Specialized certificate programs are in increasing demand among both working professionals and students of all levels. With a high level of specialization offered in a relatively short time frame, certificates offer many potential benefits for those who want to demonstrate a leg up to current and future employers.

“Professional certificates are a great thing on a résumé,” said David Cook, vice chancellor of Kansas University’s Edwards Campus in Overland Park. “The certificate shows a potential employer that you’re someone who likes learning and continuing to learn. The world is changing — you’ve got to grow with the times, and you’re taking the initiative. It’s definitely a differentiator.”

Brian Messer, vice president and dean for the School of Professional and Graduate Studies at Baker University, said that job applicants with a professional certificate are almost always guaranteed an interview, because the certificate is a “conversation starter.”

“They not only have the breadth of experience, but they have the depth of knowledge in the area as well. The applicant shows they have a much richer skill set that they can bring to the organization,” he said.

Both KU’s Edwards Campus and Baker offer primarily business certificates, but professional certificates are available in all kinds of categories such as education and specialized skills.

Business certificates at the Edwards Campus require 10 hours of coursework, and students can choose from eight options, including marketing, human resource management and strategic management.

Baker recently launched its five certificate programs, which include health care administration; leadership and organizational change; and online teaching and learning.

When an employer sees a professional certificate on a résumé, it provides an objective criterion to assess that applicant’s knowledge of that area.

“It gives the applicant more credibility if you’ve taken a series of courses that people who are experts in the field have plotted and blessed,” Cook said.

Professional certificates are not only for recent college graduates and those looking for a new job, but also people who plan to stay with their current company.

“We have students with certificates who become eligible for salary increases and promotions. But first and foremost, what they learn in the program can help them on the job right away,” Cook said.

For example, with all of the effects of the economic downturn, combined with technological advances and a newly global society, an applicant with Baker’s certificate in leadership and change could demonstrate to an employer that he or she is poised to help transform or even reinvent the organization.

Both Cook and Messer emphasize that certificates are not a substitute for a bachelor’s degree or even a master’s degree. Instead, they offer training in a focused area on a shorter timeline that adds value, at a lower cost, to either the student or employer.

Both Baker and KU have said they will continue to add more options for certificates as they interact with business and industry in the region. Cook says that he sees that as an important role of the Edwards Campus, and Baker recently dedicated a faculty member specifically to network with local businesses and potentially customize its offerings.

“Our role is to listen to organizations and try to identify where their skill gaps lie, and to bridge between higher learning and what the institutions need,” Messer said.