General FAQs

Students taking certificate programs are not entitled to financial aid. Only degree-seeking students are eligible for financial aid.

Scholarships are available to CUNY SPS students and students can apply through the Office of Scholarships.

The Office of Career Services offers career advisement for this certificate.

You will be required to submit a personal statement that provides information about your previous academic experience, why you would like to take this program, and anything that will enable Admissions to get a full picture of your academic ability.

Acceptance decisions are usually made within 2 to 3 weeks after a completed application is submitted.

There is no deadline for completion, but if a student does not attend for more than two consecutive semesters, he/she may be asked to complete a re-admission process before continuing.

A returning student has to pay the fee for each application they submit, unless they submit their application before the “priority deadline”.

Please visit the Office of the Bursar for graduate student tuition rates.

You will not need to submit letters of recommendation or a resume with your application.

No, you do not need to submit your transcripts as CUNY will be able to access them.

You will not need to re-take any course which you have successfully completed.

There is no official deadline to accept the offer to enroll.

You do not have to do anything until you hear back from the admissions department.

Students need a bachelor’s degree to apply for the program. If your GPA is less than 3.0, we will request a personal statement.

Students need to complete an application to graduate in order to generate their final transcript to receive their certificate.

CUNY alumni do not receive a tuition discount. Currently employed CUNY faculty and staff can get a tuition discount depending on their job title. Interested faculty or staff should reach out to their school’s HR office for more information.

Visa status does not affect the application process, nor will it stop one’s application from being reviewed. Please visit the Office of Admissions for more information on applying with an F1 visa.

We prefer electronic transcripts sent directly from the college and/or university to admissions@sps.cuny.edu.

The evaluation agency must send CUNY SPS a copy of the course-by-course evaluation report directly to admissions@sps.cuny.edu.

Online courses are asynchronous, which allows students to read course materials, participate in class discussions and complete assignments at their own pace each week.

You will be assigned an advisor as soon as you accept the offer to enroll in the program.