Earn a short-term certificate
Did you know you can complete a certificate program in less than a year?
Earning a certificate can be a great bridge from your military career to your civilian career. A certificate program is an academic program, often offered at community or technical colleges. They generally require nine to 30 credits (three to six classes) that can be completed in a year or less by a full-time student.
Some certificate programs are for people who want to quickly enter a specific job. Other programs provide specialized training for people who already have college diplomas or degrees.
Many community and technical colleges offer short-term training programs. Visit CareerOneStop’s Local Training Finder to explore options in your local area. If you’re not sure what field you might want to enter, visit Explore Civilian Careers.
You might qualify for veterans’ education benefits to help pay for a certificate program. If you do, you’ll want to make sure you enroll in an eligible program. You can search for VA-approved programs to make sure a program is eligible. You can use the GI Bill Comparison Tool to determine the cost at your chosen school and compare that with other schools.