Persons who may not initially want to follow a bachelor's degree program may enroll in one of the 15 certificate programs offered by University College. Those without prior college work may elect to complete a certificate program first and have the option of continuing with the complete degree program. Others who have previously completed a Bachelor's degree may want to enroll in a certificate program for personal enrichment or in order to show a concentration in another area of study.

Courses required in most of the certificate programs are equivalent to major requirements in the degree programs. (The Certificate in Business Administration includes the introductory courses in Accounting, Business, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing and Management Information Systems. These are most of the foundation courses necessary for admission to the typical MBA program).

To be eligible for a certificate, students must complete all required courses with grades of "C" or better. Courses completed with grades below "C" must be repeated. Unless otherwise stated, at least half of the course work must be completed at Creighton.