Welcome to Professional Studies
When it comes to continuing education, we want you to have as many options as possible. That's why we provide learning opportunities that will fit into virtually any stage of your life or career. Whether you're looking to switch jobs, broaden your skill set, or start a new venture, our courses will help you build your knowledge for professional and personal growth.
We offer a variety of certificate programs and individual courses for professional advancement, skill building, and/or academic credit. Explore our offerings and find the program that works for you..
Non-Credit Programs
Not concerned about academic credit, but want to expand your skill set? Our non-credit certificates, workshops, and courses might be right for you.
Summer Academic Credit-Bearing Courses
Seeking academic credits to apply towards a degree at another institution? Our undergraduate and graduate level courses are offered during the summer sessions for visiting students from outside of Emerson to participate.
Graduate Certificates
Looking for a certificate program that awards academic credit or for a pathway towards earning a Master's degree? Discover our current offerings for graduate certificates in:
- Content Strategy (online certificate)
- Digital Content Management (online certificate)
- Digital Marketing (online certificate)
- Marketing Analytics (online certificate)
- Political Communication
- Public Relations
- Social Media & Digital Public Relations (online certificate)
- Sports Communication (core offered online, electives include a selection of online and in-person options)
Graduate certificates require an application for admission. Each program page contains details for application deadlines and requirements.
How do I Enroll?
To enroll in a Graduate credit Certificate
- Visit the certificate links above for details on admission, application requirements, pricing, and to connect with a graduate admissions counselor to discuss your options.
To enroll in individual Non-Credit courses
- Browse for Non-Credit courses.
- No application is required.
- Add a course to your shopping cart and follow the prompts to enroll and complete the payment process
To enroll in individual Credit courses
- Browse for courses by Undergraduate credit, Graduate credit, Areas of Study, or use our Advanced Course Search tool to find the right course for you.
- No application is required.
- Add a course to your shopping cart and follow the prompts to enroll and complete the payment process
Each course page will provide the course description, number of credits (academic units), price, schedule, and delivery format.
During the checkout process, you will be asked to create a temporary account to grant you initial access to enroll. After your first course registration is complete, within a few hours, you will then receive an email from Emerson's IT Help Desk entitled "Emerson College - Activate your account" which will enable you to set up your permanent student account and password to access the College's online services. From this point forward, you will use your new official Emerson credentials to log in to this website as well as all Emerson services you may access as an enrolled student. To learn more, please review our Information for Enrolled Students page.
What are the Tuition costs?
All credit-bearing courses charge tuition calculated by the number of academic units (credit hours) assigned to a course. Each course on our website will indicate the specific number of credits and the calculated tuition rate so you will know upfront how much your course will cost. Tuition rates are determined on an annual basis for the College. Payment is due at the time of enrollment and may be paid online during the checkout process.
Tuition for non-credit courses is a flat fee amount per course you will find listed on each individual course page. Prices vary based on the length of the course, complexity of the subject matter, and contact hours spent in class. Each Non-Credit course page will provide you with details on the price, schedule, delivery format, course description, and prerequisites (if applicable). Payment is due at the time of enrollment and may be paid online during the checkout process.
Learn about Graduate Certificate tuition or speak with an admissions counselor for your program of interest to learn about the full array of financial assistance options.
What does it mean if a course says Full, Enrollment Closed, or Not Currently Available?
Each course has a maximum number of seats for purchase in order to ensure educational quality with a low faculty to student ratio. If you find that a course is full (sold out), click the Notify Me When Course is Offered Again button on the course page to receive an automatic email notification if any additional seats become available or if a new section of the course becomes available for enrollment. Please note: we cannot over-enroll a course beyond its maximum capacity. Occasionally, student plans change and it is possible a seat may suddenly become available. If a course indicates Enrollment Closed, this means the deadline for registration has passed and new registrations and wait list sign-ups are no longer accepted. A course indicating Not Currently Available means the course is not scheduled for this semester but you can click the Course Alert button to be notified by email when the course is offered in the future.
Will courses appear on a Transcript?
Yes, all courses taken through Emerson's Professional Studies department will appear on an official Emerson transcript available through the Registrar's Office or on an unofficial transcript viewable through your Professional Studies Student Portal. Once you have enrolled in courses, you will have access to your Student Portal account to view your course history, grades, payments, certificate progress, and much more.