Special Programs and Continuing Education
Certificates and Continuing Education Units
University departments and partner programs may offer non-credit learning opportunities for educators, professionals, and community participants. Depending on the purpose of the training, there are two options for documenting participation: a Certificate of Attendance or Completion, or approved Continuing Education Units.
Use this page to determine which option best fits your program before completing the appropriate packet. The main difference is whether participants need simple documentation of attendance or completion, or whether the program is requesting official University approval to award CEUs.
Certificate of Attendance or Completion
This option is appropriate when a department or program wants to document that a participant attended or completed a training, workshop, seminar, conference, or professional learning experience.
- May list the training title, date, sponsoring department, and instructional/contact hours.
- Does not award CEUs, academic credit, university credit, or approved professional development credit.
- Requires careful certificate language so the document does not imply CEU approval.
Best for: Short trainings, workshops, seminars, conferences, and programs where participants only need documentation of attendance or completion.
View certificate-only information and packet
Continuing Education Units
This option is appropriate when a program is requesting official University approval to award CEUs. CEU approval requires additional planning, review, and documentation.
- Requires clear learning outcomes, instructional hours, qualified instruction, and completion requirements.
- Requires documentation of participant completion, assessment, or verification of learning.
- Must be approved before the program is advertised or issued as CEU-bearing.
Best for: Structured professional development or continuing education programs where participants need formal CEU documentation for career, employer, or professional records.
View CEU approval information and packet
How do I choose?
Choose certificate-only when...
Participants need proof that they attended or completed a learning experience, but the program is not seeking official CEU approval.
Choose CEU approval when...
The program intends to award official University CEUs and participants need formal continuing education documentation.
Important note about terminology
Programs should not use the terms “CEU,” “continuing education credit,” “approved professional development credit,” “university CEU credit,” or similar language unless the program has been approved through the University’s CEU process.
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