degree program, certificate programs are proving to be beneficial in the following ways:
- Certificate programs are far less of a time commitment than the traditional four-year college degree program. For example, the certificate programs offered through Suffolk University can be completed in as little as ten weeks, which is ideal for those who want to upskill on a tight timeline.
- Certificate programs are far less expensive than the traditional four-year college degree program. According to data from College Board, the annual tuition for in-state students attending public colleges in 2021-2022 was $10,740. Out-of-state students paid $27,560 per year. By comparison, certificate programs through Suffolk start for as little as $1,499.
- Some learners don’t need to commit to an educational path as comprehensive as a degree. In some cases, they only need to learn one specific area of skills and knowledge; this is exactly what certificate programs focus on. Certificates enable learners to concentrate on only what’s essential to their upskilling goals while removing unnecessary coursework that doesn’t benefit them.
- Certificate programs are the gateway to certification. Although a certificate is a credential in its own right, educators are aware that learners are likely preparing for the next step in their learning path. Certificates are a timely and efficient method of preparing learners to sit for certification exams.
Fast-Track Your Learning Path With a Certificate Program
When comparing a certificate vs. certification, remember that each can support career advancement. Additionally, certificate programs are usually a precursor to certifications. Learners who are upskilling in one area will be able to do so on a tighter timeline that requires less financial investment by choosing a certificate. Once completed, the educational foundation laid in the certificate can lead to professional certification.
Suffolk’s CCPE offers certificate programs in a variety of subjects that enable learners to advance their careers on their own timelines in a way that’s affordable, engaging, and effective. Each certificate focuses on in-demand skills and aptitudes that can enable learners to elevate to their current careers or pivot to new ones. Learn more about how you can fast-track your educational path with Suffolk.
Recommended Readings:
Elements of a Good Online Course
The Impact of Lifelong Learning on Your Health
Education as an Investment
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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Professional Certification vs. Certificate Program
ANSI National Accreditation Board, Certification vs. Certificate
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