This program offers online open enrollment programs designed to provide the skills
necessary to acquire professional level positions for many in-demand occupations.
Our programs are designed by a team of professionals from each respective field, providing
you with effective web-based learning programs. Instructors/mentors are actively involved
in your online learning experience, responding to any questions or concerns, as well
as encouraging and motivating you to succeed.
Professional Certificates
Advance your career with professional certificates from UNC Pembroke. Designed for working adults and lifelong learners, our short-term, non-degree programs offer practical skills and industry-recognized credentials to help you stay competitive in today’s job market. Whether you're upskilling, changing careers or exploring new opportunities, UNC Pembroke’s flexible online format makes it easy to learn on your schedule.
Certificate in Online Teaching Excellence (COTE)
During the fall of 2024, the Office of Online Learning reviewed and redeveloped the existing Certificate of Online Teaching Excellence (COTE). The new version has split COTE into two separate online courses, each lasting six weeks.
COTE 1 - offered in January 2025
Participants focus on online course design and development. The course has a combination of theory and practice related to systematic course design, quality metrics for course materials and learning environments and addressing specific design challenges related to assessment and feedback, accessibility, inclusion and learner engagement. If interested in participating in COTE 1, please email: online@uncp.edu.
COTE 2 - offered in fall 2025
Participants will focus on online facilitation and implementing high-impact teaching practices. The course is highly practice-intensive and intended to develop strong online facilitation skills.
Renewing and maintaining this certification upon expiration is a very easy process. Once you complete the certificate, you do not have to retake the course again to maintain certification. All you have to do is:
- Complete 18 hours of professional development related to online teaching and learning before the expiration date.
- Submit the Creditable Activity Form to document your hours. You can submit one form with all 18 hours before your expiration date, once a year, or once after each activity. Please use the frequency that best works for you.
- From these 18 hours, at least 12 must be earned through webinars and sessions offered by the Office of Online Learning. Sessions offered by our partners such as the Teaching and Learning Center and the Accessibility Resource Center can count toward this requirement if the topic of the session is related to online teaching and learning.
- You also have the option of completing six out of these 18 hours by attending external events or conferences related to online teaching and learning.
- If you attend a conference, only those sessions related to online- teaching and learning count toward your COTE recertification.
- One hour of professional development represents 60 minutes of online or face-to-face attendance. You can submit in the form fractions of time (e.g. 0.5 hours, 1 hour and 15 minutes) and we will calculate the total for you.
- If you have any questions about this process, the types of activities that you can attend to maintain certification, hours to complete or records, please email: online@uncp.edu.
Project Management Certificate
This fully self-paced, online certificate program spans up to 180 days and costs $399,
earning you 3.6 continuing education credits. The curriculum unfolds across 12 comprehensive
modules, starting with fundamentals of project management and leadership, moving through
stakeholder engagement, risk management, scheduling (including Gantt charts) and hands-on
use of Microsoft Project. It also covers estimation techniques, PMI’s Code of Ethics
and prepares you for the PMP exam with practice questions. Each module ends with a
quiz that must be passed to advance. A password-protected final exam (20 points; 16
to pass) follows a course evaluation. After successful completion, you receive an
emailed certificate and transcript credit. The course is accessed via Canvas and remains
available for six weeks post-enrollment. Technical requirements include a modern browser
and access to PDF and PowerPoint tools.
Project Management Certificate
Partnership with
ed2go
Biomanufacturing Training
Online & In Person
The U.S. Economic Development Administration funds class enrollment, and we are incredibly
thankful for their support. The class will last for two weeks, and you will be required to attend in person each
day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F. Please note that we do not provide housing for the
in-person training.
If selected for the training, you will need to complete five online training courses
before the start of the in-person course. You will receive a certificate of achievement for completing the online courses and
an Advanced Biomanufacturing Certificate for the face-to-face two-week training portion.
