completion of course work

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H. completion of course work, submission of course work to instructors.

Students in Yale College are expected to take personal responsibility for the timely delivery to their instructors of all course work, including examinations, in the manner and format prescribed by the instructors. Students who submit course work in a manner other than in person and directly to an appropriate individual should confirm as soon as possible after the submission that the work has been received. Students who submit work electronically should also confirm, before the work is due, that they are sending correct and readable files, and they should take appropriate measures (e.g., by copying themselves on any emailed submissions; taking computer screenshots; checking their submission status if using Canvas or Gradescope) to confirm that they submitted their work to the instructor on time.

Late or Postponed Work

There are three kinds of late or postponed work: (1) work late during term time; (2) work incomplete at the end of term (i.e., the last day of Reading Period); and (3) postponed final examinations.  When students know in advance that they must miss or postpone work for a legitimate reason, as described in “Work Missed During the Term” and in “Postponement of Final Examinations” below, they should inform the instructor and the residential college dean as soon as possible.

Work Missed During the Term

A student's residential college dean may give confidential permission for a student to make up work missed or delayed because of an incapacitating physical or mental health  condition, the death of a family member, or a comparable emergency. The residential college dean also has authority to give permission to make up work missed in person because of the observance of religious holy days and because of participation in intercollegiate varsity athletic competition. This permission is conveyed by means of a special form which, upon approval by the college dean, is sent to the student's instructor. Students participating in events of intramural or club sports, as differentiated from varsity events sponsored by the Department of Athletics, are not eligible for a postponement of work by the dean on account of those events.

In all other cases of work missed during the term, permission to make up course work can only be secured directly from the instructor of the course. Instructors  have full discretion and authority to grant or deny requests for extensions for work due during the term for any reason.  This permission may not, however, extend beyond the last day of Reading Period, except for term papers and term projects. See “Work Incomplete at the End of Term” below.

Work Incomplete at the End of Term

Only the residential college dean has authority to give confidential permission to a student to submit work, other than term papers or term projects, in a course after the last day of Reading Period. The college dean may give such permission because of  an incapacitating physical or mental health condition, the death of a family member, or a comparable emergency . In such cases, the college dean may authorize a mark of Temporary Incomplete for a period not to exceed one month from the beginning of the final examination period. Note that the mark of Temporary Incomplete refers to unfinished course work  that was originally due in the closing weeks  of the term, and not to assignments (such as lab reports, problem sets, reading responses, etc.) originally due prior to the closing weeks of the term. Note also that the mark of Temporary Incomplete does not refer to a final examination missed for any reason; see “Postponement of Final Examinations” below.

The residential college dean, in authorizing a mark of Temporary Incomplete, will stipulate the date on which the student’s late work will be due and the date on which the instructor is expected to submit a course grade to the registrar. The college dean may not set this second date later than one month after the beginning of the final examination period. If the student’s work has not been completed in time for the instructor to report a grade to the registrar by the deadline stipulated, then the instructor will submit a grade for the student that reflects the absence of the missing work, or the registrar will convert the mark of Temporary Incomplete to a grade of F. See section B, Grades , “General Regulations Concerning Grades and Transcripts,” and section F, Withdrawal from Courses .

Permission for a mark of Temporary Incomplete to last beyond one month from the beginning of the final examination period can be granted only by the Yale College Committee on Honors and Academic Standing. Such an extension may be given only for a brief period of time, usually one to two weeks, and only in response to extraordinary circumstances, usually of a medical nature. A petition for such permission must be submitted at the earliest possible date. In considering such requests, the Committee on Honors and Academic Standing takes into account the original deadline for submission of the work and the date on which a petition is delivered to the committee.

Use of Computers and Postponement of Work

Technological problems, such as computer failures or corrupt files, normally do not qualify for extensions or other accommodations. Students should exercise reasonable prudence to safeguard materials, including backing up data in multiple locations and at frequent intervals and making duplicate copies of work files. Any computer work should be completed well in advance of the deadline in order to avoid last-minute technological problems. A student who experiences a computer-related problem while completing an assignment should immediately contact the course instructor for guidance.

Postponement of Final Examinations

Only the residential college dean may authorize postponement of a final examination. The residential college dean may give such confidential permission  because of an incapacitating physical or mental health condition, the death of a family member, or a comparable emergency. The residential college dean also has authority to give such permission because of the observance of religious holy days and because of participation in intercollegiate varsity athletic competition.  Finally, the college dean may authorize postponement of a final examination if a student has three examinations scheduled during the first two full days of the final examination period, or three examinations scheduled consecutively in the final examination schedules.* The postponement of a final examination for any other reason requires the permission of the Committee on Honors and Academic Standing. A student’s end-of-term travel plans are not a basis for the postponement of a final examination. See Final Examination Schedules and section G, Reading Period and Final Examination Period , paragraph 4.

It is normally the expectation that when a student begins a final examination but does not complete it, the student will receive credit only for the work completed on the examination. If, however, a student becomes unable to complete an examination because of a sudden and serious illness or other emergency during the examination, the student may request authorization from the residential college dean to take a makeup final examination. In such a case, the student must explain their departure to the instructor, or to some other person proctoring the examination, before leaving the room, and must contact  the residential college dean and  Yale Health as appropriate as soon as possible thereafter.

Instructors generally administer makeup final exams. Makeup examinations for the fall term should be scheduled by the end of the second week of classes in the spring term. Makeup examinations for underclass students who miss final examinations in the spring term should be scheduled by the end of the second week of classes in the following fall term.  Students who will not be enrolled at these times—whether because they are on leave of absence or on a Year or Term Abroad, or because they have withdrawn from Yale—must contact their residential dean's office in advance of the second week of classes about alternative arrangements. The registrar automatically records a grade of F in a course for a student who fails to take an officially scheduled makeup examination in that course at the appointed time, unless the student is able to earn a passing grade without taking the final examination. 

Permission to postpone a final examination does not authorize a student to submit other work late in that course. See “Work Incomplete at the End of Term,” above.

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4.2 Planning Your Degree Path

Questions to Consider:

• What types of college degrees or certifications can I pursue?
• What is the difference between majors and minors?
• How do preprofessional programs differ from other majors?
• Do some majors have special requirements beyond regular coursework?

To set goals for your academic and career path, you must first have an understanding of the options available for you to pursue and the requirements you will need to meet. The next section provides an overview of academic programs and college degrees that are common among many colleges and universities in the United States. Please note that each institution will have its own specific options and requirements, so the intention of this section is both to help you understand your opportunities and to familiarize you with language that colleges typically use to describe these opportunities. After reviewing this section, you should be better able to formulate specific questions to ask at your school or be better prepared to navigate and search your own college’s website.

Types of Degrees

Whereas in most states high school attendance through the 12th grade is mandatory, or compulsory , a college degree may be pursued voluntarily. There are fields that do not require a degree. Bookkeeping, computer repair, massage therapy, and childcare are all fields where certification programs—tracks to study a specific subject or career without need of a complete degree—may be enough.

However, many individuals will find that an associate’s or bachelor’s degree is a requirement to enter their desired career field. According to United States Census data published in 2017, more than one-third of the adult population in the country has completed at least a bachelor’s degree, so this may be the degree that is most familiar to you.

Not every job requires a bachelor’s degree, and some require even higher degrees or additional specialized certifications. As you develop your academic plan, it is important to research your field of interest to see what requirements might be necessary or most desirable.

To distinguish between the types of degrees , it is useful to understand that courses are often assigned a number of credits, sometimes called semester hours as well. Credits relate to the calculated hours during a course that a student spends interacting with the instructor and/or the course material through class time, laboratory time, online discussions, homework, etc. Courses at all degree levels are typically assigned a value of one to six credits, although students often need to complete a developmental education course or two, often in English or math. These requirements, which cost as much as typical college courses but do not grant college credit, are meant to provide some basic information students may have missed in high school but that will be necessary to keep up in college-level coursework.

The minimum or maximum number of credits required to graduate with different degrees varies by state or institution, but approximate minimum numbers of credits are explained below. Keep in mind that although a minimum number of credits must be completed to get a certain degree, total credits completed is not the only consideration for graduation—you must take your credits or courses in particular subjects indicated by your college.

To determine your best degree option, it might make sense to do some research to determine what kind of career you’re most interested in pursuing. Visit your campus career center to meet with a counselor to guide you through this process. These services are free to students—similar services can be pricey once you’ve graduated, so take advantage. There are other tools online you can investigate.

Get Connected

These free, online self-assessments help you narrow down your choices.

• MyPlan identifies your motivations by having you rank different aspects of work, then creating a ranked list of different possible jobs.
• MAPP Test helps you determine what you love to do and what you don’t love to do and then creates a list of jobs that might be a good fit for you.
• The Career Cluster Interest Survey is a quick tool to let you create career clusters based on personal qualities and school subjects and activities you especially enjoy.

Associate’s Degrees

To enter an associate’s degree program, students must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Associate’s degree programs may be intended to help students enter a technical career field, such as automotive technology, graphic design, or entry-level nursing in some states. Such technical programs may be considered an Associate of Applied Arts (AAA) or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees, though there are other titles as well.

Other associate’s degree programs are intended to prepare a student with the necessary coursework to transfer into a bachelor’s degree program upon graduation. These transfer-focused programs usually require similar general education and foundational courses that a student would need in the first half of a bachelor’s degree program. Transfer-focused associate’s degrees may be called Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS), or other titles, depending on the focus of study.

An associate’s degree is typically awarded when a student has completed a minimum of 60 credits, approximately 20 courses, meeting the requirements of a specific degree. Some technical associate’s degrees, such as nursing, may require additional credits in order to meet requirements for special certifications. You may find that your college or university does not offer associate’s degrees. Most associate’s degrees are offered by community or junior colleges, or by career and technical colleges.

What to Ask

If you’re planning your associate’s degree, here are some specific questions you may want to research.

If you intend to enter a technical career that requires special certification:

• Does your college prepare you to take a certification exam, or will you be meeting those requirements through your courses?
• Does your college have any special internship or employment placement arrangements with employers to help you gain experience or get started in the field?

If you intend to transfer upon graduation:

• Is your college regionally accredited?
• Does your college have any special transfer agreements for guaranteed transfer of credits or perhaps for discounted tuition?
• Does your state have special transfer agreements or requirements that make it easier to transfer to colleges or universities within the same state?

Bachelor’s Degrees

When someone generally mentions “a college degree,” they are often referring to the bachelor’s degree , or baccalaureate degree. Because it takes four years of full-time attendance to complete a bachelor’s degree, this degree is also referred to as a “ four-year degree .” Similar to an associate’s degree, to enter a bachelor’s degree program a student must have completed a high school diploma or its equivalent. Both associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees are considered undergraduate degrees , thus students working toward these degrees are often called undergraduates . A student with an associate’s degree may transfer that degree to meet some (usually half) of the requirements of a bachelor’s degree; however, completion of an associate’s degree is not necessary for entry into a bachelor’s degree program.

A bachelor’s degree is usually completed with a minimum of 120 credits, or approximately 40 courses. Some specialized degree programs may require more credits. (If an associate’s degree has been transferred, the number of credits from that degree usually counts toward the 120 credits. For example, if an associate’s degree was 60 credits, then a student must take 60 additional credits to achieve their bachelor’s degree.)

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) are the most popular degree titles at this level and differ primarily in their focus on exploring a broader range of subject areas, as with a BA, versus focusing in more depth on a particular subject, as with a BS, BSN, or BFA. Regardless of whether a student is pursuing a BA, BS, BSN, or BFA, each of these programs requires a balance of credits or courses in different subject areas. In the United States, a bachelor’s degree comprises courses from three categories: general education courses, major courses, and electives . A fourth category of courses would be those required for a minor, which we will discuss in more detail in the section on majors and minors.

General Education

General education , also called core curriculum , is a group of courses that are often set as requirements by your state or by your individual college. These courses provide you with a foundation of knowledge across a breadth of fields and are also intended to help you further develop college-level critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities. You may be able to select courses from a general education menu of courses available at your institution. More than half of your bachelor’s degree program is likely made up of general education courses.

Major Courses

Major courses are courses in your field of interest and provide you with the foundational knowledge required for further study in that field or with the skills necessary to enter your career. Some schools may refer to these as career studies courses. Major courses often have a series of prerequisites , or courses that must be taken in sequence prior to other courses, starting with an introductory course and progressing into more depth. Major courses usually make up about a fourth or more of a bachelor’s degree (30 credits, or approximately 10 courses). A BS or BFA degree may require more major courses than a BA degree. Colleges and universities usually require students to select a major by the time they’ve completed 30 total credits.

Electives are free-choice courses. Though you may have a choice to select from a menu of options to meet general education and major requirements, electives are even less restricted. Some students may be able to take more electives than others due to their choice of major or if they are able to take courses that meet more than one requirement (for example, a sociology course may be both a major requirement and a general education social science course). Some colleges intentionally allow room for electives in a program to ensure that students, particularly those students who are undecided about their major, are able to explore different programs without exceeding the total number of credits required to graduate with a bachelor’s degree. In other cases, students may have taken all of their major courses and fulfilled their general education requirements but still need additional credits to fulfill the minimum to graduate. The additional courses taken to meet the total credit requirement (if necessary) are considered electives.

Graduate Degrees

According to United States Census data published in 2018, 13.1 percent of the U.S. adult population have completed advanced degrees. 3 Whereas associate’s and bachelor’s degrees are considered undergraduate degrees and require high school graduation for entry, advanced degrees called graduate degrees require prior completion of a bachelor’s degree. Some professions require graduate degrees as a minimum job qualification, such as pharmacists, lawyers, physical therapists, psychologists, and college professors. In other cases, students may be motivated to pursue a graduate degree to obtain a higher-level job or higher salary, or to be more competitive in their field. Some students are also interested in learning about some subject in greater depth than they did at the undergraduate level. Because graduate degrees do not include general education or free elective courses, they are very focused on career-specific knowledge and skills. Graduate degrees include master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees. Master’s degrees often require 30–60 credits and take one to two years of full-time attendance to complete. Some master’s degrees , like those for counselors, require supervised job experience as a component of the degree and therefore require more credits.

Doctorate and professional degrees are the highest level of advanced degrees. Approximately 3.5% of the U.S. adult population has completed a doctorate or professional degree. Very few careers require this level of education for entry, so fewer individuals pursue these degrees. Doctorates are offered in many subjects and primarily prepare students to become researchers in their field of study. This in-depth level of education often requires an additional 90–120 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree, and may or may not require a master’s degree prior to entry. (A master’s degree as an entry requirement may reduce the number of credits required to complete the doctoral degree.)

Professional degrees are a specific type of doctorate-level degree that focus on skills to be applied in a practical , or hands-on, career rather than as a researcher. The most common professional degrees are Doctor of Medicine (MD) for aspiring medical doctors, Juris Doctor (JD) for aspiring lawyers, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) for aspiring pharmacists, and Doctor of Education (EdD) for aspiring school and college or university administrators. If the career you are pursuing requires a graduate degree, you should keep this end goal in mind as you plan for the timeline and finances required to meet your goals. You may also want to inquire about special agreements that your college or university may have to expedite admission into or completion of graduate degrees. For example, some universities offer 4+1 master’s programs , wherein students take both bachelor’s and master’s level courses during their last year as an undergraduate to accelerate the completion of both degrees.

Other Post-Baccalaureate Credentials

Post-baccalaureate refers to structured learning experiences pursued after a bachelor’s degree is achieved. While some such activities are structured into graduate degrees as described in the sections above, other fields value continuing education credits, competency badges, and additional certifications. These post-baccalaureate credentials may need to be completed prior to entering a career field, may be obtained as an option to gain competitive advantage for hiring, or may be achieved during the course of an individual’s career to stay current, maintain qualification, or be promoted. To determine if your field requires post-baccalaureate credentials , you may want to speak with an established professional in that career, review the qualifications section of related job descriptions, or visit with a career counselor on your campus. In a world that changes as rapidly as ours, engaging in lifelong learning is advisable regardless of the specific requirements of any particular career choice.

Draft an Education Timeline

Use the Bureau of Labor Statistics online Occupational Outlook Handbook to search for occupations that interest you, and note the level of education that these jobs require. Refer to your college’s academic catalog (frequently located on the college’s website) or curriculum maps to see the suggested sequence of courses for majors that relate to your career or careers of interest.

Select three interesting jobs and sketch a timeline for each, starting with your first semester of undergraduate study (whether you’re getting an associate’s or a bachelor’s) and ending with the point when you will meet the minimum requirements to be qualified for that job. Keep in mind that the timeline of students attending full-time may differ from those who are attending part-time.

Majors and Minors

One of the most common questions an undergraduate college student will be asked is “What’s your major?” As we already noted, your major is only one part of your undergraduate (associate’s or bachelor’s) degree, but it is the part that most demonstrates your interests and possible future goals. At some point during your studies you will be asked to decide on, or declare , a major. You may also be able to select a minor or additional concentration. Whereas a major comprises approximately 10–12 courses of a bachelor’s degree program and is required, a minor is usually 5–8 courses, is often optional, and may count toward or contribute to exceeding the total number of credits required for graduation. Rather than take elective courses, some students will select courses that meet the requirements for a minor. When selecting a major and possibly a minor, you’ll want to consider how the knowledge and skills you gain through those fields of study prepare you for a particular career. Majors and minors can be complementary. For example, a major in business might be well-matched with a minor in a foreign language, thus allowing the student to pursue a career in business with a company that hires bilingual employees. It is important to research careers of interest to you when selecting your major and/or minor to determine what will best help you to meet your goals.

Preprofessional Programs

Some undergraduate degrees are specifically designed to prepare students to later pursue professional degrees (such as the MD or PharmD) at the graduate level. Such programs are called preprofessional programs , preprofessional majors, or preprofessional tracks. The most common preprofessional programs are premed, prelaw, and prepharmacy, but you may see other offerings. Although some preprofessional programs are structured as majors that you can declare, many preprofessional programs are a sequence of recommended courses and activities that a student can follow alongside a related major. While following a preprofessional program may not guarantee your admittance to a professional program, it does increase the likelihood of acceptance to and preparation for a graduate professional program.

Consider Loretta’s story as an example of how a student might be on a preprofessional track. Loretta has decided that she would like to become a medical doctor. She has declared biology as her major and is taking the courses required to graduate with a bachelor of science degree in biology. Her university does not have a premed major, but it does have a premed track. She informs her academic advisor of her career goals, and her advisor provides her information about the premed track. The premed track includes a list of courses that students should take to prepare for the medical school entrance exams, called MCATs. Some of these courses are biology courses that overlap with Loretta’s biology major, while others are higher-level chemistry courses that are not required for her major. She can take these chemistry courses, and any other premed-track courses, as her elective courses. The premed track at Loretta’s university includes opportunities to attend MCAT study workshops and premed student club meetings. It also provides recommendations for summer volunteering and internships that will strengthen Loretta’s resume and application to medical school following the completion of her bachelor’s degree.

Special Requirements of Majors

While preprofessional programs prepare students for entrance into graduate professional degree programs, some undergraduate majors involve special requirements beyond the usual courses and classroom experience to prepare students for entrance to their career. Such requirements provide students practical experience or prerequisites for licensure necessary for a particular job. When requirements are major-specific, it is often because the requirement is state-mandated for that job. Majors that often include state-mandated special requirements are education, social work, and nursing. Some colleges and universities may require all students to participate in additional experiences beyond their regular coursework. You will want to ask your college about details specific to your major or institution. In this section we will generally discuss four such special requirements and experiences: fieldwork and internships, clinicals, student teaching, and service learning.

Fieldwork and Internships

Fieldwork and internships may also be referred to as practicums and field experience. These requirements provide hands-on work experience in a career, or field . When fieldwork or internships are required for your major, such as with a social work major, it is often listed as a course requirement among your major requirements. In other words, you usually receive credits for your fieldwork as you would for a lab or lecture course. Your fieldwork instructor will likely ask you to reflect on and report on your experiences. They will likely confer with a supervisor at your fieldwork site , the place where you are working, to help assess your hands-on learning. Fieldwork and internships provide students with opportunities to practice the skills they’ve learned in the classroom while also introducing them to the values and culture of the organizations and communities in which they hope to be employed. It is important to note that fieldwork and internship experiences are often available to students even if they are not required for their major. You may want to inquire with your academic advisors, faculty, or career services office to determine what opportunities might be available for you to gain this type of experience in your field of interest.

Clinicals are a type of fieldwork specifically required of nursing students. Clinicals may take place in hospitals, nursing homes, or mental health facilities. They provide nursing students who are nearing the end of their degree programs with the opportunity to practice nursing skills that cannot be learned in a regular classroom. During clinicals, students will interact with real patients to conduct physical examinations, draw blood, administer medicine, and provide other care as necessary. Because of the risk to patients, students participating in clinicals are more closely supervised by experienced professionals than those in other types of fieldwork experiences. Thus, clinicals function very much like a real-world classroom and progress to more independent work through the semester. Before undertaking clinicals, nursing students will need to complete certain coursework and pass a physical examination and background check. Because clinicals are often much longer than a class meeting, students will need to work with staff from the program to plan their schedule. It may not be feasible to work at another job while completing clinicals, so if you must work while you’re in college, it’s important to discuss this with nursing staff or academic advisors and to plan ahead.

Student Teaching

Student teaching is a specific type of fieldwork undertaken by students who plan to teach at the preschool, elementary, or middle and high school levels. Education students are often required to complete a student teaching experience in order to obtain a teaching license in their state. Students must often complete core education coursework prior to student teaching and must complete a background check prior to placement in a school setting. During their student teaching experience, students are usually paired one-on-one with an experienced teacher and have the opportunity to observe that teacher, get to know the students, understand the classroom culture, and participate in lessons as a teaching assistant as needed or appropriate. Much like nursing clinicals, this highly supervised fieldwork experience usually progresses to more independent work when the student teacher is asked to deliver and reflect on a lesson plan of their own design. Keep in mind as you plan for student teaching that unlike other fieldwork experiences, student teaching is limited to fall or spring semesters and cannot be completed in the summer because most schools are closed during the summer terms. Also, it may not be feasible to work at another job while completing your student teaching experience, so if you must work while you’re in college, it’s important to discuss this with your program staff or academic advisors and to plan ahead.

Service Learning

While service learning may not be required of a specific major, you may see this special requirement for a course or as a general graduation requirement for your college or university. It’s also an excellent opportunity to try out something that interests you, something that could lead to or be part of your eventual career.

Service learning is very much like volunteering or community service. The purpose of service learning is to interact with and meet the needs of your local community. Service learning does differ from volunteering in that it is more structured to meet specific learning goals. For example, if you were engaging in service learning for an environmental science course, your activities would likely be focused on local environmental issues. Or, if you were engaging in service learning for a sociology course, you would likely be working with local community groups or organizations not only to assist these organizations, but also to observe how groups interact. Like fieldwork, service learning provides you an opportunity to observe and apply concepts learned in the classroom in a real-world setting. Students are often asked to reflect on their service learning activities in the context of what they’ve been learning in class, so if you’re engaged in service learning, be thinking about how the activities you do relate to what you’ve learned and know.

What Students Say

• Fieldwork, internships, and/or student teaching
• Other (write in)
• Part-time job
• Full-time job
• Study Abroad
• The advice of friends and/or family
• The practical, hands-on experiences I’ve had outside of the classroom
• The knowledge and skills I’ve learned in class
• The advice I’ve gotten from mentors, advisors, or college faculty

You can also take the anonymous What Students Say surveys to add your voice to this textbook. Your responses will be included in updates.

Students offered their views on these questions, and the results are displayed in the graphs below.

Does your major have any special requirements that must be completed outside of the classroom?

While in college, which of the following do you think you are most likely to do?

What has influenced your academic and career plan the most?

• 2 Minimum degree qualifications may vary by state.
• 3 United States Census Bureau. (2019, February 21). Number of People with Master’s and Doctoral Degrees Doubles Since 2000. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/02/number-of-people-with-masters-and-phd-degrees-double-since-2000.html

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Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/1-introduction

• Authors: Amy Baldwin
• Publisher/website: OpenStax
• Book title: College Success
• Publication date: Mar 27, 2020
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• Section URL: https://openstax.org/books/college-success/pages/4-2-planning-your-degree-path

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For online courses, what counts as completion?

Why the definition of course completion depends on the learner.

By Meghan Perdue

Since the first massive open online courses (MOOCs) were published, a large share of the MOOC research has focused on understanding learner completion. Or more specifically, why a relatively small number of learners complete MOOCs, while most do not. In these papers, completion is typically defined in the same way: when learners earn a certificate of completion.

Researchers have theorized models of engagement, categorized learners based on their behavior, and they have used artificial intelligence to predict at what point a learner will drop out. Others have investigated the personal characteristics and qualities of learners, like grit, goal orientation, and academic efficacy. Interventions have been waged, to try to help learners follow through to completion. But do learners think about MOOC completion in the same way that researchers do? Is this the way they understand their own experience of taking MOOCs?

To answer this question, I interviewed fifteen learners who had enrolled in five MITx MOOCs about the courses they had taken. In these interviews, we had wide-ranging conversations about why they sign up for MOOCs, how they work through the courses, and what they hope to get out of them. I also asked:

• When they felt they had “completed” a course
• When and why they tried to earn a certificate for a course
• If they had ever “dropped out” of a course and why

When I asked learners what it meant to complete a course, they mostly said that they had participated in as much of the course as was of interest to them. This amount could vary a lot, depending on whether someone wanted to take the whole course, or perhaps just a specific part of a course. Regardless, the learners I spoke with reported similar reasons for dropping out of a course, or not finishing it to their initial idea of completion.

One common reason was that unexpected conflicts arose that took priority over the course. As one learner said, “I want to complete them most of the time, but I have my work assignments, I have a family to look after, and I have all those requirements and then also do courses.”

Another common reason for not completing a MOOC was because the course wasn’t what they were looking for. Perhaps it was too hard, too easy, or didn’t cover the material that they originally thought that it would. Sometimes learners admitted that they dropped out of a course because they lost interest or slacked off.

A variety of reasons for course completion

Before they commit to completing a MOOC, many learners will audit it first so they can review the course materials. This free audit helps them determine whether they want to pursue the course more seriously. One learner credited faculty members as a deciding factor in taking the course, saying that “[a faculty member] who is really engaged, and seems to know their subject matter and loves teaching” was a reason they decided to take the course.

Often, learners decided to continue to audit the courses saying they would “complete as much as I can access for free.” Most of the MITx courses have some degree of content gating, so learners can’t access all of the materials for free unless they pay to for a verified status which allows them to earn a certificate. Some learners will even pay for verified status — not to earn a certificate — but so that they can access all of the course on their own timeline. Or as one learner put it, “I think for me, the problem is not the certificate, I want to have full access to all the content, that is why I pay the fee.”

For learners who did choose to earn a certificate, they justified why they chose to earn it. One potential reason for earning a certificate is a personal sense of accomplishment.One learner said, “I think if one has a certificate, it also gives a sense of achievement, although maybe it won’t matter much at my level, I still felt like happy [because] okay, I’ve done this.’”

But not everyone felt this way. Some learners needed more of a professional motivation to earn a certificate. As one person explained, “For work purposes, certificates are still important, but for personal things, I don’t think it is important. I mean, it’s cool to show family and friends, but in the end, it doesn’t affect much.” Others decided to earn the certificate in case it became handy for future career aspirations, even if they didn’t currently have a use for it. Some even earned a certificate, but still didn’t feel that they had actually completed the course to their satisfaction. One person said, “I wasn’t able to submit the essay on time, because I was working on the policy paper [for work] and they had the same deadlines, but I had already received a passing grade. You know, maybe I will still write that essay though, and try to publish it somewhere else.”

Learner accountability

These conversations suggest that learners thinking about completion and certification are fairly nuanced. Most learners create their own terms for completion and hold themselves accountable to this regardless of whether they earn a certificate or not. MOOC learners are engaged in a fluid and ongoing experience of lifelong learning that extends beyond the timeline or expectations of a single course. This raises interesting questions about how to design MOOCs for these learners, perhaps by using the MOOC as a jumping off point for giving learners lots of ways to dive deeper into different areas of study in the future.

This research was presented at the 9th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd’23). The proceedings can be accessed at the HEAd website .

Research was sponsored by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory and the Department of the Air Force Artificial Intelligence Accelerator and was accomplished under Cooperative Agreement Number FA8750–19–2–1000. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the Department of the Air Force or the U.S. Government.

For online courses, what counts as completion? was originally published in MIT Open Learning on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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Guidelines and steps for writing a coursework | Tips for good writing

What is a coursework and why to write a coursework.

A coursework is a written or practical work done by student in form of thesis, dissertation, project or paper as a part of course. This is often an essential requirement for being awarded a degree and counts towards successful completion of the course. A coursework is assessed by class instructors or by other teachers in the school. Many students cannot clearly define what is a coursework. In a nutshell, at the “A” and GSCE level , a coursework is written in the form of projects or essays. There are few guidelines and good practices which should be followed while writing a coursework. Perfect examples of a coursework include extended essay, field studies, practical activities, design studies and internal assessment test set. Conversely, each coursework have differing objectives from one course unit to another. In addition, a coursework may incorporate work for which the experiments, topics, themes or parameters of a project or essay have been designed by the teacher, or specified in the syllabus, or selected by the students themselves. Therefore, a coursework is presented in a form of a research assignment meant to reflect the understanding of topics and concepts by the student. Students can handle their coursework either at school under the controlled conditions in class sessions, and/or as homework.

Coursework writing varies from one subject to another as the need differs for each subject. For example, an English coursework differs from a geography coursework. Whereas the former requires the student to present coursework in an essay format where a student has to select a title of their choice. Whereas the latter highly focuses on collecting, and examining, inferring and reporting data, answering a certain geographical question. For example, in English coursework, a student is often assigned to choice of themes or text excerpt to write on a format of their choice. One can either employ a comparison approach or the cause-effect method. Conversely, coursework in subjects, such as geography coursework, requires scholars to conduct investigations. For example, students can explore on the desert features, river formation or usage of social facilities such as halls, schools and hospital and report the findings.

Some rules & guidelines for writing a coursework

So how to start a coursework? Just like any other academic piece, there are some rules and guidelines that determine what makes a coursework good and exceptional. It is significant for scholars to consider all the following points for writing a coursework to score good grade and avoid having their paper disqualified:

• Students are not allowed to seek help from the instructors or from fellow students unless it is a group coursework or instructed. Though, an instructor is only permitted to deliver directions on how to handle a coursework paper as well as pointing out specific areas that are critically checked by examiners.
• Students should avoid plagiarism. It is a rule that is considered as a serious academic offense if committed. Under this rule, a student is expected to submit an original work written and not copied from other source. This is checked by using various softwares that checks for plagiarism. Therefore, students should make sure there work is their own words by signing a declaration asserting that it is your own piece of work. Buying coursework is also an offense if it is discovered.
• Also, a student has to confirm the word count on their paper to ensure it has the instructed word limits without the consideration of the appendices, references and footnotes.
• Students have to be keen and careful when they are selecting the topics to avoid writing on a wrong topic that is not covered in the coursework. A topic already covered should also be checked or discussed with concerned faculty before writing.

 All these rules are constantly restated in coursework prompts and rubrics to ensure one does not derail and violate them when they are figuring out on how to start a coursework.

Deciding good topic for a coursework

The capability to choose a good topic to write on is a vital skill in coursework writing. All the work and efforts will revolve around the chosen topic. If given the liberty to choose, then the topic should be something you would love to write about.

• Sometimes instructors can assign you to handle a specific topic, but often, as a writer, you are required to develop or select a topic that interests you is the one you may enjoy writing about. For example, you may decide to settle on a topic from either an area you understood well in the syllabus or from an area in the course that you enjoyed.
• However, before deciding on your topic, you need to examine whether you can control, measure and change the topic by conducting a fair taste. It is advisable not to select topics that appear ambiguous or which have a wider scope as it might affect the developing of a precise thesis statement, as they make it difficult to reach the word limit as well as failing to satisfy the topic. Also, students are allowed to seek guidance and assistance on choosing suitable topic to write in a situation where you are not sure on what to write about. For example, you can check previous assignments done by other students to get idea about their approaches on particular topics.

Steps for writing a coursework

• Before writing a coursework, a student has to plan based on duration and the materials needed and as instructed in coursework tips. Concerning the deadline, a student must not wait until the last-minute for the paper to start writing. Last minute rush in completing a paper can cause students to make common grammar mistakes that will affect their final grade.
• Deadlines are normally indicated in all the  coursework assignments and a student has to understand when the deadlines are due for the final assignments as well as time for submitting a first draft for comments from your teacher.
• Proper time planning will spare you plenty of time to make corrections based on teacher’s remarks, as well as creating time for final editing and proofreading.
• To achieve this, you have to set up your own deadlines that are far or within the actual deadline to ensure you complete your coursework writing in time.
• Research is about collecting significant and supporting literature from both primary and secondary sources. You will be required to collect data and know methods of data collection as a part of this step. Conducting surveys and preparing good questionnaires will be a much needed skill in many cases.

• The actual writing of your paper commences after gathering sufficient data that will do justice to the topic.
• Student has to write down the paper structure before writing. Though, the outline provided in the essay instructions where students are expected to follow.
• A standard essay format comprises of an introduction, body and conclusion.  In particular, structure planning in important for big projects, because there is a likelihood of having disorganized and waffling writing since it entails a lot of information to convey that needs to be arranged. This has a significant impact on your data analysis and presentation.
• Consequently, one has to perfect their writing abilities to produce a high quality paper that bases around the standard essay format. For complex projects in science, you need to be more analytical and interpretive to get the accurate inferences of the data collected in your writing.
• In addition, you look for a quiet and conducive environment that is free from unnecessary distractions to earn the greatest concentration required for thinking and writing. Switching off TV  and logging out from all social media accounts help in reducing external distractions.

Supporting Materials – deal breaker for writing a coursework 

Supporting materials are defined as the evidencing materials that are included in the writing to reinforce the theories explained. For example table, graphs, charts, and images are mostly applicable and relevant in subjects such as geography and sciences. Supporting materials are written in the appendix part of a paper to avoid cluttering of information in the main part of the paper. For instance, the coursework focus is survey oriented, you could put the raw survey responses, survey templates, questionnaires, in an appendix and present the analysis and discussions in the main body of the coursework.

Finalizing Your Coursework

The steps on how to finish a coursework is easy as it necessitates one to edit their papers prior to the submission. Prior to the submission, students would have time to proffered and confirm features such as word count, word choice, grammar errors, spellings as well as the punctuation mistakes. It is advisable to carry out a manual proofreading as the modern spell checking and grammar checking software can overlook some common mistakes. Importantly, a student is required to include in-text citation according to the writing style used. A well-written coursework is thought-provoking, enjoyable for the reader and enhances the reader’s knowledge.

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Dissertation Explained: A Grad Student’s Guide

Updated: August 7, 2023

Published: March 10, 2020

Higher education is filled with milestones. When completing your PhD , you will be required to complete a dissertation. Even if you’ve heard this word thrown around before, you still may be questioning “What is a dissertation?” It’s a common question, especially for those considering to join or are already in a graduate program. As such, here’s everything you need to know about dissertations.

What is a Dissertation?

A dissertation is a written document that details research. A dissertation also signifies the completion of your PhD program. It is required to earn a PhD degree, which stands for Doctor of Philosophy.

A PhD is created from knowledge acquired from:

1. Coursework:

A PhD program consists of academic courses that are usually small in size and challenging in content. Most PhD courses consist of a high amount and level of reading and writing per week. These courses will help prepare you for your dissertation as they will teach research methodology.

2. Research:

For your dissertation, it is likely that you will have the choice between performing your own research on a subject , or expanding on existing research. Likely, you will complete a mixture of the two. For those in the hard sciences, you will perform research in a lab. For those in humanities and social sciences, research may mean gathering data from surveys or existing research.

3. Analysis:

Once you have collected the data you need to prove your point, you will have to analyze and interpret the information. PhD programs will prepare you for how to conduct analysis, as well as for how to position your research into the existing body of work on the subject matter.

4. Support:

The process of writing and completing a dissertation is bigger than the work itself. It can lead to research positions within the university or outside companies. It may mean that you will teach and share your findings with current undergraduates, or even be published in academic journals. How far you plan to take your dissertation is your choice to make and will require the relevant effort to accomplish your goals.

Moving from Student to Scholar

In essence, a dissertation is what moves a doctoral student into becoming a scholar. Their research may be published, shared, and used as educational material moving forwards.

Thesis vs. Dissertation

Basic differences.

Grad students may conflate the differences between a thesis and a dissertation.

Simply put, a thesis is what you write to complete a master’s degree. It summarizes existing research and signifies that you understand the subject matter deeply.

On the other hand, a dissertation is the culmination of a doctoral program. It will likely require your own research and it can contribute an entirely new idea into your field.

Structural Differences

When it comes to the structure, a thesis and dissertation are also different. A thesis is like the research papers you complete during undergraduate studies. A thesis displays your ability to think critically and analyze information. It’s less based on research that you’ve completed yourself and more about interpreting and analyzing existing material. They are generally around 100 pages in length.

A dissertation is generally two to three times longer compared to a thesis. This is because the bulk of the information is garnered from research you’ve performed yourself. Also, if you are providing something new in your field, it means that existing information is lacking. That’s why you’ll have to provide a lot of data and research to back up your claims.

Your Guide: Structuring a Dissertation

Dissertation length.

The length of a dissertation varies between study level and country. At an undergraduate level, this is more likely referred to as a research paper, which is 10,000 to 12,000 words on average. At a master’s level, the word count may be 15,000 to 25,000, and it will likely be in the form of a thesis. For those completing their PhD, then the dissertation could be 50,000 words or more.

Photo by  Louis Reed  on  Unsplash

Format of the dissertation.

Here are the items you must include in a dissertation. While the format may slightly vary, here’s a look at one way to format your dissertation:

1. Title page:

This is the first page which includes: title, your name, department, degree program, institution, and submission date. Your program may specify exactly how and what they want you to include on the title page.

2. Acknowledgements:

This is optional, but it is where you can express your gratitude to those who have helped you complete your dissertation (professors, research partners, etc.).

3. Abstract:

The abstract is about 150-300 words and summarizes what your research is about. You state the main topic, the methods used, the main results, and your conclusion.

4. Table of Contents

Here, you list the chapter titles and pages to serve as a wayfinding tool for your readers.

5. List of Figures and Tables:

This is like the table of contents, but for graphs and figures.

6. List of Abbreviations:

If you’ve constantly abbreviated words in your content, define them in a list at the beginning.

7. Glossary:

In highly specialized work, it’s likely that you’ve used words that most people may not understand, so a glossary is where you define these terms.

8. Introduction:

Your introduction sets up the topic, purpose, and relevance. It’s where readers will understand what they expect to gain from your dissertation.

9. Literature Review / Theoretical Framework:

Based on the research you performed to create your own dissertation, you’ll want to summarize and address the gaps in what you researched.

10. Methodology

This is where you define how you conducted your research. It offers credibility for you as a source of information. You should give all the details as to how you’ve conducted your research, including: where and when research took place, how it was conducted, any obstacles you faced, and how you justified your findings.

11. Results:

This is where you share the results that have helped contribute to your findings.

12. Discussion:

In the discussion section, you explain what these findings mean to your research question. Were they in line with your expectations or did something jump out as surprising? You may also want to recommend ways to move forward in researching and addressing the subject matter.

13. Conclusion:

A conclusion ties it all together and summarizes the answer to the research question and leaves your reader clearly understanding your main argument.

14. Reference List:

This is the equivalent to a works cited or bibliography page, which documents all the sources you used to create your dissertation.

15. Appendices:

If you have any information that was ancillary to creating the dissertation, but doesn’t directly fit into its chapters, then you can add it in the appendix.

Drafting and Rewriting

As with any paper, especially one of this size and importance, the writing requires a process. It may begin with outlines and drafts, and even a few rewrites. It’s important to proofread your dissertation for both grammatical mistakes, but also to ensure it can be clearly understood.

It’s always useful to read your writing out loud to catch mistakes. Also, if you have people who you trust to read it over — like a peer, family member, mentor, or professor — it’s very helpful to get a second eye on your work.

How is it Different from an Essay?

There are a few main differences between a dissertation and an essay. For starters, an essay is relatively short in comparison to a dissertation, which includes your own body of research and work. Not only is an essay shorter, but you are also likely given the topic matter of an essay. When it comes to a dissertation, you have the freedom to construct your own argument, conduct your own research, and then prove your findings.

Types of Dissertations

You can choose what type of dissertation you complete. Often, this depends on the subject and doctoral degree, but the two main types are:

This relies on conducting your own research.

Non-empirical:

This relies on studying existing research to support your argument.

Photo by  freddie marriage  on  Unsplash

More things you should know.

A dissertation is certainly no easy feat. Here’s a few more things to remember before you get started writing your own:

1. Independent by Nature:

The process of completing a dissertation is self-directed, and therefore can feel overwhelming. However, if you approach it like the new experience that it is with an open-mind and willingness to learn, you will make it through!

2. Seek Support:

There are countless people around to offer support. From professors to peers, you can always ask for help throughout the process.

3. Writing Skills:

The process of writing a dissertation will further hone your writing skills which will follow you throughout your life. These skills are highly transferable on the job, from having the ability to communicate to also developing analytical and critical thinking skills.

4. Time Management:

You can work backwards from the culmination of your program to break down this gargantuan task into smaller pieces. That way, you can manage your time to chip away at the task throughout the length of the program.

5. Topic Flexibility:

It’s okay to change subject matters and rethink the point of your dissertation. Just try as much as possible to do this early in the process so you don’t waste too much time and energy.

The Wrap Up

A dissertation marks the completion of your doctoral program and moves you from being a student to being a scholar. While the process is long and requires a lot of effort and energy, you have the power to lend an entirely new research and findings into your field of expertise.

As always, when in the thick of things, remember why you started. Completing both your dissertation and PhD is a commendable accomplishment.

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Your Guide to Conquering College Coursework

Getting good grades in college can be a lot tougher than in high school. For many students, it requires building new skills and establishing new habits. Learning those skills now—before starting college—will help make your transition as easy and as successful as possible.

Mary Sharp Emerson

The transition from high school to college is a big one. Meeting new friends, living on your own, and creating your own schedule are just some of the new, exciting challenges that await you.   

In the excitement of starting a new life on campus, college coursework can sometimes become a second priority.

However, adjusting to college coursework is often the biggest challenge of all. Even the best students may be surprised at how difficult college courses are. The subject matter is more complex. The workload is larger. And instructors’ standards are higher.

Mastering college-level courses requires a new level of independence, advocacy, engagement, and time management.

You can prepare yourself to succeed before you even get to campus. Identifying the skills you need, and building those skills into established habits, will help make your transition to college academics, and college life, easier, less stressful, and more successful.

Be engaged in your college coursework

College courses require your full attention and active participation.

And the more you engage with your teachers, teaching assistants, and classmates both in and out of the classroom, the easier it will be for you to succeed in that class.

The importance of active listening

Active listening is one of the most critical parts of engaging in a course, according to Gina Neugebauer, assistant director of Harvard Summer School’s Secondary School Program.

“Professors and teaching assistants can tell if you’re actively listening. They notice if you’re taking notes and making eye contact. They also notice if you’re distracted by your phone or computer,” notes Neugebauer.

Active listening means not checking your social media accounts or texting friends during class.

It also means really giving the instructor and your classmates your full attention.

It sounds easy in theory but it takes practice. It can be tough to not think about all the work you have or your next party. But the more you work on actively listening, the easier it will be to not get distracted and miss important information in class.

Different ways to actively participate

Beyond active listening, there are many ways to participate in a course. And you can tailor your level of engagement to your personality and comfort level.

“It’s all about gauging what you’re comfortable with,” says Neugebauer.

“You may not be the person who raises their hand all the time but you actively respond to online discussion posts, for example. You may not feel comfortable talking in front of hundreds of students in a large lecture hall but you take advantage of TA office hours and email the instructor with questions.”

But don’t be afraid to push yourself if you aren’t someone who usually speaks up in class.

It’s ok to start small. Work on raising your hand in small seminars or discussion sections. As you gain confidence, you’ll find it gets easier to answer questions and share your opinions.

Build independence and advocate for yourself

In college, you are responsible for your own success. You will need to advocate for yourself and know when—and how—to ask for help. That requires a level of independence that you may not have needed in high school.

The good news is that instructors and teaching assistants want to help you.

“Instructors, on the whole, enjoy hearing from you. And they’d rather hear from you right from the start, rather than have you struggle on your own for three weeks,” says Neugebauer.

If you have a question about an assignment, send your instructor an email. Are you upset about a grade you got on a recent test? Visit your instructor or TA during office hours to discuss what went wrong and how you can improve.

But remember, says Neugebauer, professors are busy and you are only one of many students.

“Your email should include your full name, what course you’re taking, and a brief description of your question or concern. And you cannot expect an answer at 2 a.m. because that’s when you’re studying. When you reach out to an instructor, give them 24-48 hours to respond.”

And remember, always be respectful and non-confrontational.

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Don’t be afraid to seek help

If you have excelled in high school without extra help, you might be tempted to persevere on your own.

In college, Neugebauer points out, asking for help is the norm.

“Once you get into your undergraduate program, you’ll find that almost everyone has, at some point, asked a TA for extra tutoring, gone to a tutoring center, or a writing or math center for extra help. It’s part of the learning process of an undergraduate program,” Neugebauer says.

Colleges have a variety of support systems in place to help you succeed.

TA office hours are a great place to start if you find yourself struggling with a specific concept or assignment. Peer tutoring programs enable you to learn from students who have been through the course themselves. Academic coaches can help with more general study tips or exam-related stress.

The key is seeking out help proactively, before you get too far behind. As the courses become more difficult, catching up becomes increasingly difficult.

Build time management techniques

Balancing everything that comes with life on a college campus can be difficult for many incoming college students.

“The biggest challenge we see facing high school students who are trying to adapt to college life is overcommitment. Students want to engage in every activity, a full course load, and even sometimes a part-time job. They don’t schedule enough time for self-care, quiet time, doing laundry, and plenty of study time. All those things take time,” Neugebauer says.

Good study habits and time management are key to avoiding the stress that comes from getting overcommitted.

Neugebauer recommends getting into the habit of keeping an accurate and up-to-date calendar.

“The best thing I can recommend is a calendar, such as Google Calendar. Use it to schedule everything: your class, your lunch time, time at the gym. It may seem counterintuitive, but work on scheduling literally everything, even sleep.”

Be sure to include assignments, tests, and other deadlines, as well as office hours for your instructors, TAs, and academic coaches.

Use your calendar to block off dedicated study time. And once you schedule it, stick to it! Avoid the temptation to procrastinate or use that time to hang out, play video games, or scroll on your phone.

Your calendar should also include dedicated time for self-care.

Regular mealtimes, good exercise habits, and a full night’s sleep are not only critical for your physical and mental health. You’ll also be surprised at how much they contribute to your academic success.

Challenge yourself as you engage in college coursework

Getting outside your comfort zone is a critical part of preparing yourself for the exciting challenges that await you in college.

“Being uncomfortable allows for growth. It means saying to yourself, ‘this is new. I want to try it. I want to see how it feels.’ This is all about adapting to a new environment but also examining yourself as a person,” says Neugebauer.

Taking on a new challenge—regardless of the ultimate outcome—builds resilience, mental toughness, and confidence, all of which you will need to succeed in your college courses.

But, warns Neugebauer, it’s also important to know your limitations.

“That uncomfortable feeling should be manageable. It should be a challenge but not so challenging that you feel panicked and wake up in cold sweats every night. It should be something that gets you a little nervous but also excited about what you’re involved in every day.”

However you decide to challenge yourself, it’s never too early to start if college is in your future. The sooner you start identifying and mastering the skills you need in college, the better prepared you’ll be to succeed right from day one.

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Emerson is a Digital Content Producer at Harvard DCE. She is a graduate of Brandeis University and Yale University and started her career as an international affairs analyst. She is an avid triathlete and has completed three Ironman triathlons, as well as the Boston Marathon.

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How the PhD Program Works

Program Overview

Completing your doctorate at Wharton requires 5 years of full-time study. The first 2 years in the program prepare you for admission to candidacy by taking courses, qualifying exams, and starting research projects. In the last few years, you are primarily conducting research full-time including writing and defending your doctoral dissertation.

Admission to candidacy.

You begin by taking courses required for your program of study. All programs requires a preliminary exam, which may be either oral or written.

Some programs may have further requirements, such as an additional exam or research paper. If you enter with a master’s degree or other transfer credit, you may satisfy the formal course requirements more quickly.

Beginning the Wharton PhD Curriculum How the first two years of the Wharton program helped students discover their interests, learn the tools of the profession, and fuel their passion for teaching.

The Doctoral Dissertation

Upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, you are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies.

Your doctoral dissertation should contain original research that meets standards for published scholarship in your field. You are expected to be an expert in the topic you choose to research.

You are admitted to candidacy for the dissertation phase of your studies upon successful completion of coursework and passing a preliminary examination, but you can start thinking about and working on research of relevance at any time.

The dissertation process culminates with a “defense,” in which you defend the proposal orally before your dissertation committee.

While working on your dissertation, you interact extensively with Wharton faculty. Together with interested faculty, you create your own research community that includes your dissertation advisor and dissertation committee.

Policies and Procedures

Get more detailed explanation of course requirements, academic standards, the Teacher Development Program, time limits, and dissertation procedures and requirements.

Sample Program Sequence

Years 1 & 2.

Coursework Examination Research Papers Research Activities Field-Specific Requirements

Directed Reading & Research Admission to Candidacy Formulation of Research Topic

Years 4 & 5

Continued Research Oral Examination Dissertation

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Conducting ground-breaking research at wharton, the diverse skill set you need to become a professor, phd student creates a new pipeline for women in academia.

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How We Improved Course Completion Rates

Sandy Keeter is a Professor in the Information Technology department at Seminole State College

9 ways we redesigned courses to support all students and improve course completion rates

Clear course description and expectations.

Without a clear description, students may not fully understand what they are signing up for. A comprehensive course description can include course details and major deadlines, estimated time commitment, prerequisites, required skills or materials, and technical requirements to aid in their enrollment decision.

Sending your students a welcome message or video before class starts, along with the syllabus, will put them at ease, let them get to know you, and allow them to ask additional questions about the course.

One cause of low course completion rates is students not fully understanding the course expectations. To increase the completion rate, you need to clearly state the learning goal and make them understand its importance. Let your students know the benefits of your course and motivate them to put effort into successful completion.

Start the semester with orientation activities to get students started on the right foot, feeling comfortable, and looking forward to each class. Consider giving an orientation quiz or have students sign a contract indicating they are ready to begin after reviewing the syllabus.

A well-designed course should offer a degree of challenge and difficulty for the student. The activities should build in complexity and help students grow in knowledge. If it’s not challenging, your students will become bored, stop doing the work, or withdraw. Creating a clear learning path with intentional design, challenging content, and consistent methods will capture their attention and motivate them to continue.

Good course design is important. It  takes a disciplined approach, with much thought, care, and attention. Lengthy content (ie: long videos and text) can be tiring, monotonous, and distracting.  Keeping content chunked into bite-size, digestible pieces will work best for keeping students focused and engaged with the material.

Reminders and tips

You may need to remind students periodically why they signed up for your course. It’s natural to see learners lose their motivation and fall behind when “life gets in the way”. However, with well-scheduled and consistent announcements, emails, or text reminders, you can keep them on track (or get them back on track). This is especially important when you notice students are falling behind .  Check in and remind them of due dates, offer help, and provide them with resources and suggestions for how to be successful in the course.

We have found that regular communication with our students is one of the most important things we can do as instructors to motivate and retain students in our classes. Not only to those who are not doing well, but also to those who are doing well.

Some of my colleagues argue that college students should be more responsible and motivated to do the work without constant reminders, but I always remind them that doctors’ offices send constant reminders even though we have the appointments on our calendars. Our students are juggling a lot and if I can make them more successful and show them I care by sending a few reminders, then it’s worth it.

Community and accountability

Communities are powerful for breaking down the isolation of learning and for encouraging students to stick with it. Creating a community in the classroom and/or online helps students feel like part of a team. They may also feel like they’ll be missed if they don’t come back, especially if part of a group project. Being part of a community helps students stay accountable to others. By building a community space for your students to dip in and out of for discussions and interaction, you will increase the likelihood that students will complete your course because they have support within a group.

Active and engaged learning

Students lose interest when an entire course is nothing but reading, PowerPoints, or videos. Consider re-structuring course content in a way that will engage your students and transform the experience from passive to active learning. This can include polling, quizzes, reflections, games, or a few group assignments. Providing quick, detailed feedback will improve student retention and allow them to move on to more challenging assignments.

Rather than waiting until mid-semester to assess your students, it’s important to keep them engaged and coming back each week so you can monitor their progress and help them before it’s too late. Offering variety in assessments and engaging students regularly can help improve the completion rate in your course. I also find students are more motivated to put in the effort if they are earning points while learning.

Accessible, equitable and digital

Mobile learning is expected by students these days, which means your course, or eTextbook at a minimum, should be available on a smartphone. Mobile devices give students another way to prepare for class while they’re on the go and allows them to study at their convenience. It offers great accessibility and flexibility in learning anywhere and anytime.

It could be that your LMS or publisher has a digital app that you can share with students. This not only helps with accessibility, but it can increase the course completion rate by making your course more inclusive and equitable in providing different learning options. Courses designed to use digital technology can make a huge difference in lowering DFW rates and provide more opportunities to minority, poverty-affected, and first-generation students.

Providing each student with individual attention may be difficult, and there are often limited campus resources to offer more help, but digital tools have extended our reach to provide more personalized learning to students. By simply using LMS and publisher materials and tools, we have seen greater student success in our courses.

As we add more LMS and publisher tools, continue restructuring, adding auto-graded assessments, and providing rubrics for instant feedback, we are finding our DFW rate dipping into the low 20% range . We are continuing to thoughtfully design, implement and extend our use of digital tools to increase equitable outcomes and personalize learning for all students.

Resources and support

Pay close attention and be ready to reach out to your students if they’re struggling or falling behind. Possible triggers could include failing an assessment or not logging in for a certain number of days. Based on the student issue, you can offer suggestions for improvement, provide resources, or additional support.

As you focus on reaching more students, point them to campus resources, and offer more varied office hours, you will increase course completions while at the same time improve course equity and accessibility. Offering individualized instruction as needed, improving engagement in and out of the classroom, and catching struggling students early to get them “just-in-time” support will bring positive results.

Making sure students know how to get support when needed is critical. Anticipating issues and providing links to tech support or resources will allow them to troubleshoot and resolve problems more easily. Designing a good course with effective supports is a critical part of the solution for improving course completion rates.

Seminole State has focused on integrating student success management systems (Starfish and Navigate) in the last few years, to provide support for students both in and out of the classroom. The pilot sections had more contact with advisors, more visits to our Academic Success Center and less DFWs when compared to other sections.

Team Teaching is another strategy we use in our high enrollment classes to reach more students, offer different perspectives, and create a more equitable experience for our learners. We’ve embedded a retention specialist into our LMS to help pinpoint areas that need improvement, while also embedding an eLibrarian and eTutor to help with more support around the clock. All these methods and strategies help to extend our support and build strong connections with our students.

Feedback and encouragement

Gamification, a leaderboard, or badges, can give your learners extra reasons to keep coming back. As juvenile as it may sound, most of us like to have a small, token or reward for our progress. Our LMS and Publisher products both provide analytics to our students that show where they stand in class. This could potentially motivate or de-motivate students, so I don’t stop at giving extensive feedback on assignments. I also follow up four times a semester to tell them where they stand grade-wise and encourage them to keep up the good work or give tips for how to improve. Showing them a sense of accomplishment will go a long way in ensuring their success.

Besides sending them a message you can reward them with certificates or badges showing progress levels which they can share on social media platforms. By sharing their accomplishments, other learners may get motivated and try to finish the course. Who doesn’t like kudos or a pat on the back? I’m always amazed at how a simple message is so well received by my students.

Design your course to help students achieve the results they want. By encouraging them, you will help your students succeed. As they progress through your course, you can point out how far they have come and how their work is getting them closer to the success they want.

Grades and analytics

On top of all these strategies and methods, you should still be looking at your gradebook regularly. This will give you information about what parts of your course are failing, and which parts are running smoothly. Setting your course and walking away while it runs on autopilot will NOT work. It must be monitored and fine-tuned regularly. Each semester you will face new students with new challenges.

If you notice learners are consistently dropping out when they reach a certain lesson, it could be that the learning curve there is too steep. You may need to split a module in half or add extra resources to help students get through. Or there may be a concept all students are missing that you need to spend a bit more time on.

User data can show how your students are engaging with the platform and whether they are finding and accessing the correct materials and information. Technical difficulties can be tricky to sort out, but it’s typically much easier to work out a kink in the course material than to fix user motivation.

End of semester surveys

Faculty and colleges should use feedback to understand their students’ experiences. This is for when a student completes a course as well as when they don’t. Using an online survey allows the results to be aggregated and analyzed across many different filters. It may have nothing do to with your course, but it may also reveal some great insight into what you can do to improve your course completion rates.

Anonymous surveys are a great way to get “real” feedback from students. It helps to give them a sense of involvement by giving their thoughts about the course, without repercussions for being honest if they were not satisfied with the course or instructor. The results help instructors identify areas in their course that need improvement and ultimately improve completion rates.

Conclusion: improving course completion rates 

We all want to see 100% course completion rates, but the reality is that there will always be some Ds, Fs and Ws.

As a college, it is our duty to advise students, so they don’t sign up on a whim without thinking through the decision, and dropout when they decide they’ve had enough. We try to attract learners with strong internal and external motivations to complete our courses, make sure they know what they’re signing up for, and provide the community and support they need to see it through. I try not to take it too personally if they leave, although I often wonder what more I could have done.

As an instructor, you want students to take your course to grow their knowledge, and ultimately enter the workforce with confidence. In this article, Professor Keeter provides ways to improve course completions. You can also get strategies to reduce the DFW rate by reading Professor Keeter’s previous article, “How I Reduced the DFW Rate.”

Related articles

How to Create Course Completion Certificates: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating course completion certificates is an excellent way to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of your students. Certificates are an essential element of any professional development program, and they can help boost student engagement and motivation. By providing your students with a certificate of completion, you can recognize their achievements and encourage them to continue their learning journey.

Understanding Course Completion Certificates is the first step in creating an effective certificate program. A course completion certificate is a document that recognizes a student’s successful completion of a course or program. It typically includes the name of the student, the name of the course or program, and the date of completion. Course completion certificates can be customized to include additional information, such as the number of hours completed or the final grade.

Key Takeaways:

• Course completion certificates are an effective way to recognize student achievements and boost engagement.
• Understanding the elements of a course completion certificate is essential for creating an effective program.
• Choosing the right template, designing your certificate, and adding essential elements are all important steps in creating a successful certificate program.

Understanding Course Completion Certificates

If you’re creating an online course, you may want to offer a certificate of completion to your students. A course completion certificate is a document that confirms that a student has successfully completed your course. It’s a great way to motivate students to finish your course and can be a valuable addition to their resume or portfolio.

A course completion certificate typically includes the following information:

• The name of the student
• The name of the course
• The date of completion
• The signature of the instructor or the institution

Certificates can be created in various formats, including digital and physical. Digital certificates are becoming increasingly popular because they can be easily shared and stored online. Physical certificates can be mailed to students, but they can be more expensive to produce and ship.

When creating a course completion certificate, it’s important to make sure it looks professional and reflects the quality of your course. You can use a template or create your design from scratch. Make sure to include your branding and use high-quality images and fonts.

It’s also important to clearly communicate the requirements for earning a certificate. For example, you may require students to complete all the course modules, pass a final exam, or submit a project. Make sure to clearly state these requirements in your course materials and on your website.

Overall, offering a course completion certificate can be a great way to motivate students to complete your course and provide them with a tangible reward for their efforts. With a little effort, you can create a professional-looking certificate that reflects the quality of your course and helps your students achieve their goals.

Choosing the Right Template

Creating a course completion certificate is an important way to recognize and reward your students for their hard work and dedication. Choosing the right template is crucial to ensure that your certificate looks professional and reflects the quality of your course. Here are some tips to help you choose the right template for your course completion certificate:

Consider the Purpose

Before you start looking for a certificate template, consider the purpose of your certificate. Is it a formal certificate for a professional course, or a more casual certificate for a fun course? This will help you determine the style and design of your certificate.

Look for Customization Options

When choosing a certificate template, look for one that allows you to customize the design and text. This will allow you to add your own branding, course name, and student name, making the certificate more personal and memorable.

Check the Format

Make sure the certificate template is available in a format that works for you. PDF templates are a popular choice, as they are easy to download and print. However, if you prefer to use a design tool like Canva, make sure the template is available in a compatible format.

Consider the Layout

The layout of your certificate template is also important. Look for a template that has a clear and easy-to-read layout, with enough space to add your own text and images. A cluttered or confusing layout can detract from the overall quality of your certificate.

By following these tips, you can choose the right template for your course completion certificate and create a professional-looking certificate that your students will be proud to display.

Designing Your Certificate

Creating a visually appealing and professional certificate is crucial to motivate learners to complete your course. A well-designed certificate can also serve as a marketing tool for your course and increase the perceived value of your program.

When designing your certificate, consider the following elements:

Text and Title

Choose a clear and concise title that accurately reflects the name of your course. Use a font that is easy to read and fits the tone of your course. Consider adding a subtitle or tagline to provide additional context or information.

Images and Colors

Incorporate high-quality images and colors that align with your course branding and theme. Use colors that are visually appealing and complement each other. Avoid using too many colors or images that distract from the main message.

Customization Options

Provide customization options for learners to add their name, course completion date, and other relevant information. Consider offering different certificate designs or formats to choose from.

Drag-and-Drop Features

Consider using drag-and-drop features to allow learners to easily add their own logo or image to the certificate. This can personalize the certificate and make it more meaningful to the learner.

Overall, designing a course completion certificate requires attention to detail and a focus on creating a professional and visually appealing design. By incorporating customization options and drag-and-drop features, you can create a certificate that learners will be proud to display and share.

Adding Essential Elements

Creating a course completion certificate is a great way to recognize and reward students who have successfully completed your course. However, it’s important to include essential elements in your certificate to make it official and meaningful. Here are some elements you should consider including:

Course Information

Include the name of your course, the date it was completed, and the duration of the course. This information provides context and helps students remember the course they completed.

Student Information

Include the student’s name on the certificate. You can also include their first and last name for added personalization. This helps students feel recognized and proud of their accomplishment.

Completion Rates

You can also include the course completion rate on the certificate. This information shows the percentage of students who completed the course successfully, and can be a great motivator for future students.

Quiz Results and Test Scores

If your course included quizzes or tests, you can include the student’s results or scores on the certificate. This information shows the student’s level of knowledge and can be a great way to showcase their achievements.

Including signatures from the instructor or other relevant parties can add a sense of authenticity and officialness to the certificate. This can be done digitally or manually.

By including these essential elements, you can create a course completion certificate that is both meaningful and official.

The Role of Automation

Automation tools can help simplify the process of creating and distributing course completion certificates. These tools can save you time and effort by automating repetitive tasks and reducing the risk of human error. By automating the certificate creation process, you can focus on delivering high-quality content and engaging with your students.

One popular automation tool is Zapier. Zapier allows you to connect your online course platform with other apps and services, such as email and dashboard tools. With Zapier, you can create “zaps” that automate tasks based on pre-defined triggers and actions. For example, you can set up a zap that automatically sends a certificate to a student when they complete a course.

Another option for automating the certificate creation process is to use an online course platform that includes built-in certificate creation and distribution features. Many online course platforms offer this functionality, allowing you to create and customize certificates directly within the platform. You can then automatically distribute the certificates to students via email or through the platform’s dashboard.

Automating the certificate creation process can also help you scale your course offerings. As your student base grows, it can become increasingly difficult to manually create and distribute certificates to each student. By automating this process, you can easily scale your course offerings without sacrificing quality or efficiency.

Overall, automation can play a crucial role in simplifying the process of creating and distributing course completion certificates. Whether you choose to use an automation tool like Zapier or an online course platform with built-in certificate creation features, automating this process can save you time and effort while improving the overall student experience.

Enhancing Student Engagement

Engaging students in the learning process is critical to their success. Students who are engaged in their coursework are more likely to complete their courses and achieve better learning outcomes. There are several ways to enhance student engagement, and one effective method is to provide rewards and recognition for their efforts.

Rewards can be a powerful motivator for students. By offering rewards for completing coursework, you can encourage students to stay on track and remain engaged with the material. Rewards can take many forms, such as badges, certificates, or even tangible prizes. When designing your course completion certificate, consider including a reward that is meaningful to your students.

Competition

Competition can also be a powerful motivator for students. By creating a sense of competition in your course, you can encourage students to work harder and stay engaged with the material. One way to do this is to create leaderboards or rankings that show how each student is performing compared to their peers. This can create a sense of healthy competition that motivates students to strive for excellence.

Recognition

Finally, recognition is an essential component of enhancing student engagement. By recognizing students for their efforts and achievements, you can create a sense of pride and accomplishment that motivates them to continue learning. When designing your course completion certificate, consider including a section that recognizes the student’s hard work and dedication.

In conclusion, enhancing student engagement is critical to the success of your course. By providing rewards, creating a sense of competition, and offering recognition, you can motivate your students to stay engaged with the material and achieve their learning goals. When designing your course completion certificate, consider incorporating these elements to create a sense of accomplishment and pride for your students.

Printing and Distribution

Once you have designed your course completion certificate, it’s time to print and distribute it to your students. There are several ways to do this, depending on your preference and the resources available to you.

Printing your certificates is a great way to provide your students with a physical copy of their achievement. You can print the certificates on high-quality paper or cardstock to give them a professional look and feel. You can also choose to print them in color or black and white, depending on your budget and preferences.

You can print your certificates in different formats such as PDF, PNG, or print. PDF is the most common format as it is easy to share and print. PNG is also a good option as it preserves the quality of the certificate. If you choose to print your certificates, make sure you have a good quality printer and enough ink or toner.

Distribution

Once you have printed your certificates, you need to distribute them to your students. You can do this in different ways such as handing them out in person, mailing them, or emailing them.

Handing out the certificates in person is a great way to make the experience more personal and memorable for your students. You can also take a group photo to commemorate the occasion.

If you have a large number of students or they are located far away, mailing the certificates may be the best option. Make sure you use a sturdy envelope to protect the certificate during transit.

Emailing the certificates is a convenient and cost-effective way to distribute them. You can attach the certificate as a PDF or PNG file and send it to your students. Make sure you use a professional email address and include a personalized message to make the experience more meaningful for your students.

In conclusion, printing and distributing your course completion certificates is an important step in recognizing your students’ achievements. Choose the method that works best for you and your students, and make sure you provide them with a high-quality certificate that they can be proud of.

Benefits of Course Completion Certificates

Completing a course is a significant achievement, and receiving a course completion certificate is a tangible recognition of your hard work and dedication. Here are some of the benefits of course completion certificates:

Evidence of Skills and Knowledge

A course completion certificate is evidence that you have acquired new skills and knowledge. This can be useful when applying for a job or seeking a promotion. Employers are always looking for candidates who can demonstrate that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to perform the job effectively. A course completion certificate can help you stand out from other candidates and give you a competitive edge.

Personalized Credential

A course completion certificate is a personalized credential that reflects your unique learning journey. It is a testament to your hard work and dedication to learning. You can display it on your resume or LinkedIn profile to showcase your accomplishments and attract potential employers.

Marketing Tool

A course completion certificate can be used as a marketing tool to promote your skills and knowledge. You can share it on social media or include it in your email signature to let others know about your achievements. This can help you build your professional network and attract new opportunities.

Employee Training

Course completion certificates can also be used by employers to track and recognize employee training. They can be used to identify training gaps and develop targeted training programs to address them. This can help improve employee performance and productivity.

In summary, course completion certificates are a valuable recognition of your hard work and dedication to learning. They provide evidence of your skills and knowledge, serve as a personalized credential, can be used as a marketing tool, and are useful for employee training.

Advanced Customization Options

When creating a course completion certificate, you may want to consider advanced customization options to make the experience more personalized and unique for your learners. Here are some options to consider:

Custom Certificate Elements

One way to make your certificate stand out is by customizing the elements included on the certificate. You can include elements such as your company logo, course name, completion date, and more. You can also choose the font, color scheme, and layout to match your brand or course theme.

Signature and Orientation

Another way to make your certificate feel more personalized is by including a signature from the course instructor or a high-level executive in your organization. You can also choose the orientation of the certificate, such as portrait or landscape, to fit the design elements you have chosen.

Error Handling

It’s important to ensure that the certificate is error-free before sending it to your learners. Consider using a certificate service that includes error handling to catch any mistakes before the certificate is printed or exported.

Advanced Export Options

Exporting your certificates in bulk can save time and effort, especially if you have a large number of learners. Advanced export options can include exporting certificates in a specific file format, such as PDF or PNG, and including a unique identifier for each learner to make it easier to track and manage the certificates.

By taking advantage of these advanced customization options, you can create a unique and memorable course completion certificate experience for your learners.

Leveraging Online Tools

Creating course completion certificates can be a daunting task, but leveraging online tools can make the process much easier. With the rise of online learning, there are now many tools available that can help you create and distribute certificates quickly and efficiently.

One popular tool for online course creation is Teachable. Teachable offers a variety of features, including the ability to create custom certificates for your course. With Teachable, you can create a certificate template that includes your course logo, the student’s name, and the date of completion. This feature allows you to create certificates that are both professional and personalized.

Another online tool that can be useful for creating certificates is Canva. Canva is a graphic design platform that offers a variety of templates for certificates. With Canva, you can easily customize your certificate by adding your course logo and changing the colors and fonts. Canva also offers a variety of design elements, such as icons and illustrations, that can help make your certificates more visually appealing.

If you’re looking for a workaround to creating certificates from scratch, you can also use Google Docs or Microsoft Word to create a certificate template. Both of these tools offer a variety of templates that you can customize to fit your needs. Once you’ve created your template, you can easily add the student’s name and date of completion to create a verifiable training certificate.

Finally, it’s important to ensure that your certificates are recognized as legitimate forms of continuing education. One way to do this is to use an online platform, such as Accredible, to create and distribute your certificates. Accredible offers a variety of features, including the ability to add a digital signature and verification code to your certificate. This ensures that your certificates are both professional and verifiable.

In conclusion, leveraging online tools can make the process of creating course completion certificates much easier. Whether you’re using Teachable, Canva, Google Docs, or Accredible, there are many tools available that can help you create professional and personalized certificates for your online course.

Importance of Branding

Branding is an essential aspect of any course completion certificate. It is the process of creating a unique and memorable identity that distinguishes your course from others. Branding helps to promote your course, build trust and credibility, and attract potential learners.

Effective branding can help your course stand out in a crowded job market. A well-designed certificate with a recognizable logo, typography, and color scheme can make a lasting impression on employers. It can also help to communicate the value of your course and the skills that learners have acquired.

Branding is not just about designing a certificate. It is about creating a consistent and cohesive identity that reflects your team and organization’s values and mission. A strong brand can help to build a sense of community and belonging among learners and team members. It can also foster a culture of excellence and professionalism.

In conclusion, branding is an essential component of creating a course completion certificate. It helps to promote your course, build trust and credibility, and attract potential learners. A well-designed certificate with a recognizable logo, typography, and color scheme can make a lasting impression on employers and communicate the value of your course. A strong brand can also foster a sense of community and belonging among learners and team members and promote a culture of excellence and professionalism.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some popular software options for creating course completion certificates.

There are many software options available for creating course completion certificates. Some popular options include Canva, Adobe Spark, and Microsoft Word. These software options have pre-made templates that you can customize to fit your branding and course requirements.

Where can I find free templates for course completion certificates?

You can find free templates for course completion certificates on websites like Canva, Microsoft Office, and Adobe Spark. These templates are easy to use and can be customized to fit the needs of your course.

What information should be included on a course completion certificate?

A course completion certificate should include the name of the course, the name of the participant, the date of completion, and the name of the organization or institution that issued the certificate. You may also want to include the number of hours or credits completed, and any relevant logos or branding.

How can I customize the design of my course completion certificates?

You can customize the design of your course completion certificates by using software with pre-made templates, or by creating your own design from scratch. You can also add logos, images, and colors that match your branding and course requirements.

Are there any best practices for issuing and distributing course completion certificates?

Yes, there are some best practices for issuing and distributing course completion certificates. You should make sure that the certificate is issued in a timely manner, and that it is distributed in a way that is easily accessible to the participant. You may also want to consider sending a digital copy of the certificate, in addition to a physical copy, to make it easier for the participant to share and showcase their achievement.

What are some common mistakes to avoid when creating course completion certificates?

Some common mistakes to avoid when creating course completion certificates include using too much text, using a font that is difficult to read, and including irrelevant information. You should also make sure that the certificate is accurate and error-free, and that it meets the requirements of your course or institution.

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Commercial – Letter of completion of work

Letter of completion of work sample: For construction and industrial projects

Why do we need a letter of completion of work.

Construction and other industrial projects (oil and gas, mining etc.) are extremely hard work. Projects can span for many years, and involve thousands of moving pieces and interdependent parts. These projects are already extremely risky for all parties, involving large bets which can be quickly derailed by unexpected delays, quality issues and more.

So when one of these projects come to an end, all parties involved are ready to seal the deal and issue their letter of completion for work.

A letter of completion of work is issued and signed by project parties when the contractor is deemed to have completed all of the construction works contained in the contract.

The main reason we need a letter of completion for work in these construction and industrial projects is so that the project can be properly handed over, and so that liability and responsibility is handed over too. Letters of completion and these type of documents serve as the mechanism with which parties agree that that phase of the project is closed out - which is critical for disputes, contractor performance assessments and other important outcomes.

One of the difficulties in ending and 'completing' these projects is that there are multiple stages of completion including:

• Practical completion
• Defects liability period
• Completion of works
• Potential latent defects

While we won't get into the mechanics of latent defects here , is it important to know that the letter of completion of work isn't necessarily the 'end' of the project.

Even so, signing off on a letter of completion of work is an important milestone, and managing the letter of completion process smoothly and professionally can have a big impact on stakeholder relations and how well and legally the contract and project is closed out.

Because of this, you'll find a letter of completion of work sample below, as well as a more modern approach to letters of completion.

Both methods and frameworks can be used to improve how you manage the completion of work procedures.

The better way to issue and manage a 'letter' of completion of work

Many construction and industrial projects still use physical or email letters to manage these type of important communications. And these letters do a great job of establishing the formal communication required to communicate these milestones.

But where these types of letters of completion of work fall short is:

• In providing the level of detail required to properly handover a project (all in one place)
• Providing the right formatting and framework for making the information easy to digest
• In making these documents easier to view, edit and share amongst other parties and collaborators

The letter of completion of work example below, which is often called a certificate of completion in construction , serves to eliminate these issues by turning your letter of completion into a smarter digital document - which more closely resembles your other important project information.

The letter of completion of work example below comes pre-built with all of the detail all parties need to effectively certify that the project has been complete.

Every letter of completion requires all of the important project details in the first section, the critical financial information in the second section, and then the official certifications and sign offs from the project parties.

You can view this 'better' letter of completion of work example by hovering on the document and expanding it, or keep scrolling to find the more traditional letter of completion of work sample.

Use and customise this smart letter of completion of work framework for free.

A simple letter of completion of work sample.

As was previously mentioned, some construction and industrial companies do still lean on and rely on traditional methods of communicating these project phases and milestones.

The letter of completion of work sample below showcases what one of these traditional communications looks like.

You'll see some of the same information from the example above dotted through the sample, including important project dates and the remaining payments due.

But as you can see, it's much more difficult for the contractor and other parties to include and consolidate all of the important information into a letter.

Some companies supplement project handover checklists with sample letters like this, while others attach important supplemental information in PDFs etc.

[Insert date]

[Insert recipient title]

[Insert recipient company/organisation name]

[Insert recipient address]

Subject: COMPLETION OF WORK

Dear [Insert name],

We are pleased to inform you that we have been able to complete the construction work before the final completion date of [Insert final completion date]. We signed the contract of construction works that began on [Insert beginning date] and ended on [Insert end date].

We would like you to please clear our previous pending payments left with you so that we can move further to our final settlement of [Insert remainder due] with you at the completion of the work.

Please see attached for our Contractor's Certification.

Looking forward to a quick response from your side.

Thanking you and assuring you our best services at times.

Signed by, Authorised Person

[Insert your title]

[Insert your company name]

Unfortunately, using a sample completion of work letter like this does still require the back-and-forth of email and letters. Many companies have levelled up with these documents with a completion certificate app , and now use digital documents and workflows  which can be collaborated on in real-time.

These saves the communication headaches, and keeps all records in a digital format which can't be lost or disputed.

However you go about creating and issuing your letter of completion of work, it's important to create a standardised and professional document and process for it.

Every stage of a construction project (or any other project) is important, all the way from invitation to tender letter - to the letter of completion of work.

Documents and forms are the lifeblood of project communication and the lifeblood of your business. Make sure you close out your projects effectively, and get prepared for the next one.

Certificate of Completion for Construction

This certificate of completion template can help you close out your projects smoothly and professionally.

See the template →

Construction Project Handover Checklist

This project handover checklist template ensures you have taken all of the neccesary handover steps, and documented all of those steps too.

See how you can easily streamline your systems and processes with Sitemate today

About Lance Hodgson

Lance is VP of Marketing at Sitemate. His aim is to bring awareness to a brighter future for the Built World where industrial workers and companies work smarter.

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Graduate Calendar 2023/2024

• The University
• General Regulations
• Department/Faculty Responsibilities
• Advisor Responsibilities
• Student Responsibilities
• Application Procedures
• Admission Requirements
• Co-operative Education
• Registration
• Registration Status
• Withdrawal from the University
• Academic Standing
• Grade Equivalency
• Course Examinations
• Grade Reassessment

Completion of Course Work

• Qualifying Year Program
• Master's Program
• Doctoral Program
• Academic Probation
• Student Appeals
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a unit of study in a discipline identified by a unique course number and having a specific credit weight.

In exceptional circumstances, the instructor may grant a student an extension of the due date for course work into the next term. Typically, such an extension might be until the end of the first month of the next term (for fall term courses, this would be January 31; for winter term courses, this would be May 31st; for spring term courses, this would be September 30). When circumstances warrant, however, an instructor may, initially or subsequently, grant an extension until the end of the next term (for fall term courses, this would be the end of the winter term; for winter term courses, this would be the end of the spring term; for spring term courses, this would be the end of the fall term—see current Graduate Studies Calendar for the exact dates ).

When an instructor grants an extension to complete course work beyond the last day of the term, he or she must submit an interim designation of "Incomplete" in lieu of a final grade when grades for the course in question are submitted. In such instances, and also whenever any additional extension is granted, the instructor must also send a completed Petition for Extension to Complete Course Work form to the appropriate graduate officer or program director, as well as to the Graduate Studies office.

The Graduate Student Appeals Committee (GSAC) must approve any extension of a due date for course work beyond one term. If a student requests an extension beyond the end of the next term, the student is required to submit an appeal to the Graduate Student Appeals Committee (see also  "Student Appeals" in the Graduate Calendar ). The maximum extension to be requested is for one additional term.

When any request for an extension of a due date for course work is granted, the student remains responsible for completing the work by the extended due date. In instances where an interim designation of "Incomplete" has been submitted in lieu of a final grade, if a passing grade or a request for further extension is not submitted within 7 days of the extended due date, the Incomplete designation will automatically convert to an F grade.

Academic & Related Dates 2023/2024

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• Graduate Calendar (2022/2023)
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• Graduate Calendar (2019/2020)

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Bailey college of science & mathematics.

English Learner Authorizations

California statute requires that every teacher who provides instructional services to an English learner be authorized to provide specialized instruction for those learners. This instruction would either 1) help the learners to understand instruction that is taught only in English, 2) help the learners develop their ability to listen, speak, read and write in English, 3) be provided in the learners' primary language as English is acquired, or 4) be taught in a language other than English for those learners in a dual immersion program. These are more commonly referred to as English Language Development ( ELD )*, Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English ( SDAIE )*, also referred to as ‘integrated’ language development, and bilingual instruction . Different authorizations are available for distinct purposes and credential holders. For a summary of all documents that authorize instruction to EL students, see the leaflet Serving English Learners,  CL-622 . 

Cal Poly candidates recommended for a Multiple Subject, Single Subject, or Education Specialist Credential will receive a Revised English Learner Authorization (ELAM/S/E).  Cal Poly recommended candidates do not receive a Full English Learner Authorization (ELA1).

Revised english learner authorizations (elam/s/e)*.

• English Learner Authorization Multiple Subject (ELAM) - The Multiple Subject Preliminary Teacher Preparation Program includes content for teaching English learners that authorizes the credential holder to provide instruction for English language development and specially designed academic instruction in English within the subject area and grade level authorization of the Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. The following instructional services may be provided to English learners in the settings and content area(s) specified on this document: (1) English language development defined as instruction designed specifically for limited-English-proficient students to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English; and (2) specially designed content instruction delivered in English defined as instruction in a subject area, delivered in English, that is specially designed to meet the needs of limited-English-proficient students. This English learner authorization also covers classes taught on the basis of other valid, non-emergency credentials or permits held within the settings or content/specialty area(s) listed at the grade or age levels authorized.
• English Learner Authorization Single Subject (ELAS) - The Single Subject Preliminary Credential teacher preparation program includes content for teaching English learners that authorizes the credential holder to provide instruction for English language development and specially designed academic instruction in English within the subject area and grade level authorization of the Single Subject Teaching Credential. The following instructional services may be provided to English learners within the content area(s) listed on this document: (1) English language development defined as instruction designed specifically for limited-English-proficient students to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English; and (2) specially designed content instruction delivered in English defined as instruction in a subject area, delivered in English, that is specially designed to meet the needs of limited-English-proficient students. This English learner authorization also covers classes taught on the basis of other valid, non-emergency credentials or  permits held within the settings or content/specialty area(s) listed at the grade or age levels authorized.
• English Learner Authorization Education Specialist (ELAE) - The Education Specialist Preliminary Teacher Preparation Program includes content for teaching English learners that authorizes the credential holder to provide instruction for English language development and specially designed academic instruction in English within the subject area and grade level authorization of the Education Specialist Instruction Teaching Credential. The following instructional services may be provided to English learners within the specialty area(s) and grade/age level authorization of this document: (1) English language development defined as instruction designed specifically for limited-English-proficient students to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English; and (2) specially designed content instruction delivered in English defined as instruction in a subject area, delivered in English, that is specially designed to meet the needs of limited-English-proficient students. This English learner authorization also covers classes taught on the basis of other valid, non-emergency credentials or permits held within the settings or content/specialty area(s) listed at the grade or age levels authorized.

Types of Instruction Authorized by the Revised English Learner Authorization  (ELAM/S/E)* earned at Cal Poly

• English Language Development (ELD)  is a content subject area. ELD is instruction appropriate for the level of language proficiency as identified for each EL student. The instruction is designed to promote the effective and efficient acquisition of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills of the EL student. This type of instruction is also known as  English as a Second Language  (ESL) or  Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages  (TESOL).
• Specially Designed Academic Instruction Delivered in English (SDAIE)  is an instructional approach designed to increase the level of comprehensibility of the English language in the content area of the class. This specially designed content instruction in subject matter, such as math or social science, is presented in English to English learners in classes which are restricted to instruction in the subject area and grade level of the prerequisite credential or permit (as applicable).

Documents Authorizing Designated ELD and Integrated ELD

*Cal Poly candidates recommended for a Multiple Subject, Single Subject, or Education Specialist Credential will receive a Revised English Learner Authorization (ELAM/S/E). Cal Poly recommended candidates do not receive a Full English Learner Authorization (ELA1).

FULL ENGLISH LEARNER AUTHORIZATION (ELA1) / CLAD CERTIFICATE ( CL-628 )*

Requirements for the Full EL Authorization/CLAD Certificate

• Possess a valid California teaching credential
• Verification of experience learning a second language (Individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university are deemed to have satisfied the second language requirement)
• Passing scores on Tests 1, 2 and 3 of the California Teacher of English Learners (CTEL) Examination . Scores used for certification purposes may be no older than ten years from the individual passed exam date.
• Completion of coursework in a Commission-approved CTEL program . Once the program has been completed, the program sponsor must recommend the applicant for the Full EL Authorization or CLAD Certificate.
• Completion of course work in a Commission-approved CTEL program combined with passing scores on the CTEL Examination, based on equivalency as determined by a Commission-approved CTEL program.
• For a complete list of additional options and important notes, see Leaflet CL-628C

Applying for the EL Authorization/CLAD Certificate

Individuals who have met all of the requirements for an EL Authorization or CLAD Certificate by examination or out-of-state equivalency may apply directly to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Instructions on how to apply can be found on the English Learner Authorization/CLAD Certificate leaflet,  CL-628C .

Documents Authorizing Departmentalized ELD

*This document is not earned via the Cal Poly credential programs.

BILINGUAL AUTHORIZATION (BA**) ( CL-628B )

• Bilingual Authorization in Spanish (BASP) -  The following instructional services may be provided to English learners: (1) instruction for English language development in grades twelve and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults. If the prerequisite credential or permit is a designated subjects adult education teaching credential, a child development instructional permit, or a child development supervision permit, English language development instruction is limited to the programs authorized by that credential or permit; (2) specially designed content instruction delivered in English in the subjects, programs and at the grade levels authorized by the prerequisite credential or permit; (3) content instruction delivered in the language of Spanish in the subjects, programs and at the grade levels authorized by the prerequisite credential or permit; and (4) instruction for primary language development in the language of Spanish in grades twelve and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults. If the prerequisite credential or permit is a designated subjects adult education teaching credential, a child The following instructional services may be provided to English learners: (1) instruction for English language development in grades twelve and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults. If the prerequisite credential or permit is a designated subjects adult education teaching credential, a child development instructional permit, or a child development supervision permit, English language development instruction is limited to the programs authorized by that credential or permit; (2) specially designed content instruction delivered in English in the subjects, programs and at the grade levels authorized by the prerequisite credential or permit; (3) content instruction delivered in the language of Spanish in the subjects, programs and at the grade levels authorized by the prerequisite credential or permit; and (4) instruction for primary language development in the language of Spanish in grades twelve and below, including preschool, and in classes organized primarily for adults. 

Types of Instruction Authorized by the Bilingual Authorization

• Instruction for English Language Development (ELD)
• Instruction for Primary Language Development
• Specially Designed Academic Instruction Delivered in English (SDAIE)
• Content Instruction Delivered in the Primary Language

Definitions of Types of Instruction

Instruction for English language development (ELD) means instruction designed specifically for EL students to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English. This type of instruction is also known as English as a Second Language (ESL) or Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

• Instruction for  primary language development  means instruction for EL students to develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in their primary language.
• Specially Designed Academic Instruction Delivered in English (SDAIE)  means instruction in a subject area delivered in English that is specially designed to provide EL students with access to the curriculum.
• Content Instruction Delivered in the Primary Language  means instruction for EL students in a subject area delivered in the students’ primary language.

Requirements for the Bilingual Authorization ( CL-628B )

Individuals who complete a Bilingual Authorization program or a combination of program coursework and bilingual examinations must be recommended by their Commission-approved Bilingual Authorization program sponsor and complete the application and payment online. Individuals that pass all the required CSET: World Languages subtests and meet the requirements below may apply directly to the Commission for the Bilingual Authorization by submitting  all  of the following:

• Verify holding or eligibility for a CLAD Certificate or teaching credential with an English learner authorization (For more information, see leaflet  CL-628C ).
• Original or photocopy of a CTEL Examination score report.
• Photocopy of an out-of-state credential showing a full English learner authorization.
• Original or photocopy of the CSET: World Languages Examination score report.
• Completed application ( form 41-4Open PDF in current window. ).
• Application  processing fee .

Applicants requesting the bilingual authorization who hold more than one eligible document must designate the specific prerequisite document to which the authorization should be added. If more than one valid prerequisite document is held, it is not necessary to file an additional application or pay an additional fee, as the authorization on one document already applies to all other valid prerequisites held by the teacher. However, if an individual wants to add the authorization to more than one document, a separate application and fee will be required for each additional valid prerequisite document.

Documents Authorizing Bilingual Instruction

*Cal Poly candidates recommended for a Bilingual Authorization in Spanish will receive this document. 

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The 10 Free Pre-Designed Completion Certificate Templates and How to Create Them

Summary: In this article, you’ll get 10 free, pre-designed completion certificate templates that you can use right away, plus also learn how to create your own, customizable template in seconds.

Remember the pride and excitement you felt when you were rewarded for an outstanding achievement or hard work? A gold star in elementary school, your high school diploma, a college degree, or an athletic trophy… In those moments, everyone feels a surge of energy and a hundredfold motivation to do even more. This is a feeling that we never really outgrow!

If you offer professional development courses or learning programs, run online courses, teach students, and still don’t celebrate their achievements, read on to discover the easiest way to recognize their efforts — with a completion certificate.

What Is a Certificate of Completion? 

A certificate of completion is an official document awarded to learners who have successfully completed training (whether it’s a short course or an extensive L&D program). The requirements for certification can vary: often learners or students need to achieve a certain score, but sometimes simply completing the training is sufficient.

Such a document typically consists of the name of the company issuing the certificate of completion, the learner’s name, the course title, and the completion date. It might also include the overall score, expiration date, and some security elements, such as a completion certificate ID, watermark, embossed seal, or holographic image.

An example of a printable certificate of completion issued by iSpring

Why Certificates of Completion Matter

While not all course providers issue completion certificates, in fact they mean more than just a formal conclusion of a training program. Here are the key benefits that certificates bring to both learners and trainers:

By issuing certificates, you can gain a solid reputation as a provider of quality training. A printable certificate of completion adds value to any online course . It can demonstrate that you hold certain standards in your programs, which increases trust in your brand and can also provide a competitive advantage, making your training stand out from competitors who don’t offer such credentials. 

Rewarding a learner’s hard work and achievement will also drive their motivation, encourage them to take training more seriously, and, thus, help you achieve high completion rates.

An official certificate of completion demonstrates that learners invested time and effort in a training program and always serves as a tangible proof of acquired knowledge and skills, giving a real boost to someone’s resume and helping them land a good job in the future.

10 Free Certificate of Completion Templates

If you aren’t impressed with the default design options for certificates of completion that are available in MS Word and still don’t have time to search for an online certificate maker and create eye-catching completion certificate templates yourself, our designers have created 10 free certificate templates in different styles that you can save and use right away! Check them out:

1. Classic and traditional

Download the template for free →

This is a universal course completion certificate template with a solid, traditional feel that makes it perfect for both academic and corporate training courses.

All you need to do is download the completion template, fill in the required fields, and change the certificate design a bit if needed. Or, if you want to upload it to the LMS, leave the variables exactly as they are for automatic substitution.

2. Modern and creative

This eye-catching certificate completion template looks great for design-oriented disciplines, digital art courses, marketing training programs, or any subject that encourages creativity and modernity.

After downloading, you’ll be able to change the color scheme and fonts if needed.

3. Academic

This completion template features a classic design with a muted color scheme that gives it an academic vibe.

It’s a great choice for universities, colleges, and educational institutions that award a certificate for academic achievement.

4. Minimalistic

5. Business

This completion template is perfect for formal corporate training, such as for completing some professional development courses, finishing a difficult project, or certifications. It has a rather serious look that’s just right for a business environment.

Once you save the free certificate, you can easily insert your signature, add more text blocks, or remove unnecessary ones.

How to Create a Certificate of Completion in MS Word

If you want to create your own course completion certificate template, there are many tools that can help you with that, including Canva, Certifier, Visme, or any other online certificate maker that helps create customizable certificates. However, you can create one in a matter of minutes with no special software, by using the familiar MS Word. We’ll show you how:

Step 1. Open MS Word and choose a template

First, open MS Word, select File in the top ribbon, and click on New . In the opened window, you’ll see plenty of templates that MS Word offers, from cover letters and student reports to party invitations, banner calendars, and gift certificates.

In the search bar, enter “certificate” and select the most appropriate template:

Step 2. Customize the certificate of completion

Once you open a default template, you can customize it: change text, remove unnecessary parts, or add something new (your own photos, a signature, or a logo, for example).

To customize text, simply click on the field you want to change and start typing. If you need to add a new form field, go to Insert → Text → Text Box , and click Draw Text Box :

Note : If you use a learning management system (LMS) or other program to issue completion certificates automatically, it’s important to create a completion template in which the specific details about the learner and the training would substitute automatically, without you having to do so manually.

For this to happen, you need to enter variables in a particular format. For example, iSpring Learn LMS recognizes the following variables:

• %NAME% — the first and last name of the learner who completed specific course
• %COURSE NAME% — the title of the course or training
• %DURATION% — the amount of time the learner spent to complete your course
• %AWARDED_SCORE% — awarded score points

Learn about even more variables to personalize your certificate in iSpring Learn →

Add all the necessary information you want to include in your completion certificate by adding new text boxes. Here’s what we have:

If you’ve done everything right, this is what your printable certificate of completion might look like:

Step 3. Save your completion certificate template

If you’re satisfied with the result, save your completion template in .docx or .pdf format on your computer. Select File → Save As → This PC , choose an appropriate folder, and click Save .

Step 4. Upload your certificate of completion to an LMS

Once you’ve created your course completion certificate template, you can upload it to your LMS. In iSpring Learn , you can upload .pdf and .docx certificates, which will be delivered to your learners for the successful completion of courses and training programs. So, if you use this LMS, follow these steps:

1.  Go to the Settings section and open the Additional Options tab. 

2. Then click Certificates → Add Certificate .

3. Click on the Browse… button and select a file. Then, create a name for the completion certificate and click on Upload File . The certificate of completion will now be added to your iSpring Learn account.

Perfect! Now you have your own custom course completion certificate that you can issue to your learners automatically.

You can also create completion certificate templates using MS PowerPoint. The overall process is pretty much the same.

That’s it! We hope you find a certificate of completion design that is perfect for your needs, and that our clear-cut instructions will help you create beautiful certificates on your own. Download our free package of certificate templates at once and share your thoughts in the comment section!

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Content creator:

Christine Quinn

Inspired by EdTech, she enjoys discovering eLearning trends and providing insights to help our readers create impactful learning experiences.

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Scholarship certification of coursework completion

This form allows ASU merit scholarship, Obama, CAG, FA Trust and AZ Grad Tuition Scholarships recipients to have their award released when they are enrolled less than full time in their final term of study.

Completed requests must be submitted to Financial Aid and Scholarship Services at least 30 days before the start date of your final semester.

Instructions

Complete and submit online. Detailed instructions are included with the form.

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Self-care Strategies for Child Welfare Workers (3 CEUs)

Due to the stress and demands in child welfare work, caseworkers and social work professionals are susceptible to experiencing burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress. In this training, the presenter will define self-care and discuss the need for self-care tools in various levels of practice and social justice work. Participants will learn about the benefits of self-care such as mindfulness and meaningful connection and have an opportunity to practice foundational somatic skills for responding to distress with curiosity, compassion, and presence. 

April 4, 2024 from 1:15 - 4:15 pm EST on Zoom Attendees will receive the Zoom link upon completion of the RSVP 3 Continuing Education Clock Hours available