Linking Education and Employment: Certificate Programs at US Institutions 1980 – 2013

Abstract

This paper reviews the history of the link between education and employment in the United States and how that link came to be embodied in higher education certificate programs. Certificate, in this study, refers to a formal award that was made upon completion of either an academic or occupational/vocational program of study offered by a higher education institution. IPEDS data about the growth in certificate programs across 1,270 fields of study for the 7,313 Title IV US universities and colleges from 1980 to 2013 is then presented and analyzed. Finally, issues with and recommendations for certificate programs complete this study.