Professional Capstone Certificate Program
The Professional Capstone Certificate Program (PCP) offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Computer Sciences is designed for students who want to learn the fundamentals of computer science. Students use this program to gain programming skills to transfer into more technical positions, for promotion, or as a way to prepare for graduate programs.
Depending on the student’s background, the program can be completed in four to six semesters. A few courses are offered off-campus in the evening hours each semester.
Questions? Please contact the PCP Coordinator (pcp-admissions@cs.wisc.edu).
Ready to apply? Apply on the PDC website.
Overview
Please visit the Guide for complete PCP program requirements.
PCP admits students for the fall, spring, and summer terms. Please review the certificate’s Guide page for exact deadlines.
Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Complete admissions information and prerequisites for applicants can be found on the Guide.
Please contact the PCP Coordinator (pcp-admissions@cs.wisc.edu) for further information on admissions to the program.
Please visit the Guide for details regarding the application. A complete application includes the following information:
- An online application for admission as a University Special student, selecting UNCS Capstone Certificate and the program: Computer Science for Professionals.
- Transcripts
- Resume
The Professional Capstone Certificate Program accepts international students. International students are required to take a minimum of eight credits per semester in order to maintain full-time status, and the constraints of the program’s prerequisite courses (CS 200/CS220 and CS 300), We do not have a fixed course plan for the PCP international student. Every student’s courses are planned based on their academic/professional background knowledge.
International applicants must submit evidence of English language proficiency. Please check the Graduate School’s requirements page for score requirements.
In addition, because of the need to process an I-20 for international students, there are some additional steps in the admissions process.
International Student Admission Requirements
If a student needs a UW I-20 document (required to obtain an F-1 student visa to enter/stay in the U.S.), they should apply to the Professional Capstone Certificate Program at least three months before their intended start date to ensure that there is enough time to complete the visa process. In addition to completing the steps above, two additional items will be collected from you, once admitted, as a part of our application process. These items are:
- a copy of your passport page showing your name, date of birth, citizenship status, etc.;
- financial documentation showing adequate resources to cover UW-Madison tuition and expected living costs for at least one year.
Questions
Please contact the PCP Coordinator (pcp-admissions@cs.wisc.edu) for questions about the process.
All required coursework credits must be earned at UW-Madison while enrolled in the Professional Capstone Certificate Program. Credits from prior academic coursework, either at UW-Madison or from another university, cannot be applied toward the Capstone Certificate. Courses taken as a University special student at UW-Madison do not count towards the PCP certificate.
Students should direct enrollment and program questions to the PCP Coordinator (pcp-admissions@cs.wisc.edu) at the Department of Computer Sciences. Any issue that cannot be addressed by the coordinator will be escalated to a faculty member of the Professional Program Committee.
FAQs
If you have obtained a bachelor’s degree in a field other than computer sciences, but now want to learn the fundamentals of computer sciences so that you can apply for software developer jobs, the Professional Capstone Certificate Program is for you.
PCP is a non-degree program. This program is not designed to provide you with an undergraduate or graduate degree. Instead, our students earn a certificate in computer sciences and gain the training necessary to pursue a career in software development.
No. Instead, a student who is about to finish the Professional Capstone Certificate Program can formally apply to the Professional Master’s Program and can complete the Master’s Program in an additional one to one-and-a-half years.
Yes, international students are welcome to apply to the Professional Capstone Certificate Program. Please contact the PCP Coordinator (pcp-admissions@cs.wisc.edu) for further information.
No. International PCP students are not eligible for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT) as PCP is a non-degree capstone certificate program.
This depends on your professional and academic knowledge in programming/math. If you have taken introductory computer science classes earlier (equivalent to CS 200/CS 220 and CS 300 at UW-Madison), you will only have to take four courses. Otherwise, you will need to take CS 200 OR CS 220, AND CS 300 before taking the PCP fundamental courses. So assuming you are working and take only one course per semester, you will complete the program in four or six semesters. (Note that we offer a selected set of courses also in the summer.)
Students are welcome to move through the program part-time, taking only one or two courses each semester. Or students can enroll full-time and complete the program in only two semesters. Please note, students are automatically graduated from the program the semester they complete their final fundamental course so will need to plan their program schedules accordingly.
Information on tuition and other costs is available on the Professional Capstone Certificate Program’s PDC page.
The Department of Computer Sciences does not provide any form of financial aid to PCP students. Please contact the university financial aid office to explore other options:
Students interested in either of the CS Graduate Programs would need to apply and be considered within the context of the rest of the applicant pool. The application process is competitive, and admission to the Professional Master’s Program or Traditional Master’s/PhD program upon completion of the PCP is not guaranteed. Our Capstone Certificate program is not a pathway to the CS Professional Master’s program.
Once admitted to the certificate program, a student must complete four courses with at least a grade of C per course. Each course must also be completed with at least three credits, for a total of twelve credits. At least two courses must be at the 400 level or above. See the Requirements & Curriculum section for more information.
The PCP program coordinator welcomes individual conversations to discuss your background and program goals to help you identify courses for your first semester before enrollment. Please email to the PCP Coordinator (pcp-admissions@cs.wisc.edu) and schedule an appointment.
Courses that count towards the Capstone Certificate are listed in our Guide. The department offers a broad range of courses each fall/spring semester (and selected courses in the summer). Currently, we offer a few courses online during the summer term. However, we do not offer online courses during the Fall and Spring terms.
Courses that count towards the Capstone Certificate are offered both on-campus during working hours as well as off-campus during evening hours. We offer two off-campus, evening courses taught once a week each semester on a rotating basis.
Credits from prior academic coursework, either at UW-Madison or from another university, cannot be applied toward the Professional Capstone Certificate Program. All twelve required credits must be earned by taking courses at UW-Madison while being enrolled in the PCP.
After completing the Professional Capstone Certificate Program, you can apply to the CS Professional Master’s Program (PMP). If you receive admission to the PMP program, you can apply up to 14 credits of PCP work towards the PMP and can obtain an MS degree in Computer Sciences in another one to one-and-a-half years.
If you already have an introductory background in computer science that is equivalent to CS 200/CS 220 and CS 300, you will be admitted to the Professional Capstone Certificate Program and will take four courses to complete the certificate.
Otherwise, you will still be admitted to the Professional Capstone Certificate Program, but you will be required to take CS 200 OR CS 220 AND CS 300 before being allowed to take the four additional courses to complete the program.
The equivalent of CS 200/CS 220 and CS 300, if taken elsewhere, will be considered for fulfilling the Professional Capstone Certificate Program course prerequisites. In addition, any successful completion of CS 300 at UW-Madison will also count as a completion of CS 200/CS 220.
You will apply with the Division of Continuing Studies (DCS) to be (a) admitted as a special student at UW-Madison, and (b) admitted into the Professional Capstone Certificate Program. DCS will handle part (a) by themselves. For part (b), DCS will work with the Department of Computer Sciences. Briefly, the department will examine your application and notify DCS whether you can be admitted to the program. If yes, DCS will in turn notify you.
The application deadline to be considered for the Fall term is June 1, the Spring term is October 15, and the Summer term is February 15. Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please contact us at pcp-admissions@cs.wisc.edu if you need help applying.