Program Overview

Introduction to the Graduate Certificate in Learning Analytics

The Graduate Certificate in Learning Analytics (LA) equips education researchers and practitioners with the knowledge and tools necessary to understand and improve learning and the contexts in which it occurs through new data sources and analytical approaches. Students deepen their disciplinary knowledge of LA methodologies, applications, and ethical issues while developing technical proficiency with cutting-edge analytic tools, such as Tableau and R.

Program Overview

• The program is delivered online, with courses including lecture videos, activities, and other media accessed from NC State’s WolfWare website.
• Using online communication tools, students interact extensively with both the instructor and their peers.
• The program is guided by the North Carolina State University motto and mantra, "Think and Do," helping students to think deeply about learning analytics and apply their technical skills and knowledge to make an impact.

Eligibility and Admission Requirements

• Requirements for admission to the certificate program include:
  • A bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 or greater on a 4.0 scale, a 3.0 derived from the last 60 credits of undergraduate study, or a graduate degree from an accredited college or university.
  • A resumé that identifies educational preparation and professional employment and experiences.
  • A professional goals statement indicating how the GCLA will enhance job performance or career development.
  • A projected timeline for completing certificate requirements.
• Applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA at the undergraduate level may be admitted provisionally if professional experiences and goals are deemed high quality, with provisional admits required to earn a grade of B or better to remain enrolled.

Plan of Study

• The Graduate Certificate in Learning Analytics (GCLA) is composed of 12 credit hours of online, graduate-level coursework.
• The certificate may be completed entirely online from anywhere in the world.
• No transfer credits from other institutions or from NC State courses are allowed as substitutes.
• The expected time to finish the certificate is one to two years, with two courses offered every fall semester and two courses offered every spring semester.
• The traditional course sequence is ECI 586 and ECI 587 in fall, and 588 and ECI 589 in spring.
• Students are allowed up to three years to finish all courses, but it is recommended to complete the certificate in one to two years due to the rapidly changing technology in the field.

Career Prospects

• The ability to apply powerful analytics to the fields of education and training has resulted in rapid changes for many careers.
• The LA graduate certificate program provides deeper insight into how learning is accomplished and awareness of the impact of the latest educational tools, propelling careers to the next level in education analysis, design, development, or supervision.
• Novice and veteran education professionals alike will find the materials covered in the LA graduate certificate program useful for entering the industry or keeping up with quickly evolving standards, methodologies, and options for evaluating learning processes.

Accreditation

• North Carolina State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees.