Professional & Organizational Development

Administrative Excellence Certificate

This certificate is designed for individual contributors who ensure the administrative and operational effectiveness of programs, services and units at the UW. The core requirements develop essential knowledge and skills through classes such as Communications, Customer Service Excellence, Project Management Essentials and How the U(W) Works. Electives are organized into three tracks, which can be completed in combination or by specializing in one area: Communication & Collaboration, Fiscal Management, and Operational Excellence.

Please note: A number of classes in the Fiscal Management track are currently not being offered. Due to instructor availability, POD is not certain when or if we may be able to next offer some of these classes. We encourage you to consider the other tracks for this certificate.

Certificates are for UW employees, and successful completion counts toward six months of administrative experience when applying for related positions here at the UW.

Certificates must be completed within five years of the first class taken to fulfill the certificate requirements.

Pursue a certificate

  1. Enroll in the Certificate Program.
  2. Download or print a POD Administrative Excellence Certificate Curriculum Guide (PDF) to view requirements and track your progress.
  3. Complete core classes along with the required number of electives.

Program cost varies depending on which classes you take and how you pay for them; see information about requesting budget approval and release time for POD classes.

If you’re not currently interested in pursuing a certificate, you can use the above curriculum guide to find appropriate courses or plan your professional development.

Receive a certificate

Upon completing certificate requirements, email pod@uw.edu for a training history review. Include:

  • Your full name
  • Your Employee Identification Number (EID #)
  • Your UW NetID
  • Your campus box number
  • Your daytime phone number
  • The certificate(s) you have completed
  • If you are a UWMC or HMC employee

POD will present you with a letter and formal certificate. (You’ll be contacted if you have not completed all requirements.)

Understand certificate credit

Certificate requirements are subject to change. If you complete your certificate within the required five-year timeframe, POD will honor requirements that were in place when you began your certificate. Contact POD with any questions about certificate requirements.

UW Human Resources employment specialists and recruiters will credit successful completion of the Administrative Excellence Certificate as equivalent to six months of work experience. This experience will be considered when determining if an applicant meets the minimum qualifications for a related position at UW.

Please note:

  • POD does not allow certificate candidates to challenge courses or receive credit for skills already developed through life or work experience.
  • POD does not award certificates for individual courses or for partial completion of certificate requirements.
  • POD certificates are for current UW employees only. Professional & Continuing Education offers certificate programs for the general public.