Penn GSE Certificates: Faculty & Staff Guide
This page provides Penn GSE faculty and staff with centralized guidance for understanding existing certificate offerings and for proposing, revising, or renewing Penn GSE certificates. It includes links to current policy guidance, required templates, and the standard process for review and approval.
This page is a working resource and will be updated as certificate policy, templates, and workflows evolve. Faculty and staff should always use the most current templates linked here.
Certificates at Penn GSE
Penn GSE offers a range of non-degree certificates and credentials designed for educators, school and system leaders, and education-adjacent professionals. These may include:
- Certificates of completion or participation
- Professional learning certificates tied to clearly defined outcomes
- Credit-bearing or non-credit professional certificates (as approved)
- Grant-funded, district-partnered, and open-enrollment offerings
Explore Existing Penn GSE Certificate Offerings
Before proposing a new certificate, faculty and staff are encouraged to review existing and in-development offerings to identify alignment, opportunities for collaboration, or models to build from.
Access current offerings:
If you are unsure whether a similar offering already exists, contact PLN to discuss your plan!
Starting a New Certificate (or Revising an Existing One)
New certificates, renewals, and substantive revisions follow a common review and approval process to ensure consistency across Penn GSE and is used when launching a new professional certificate or learning program or when significantly revising the scope, audience, modality, pricing, or instructional model.
Required Templates & Tools
All proposals must use the standard Penn GSE templates linked below.
Core templates
Submission
Please allow 2 weeks for preliminary review of each submission.
Budget and Resource Expectations
All certificate proposals must include a completed budget using the standard template. Budgets should account or:
- Instructional and facilitation costs
- Program coordination and administrative support
- Platform, materials, and space (as applicable)
- Enrollment assumptions and sustainability
- Grant or partner funding (if applicable)
- All budgets should account for a $10 issuing fee per certificate offered
Budgets are reviewed to ensure viability, transparency, and alignment with Penn GSE mission statement and financial policies.
Review, Approval, and Launch
Once submitted, proposals undergo a structured internal review that may include:
- Academic and programmatic alignment
- Budget and operational review
- Staffing and instructional capacity
- Registration, marketing, and certificate issuance readiness
Faculty and staff will be notified if revisions are required prior to approval.
Support and Questions
For guidance at any stage of the process, contact:
PLN General Mailbox: professionallearning@gse.upenn.edu
Lara Paparo (lpaparo@upenn.edu)
Alana Elkins (alanael@upenn.edu)
