Due to visa regulations, the certificate program is not available to applicants that require a student F-1 visa. Applicants who will need a student visa are encouraged to apply to our degree-granting programs.
Graduate-Level Credit
- $45 application fee
- Apply through USD Graduate Admissions
- Submit transcripts, current resume, and two letters of recommendation
- Provide a written statement of purpose
- Eligible for Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement
- Earn graduate credit
- Total cost: $8.154 ($906 per unit)
Professional Development
- No application fee
- Apply via online form
- Provide a written statement of purpose and your resume
- Certificate of Completion issued at the end of the program (Course by course completion notices available upon request)
- Total cost: $4,950 ($550 per unit)
Graduate Application Process
All applicants are considered utilizing a holistic review process, including the following factors:
- Strength of academic history
- Professional and/or extracurricular experiences relevant to the program
- Content of personal statement and its connection to learning outcomes; and
- Letters of recommendation with specific examples of your competencies and aptitudes relevant to the program
Admission decisions are made approximately 30 to 60 days after each deadline.
Application checklists
Graduate Credit
The Arts and Culture Leadership Certificate Program does not require the GRE or specific coursework for admission. Some leadership experience is helpful but professional experience is not required.
Official (Degree-Granting) Transcripts
Must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admission:
Office of Graduate Admission
University of San Diego
5998 Alcalá Park
San Diego, CA 92110-2492
grads@sandiego.edu
Official E-Transcripts are acceptable only if emailed to grads@sandiego.edu.
Official transcripts from the university where you earned your bachelor’s degree are required at the time of application. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average is 3.0 (on a 4.00 scale) in all graduate coursework.
If you earned a degree from an institution outside the United States, you are required to submit an official international transcript evaluation (also called a foreign credential evaluation) as part of your application. Please note that the evaluation must be a course-by-course evaluation. You must order your official course-by-course evaluation from one of the following evaluation services.
- World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
- Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. (JSA)
- SpanTran: The Evaluation Company (SpanTran)
- Foreign Academic Credential Service (FACS)
Please be sure to carefully read the application checklist for international students found on the University of San Diego's Graduate Admission website.
Current Resume
Current resumé or curriculum vitae
Two Letters of Recommendation
A minimum of two professional letters of recommendation from a current supervisor or a professor attesting to both academic and personal skills, and if possible, to teaching abilities.
Statement of Purpose
A 500-word maximum statement of purpose.
- What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing the arts and culture community (either locally or nationally)?
- How will what you learn in this program help you effectuate change in those areas?
Professional Development
Thank you for your interest in the University of San Diego's Arts and Culture Leadership Certificate. Before you begin your application, here is a list of items you will need to complete the application.
If you run into any problems or have any questions, please contact Taylor Funderburk, Research and Program Associate at tfunderburk@sandiego.edu.
Contact information
Gender and pronouns
Ethnicity
Race
Educational Background, including a current resume.
Statement of Purpose
(500 Word Max)
What do you believe are the greatest challenges facing the arts and culture community (either locally or nationally) and how will what you learn in this program help you effectuate change in those areas?
Questions?
Connect with the Office of Admissions and Outreach team to learn more information about SOLES master's and doctoral programs. Additional information for international applicants is also available.