Getting in
In general, you don't need to have taken business courses ahead of time, and you can start in any semester. An entrance exam (GMAT or GRE) is not required for professional certificate students.
There is a $40 application fee, which is non-refundable and payable with Visa, Mastercard, or Discover cards.
How certificate courses work
Nearly all certificate courses are delivered 100% online, but a few courses are offered in-person at our downtown Des Moines location each year.
Course duration: Courses are primarily 8 weeks long, with a few 11-week courses. Starting in Fall 2025, courses will be in an 8-week format.
Live sessions: All courses have a once-weekly live session, when all students are logged in together, on a weeknight—no Fridays, no weekends. The weekly login times are listed when you register for courses, so you can choose the schedule that works for you.
Completion time: Varies by certificate, but in general, most can be completed in 12 to 18 months.
Application dates and deadlines
Notification of admission decisions will begin on October 15 for spring term, February 15 for summer term, and April 15 for fall term.
Spring
Classes start: Late January
Priority deadline: October 15
Final deadline: January 1
Applications open August 15
Summer
Classes start: May
Priority deadline: February 15
Final deadline: May 1
Applications open January 1
Fall
Classes start: August
Priority deadline: April 15
Final deadline: August 1
Applications open March 1
Minimum requirements
You'll need to meet all of these criteria in order to be considered for admission to a certificate program.
- A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution
- Undergraduate GPA above the minimum
- Business Analytics: 2.5 GPA or higher
- All other certificates: 3.0 GPA or higher
- The required minimum months of work experience.
- Business Analytics: 12 months
- All other certificates: 18 months minimum, with a couple of exceptions noted below
- Work experience minimums are waived for:
- Current University of Iowa Pharmacy students (Leadership certificate only)
- Current University of Iowa degree-seeking graduate students (Innovation certificate only)
How we define professional work experience
In general, we define it as time spent working in a business environment with significant individual responsibilities, including some decision-making authority and personal accountability for the results of those decisions, after graduating with your bachelor's degree.
Professional backgrounds can vary, and we're looking for your work experience to demonstrate skills in independent problem solving, teamwork, critical thinking, time management, and management of people or teams. If you're a non-traditional student, we may be able to consider work experience gained before your bachelor’s.
Because our certificates are classified as non-degree and part-time, the university cannot sponsor international students for F-1 student visas or J-1 visas. I-20 or DS-2019 documents will not be provided.
Application checklist
Here's what's needed to apply:
- Completed online application
- Resume
- Transcripts (unofficial copies are sufficient to apply)
- International applicants: TOEFL/IELTS score report (or be eligible for a waiver)
- Statement of purpose
Tuition and fees
Certificates comprise either 4 or 5 courses. Each course is $2,250.
The total cost is $9,000 for all certificates with the exception of the Business Analytics Certificate, which is $11,250.
Students pay one university fee, a one-time Records and Documents fee. University of Iowa alumni who earned a degree prior to Fall 2016 get to skip this fee.
If you begin with a certificate and later enroll in the master's or MBA, you'll pay only one records fee.
Earning multiple certificates
You can earn more than one certificate, and can even enroll in more than one certificate program at a time. To earn the certificate, you'll need to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or better.