FAQs
The University of Alberta offers certificates across a range of disciplines, which recognize student achievement in particular areas of focus not readily apparent on a student's degree or transcript, such as leadership. See full details on Certificates in the University Calendar. The certificate is embedded, meaning it will be earned during your time as an undergrad and awarded alongside your degree.
Our program intends to make students life ready, which includes opportunities to explore and practice interdisciplinary skills in an exciting and interactive learning space. Students will learn from industry professionals and academic experts, and gain real-world skills through co-curricular programming. Personal development and education on leadership will help students lead and progress in their field of study. Students who complete this program will receive a Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies parchment upon graduating from their primary degree.
Yes. CILS can only be embedded within an undergraduate degree, as such, only those enrolled in an undergraduate degree program are eligible to participate.
Please visit our Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership (CILS) page for more information on enrollment.
Yes. Any of the INT D 101, 207, 307 and 407 courses may be taken as an exploratory credit, however, if taken as an exploratory credit they cannot be used towards the CILS certificate.
Students enrolled in the certificate are required to take four 3-credit courses for a total of 12 credits, plus an Indigenous Perspectives co-requisite. In many cases, students are able to embed some or all of their PLSL courses in their primary degrees.
See eligible courses for a list of courses offered by faculties across campus that are pre-approved for inclusion in this certificate.
The Indigenous Perspectives MOOC can be taken in lieu of NS 201 or NS 202 (or other pre-approved courses in lieu listed here) as credit towards the Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies, however it does not count for any credit towards a degree.
The Indigenous Perspectives MOOC available through Coursera costs about $90 CAD.
Yes, PLSL courses are open to all undergraduate students. Students don't need to be in a degree program to be eligible to take courses and may be in Open Studies, for example, but they do need to be an undergraduate student.
Yes, students may take INT D 101, INT D 207, INT D 307, and INT D 407 before officially enrolling in the certificate program. If you intend to complete CILS, we recommend enrolling once you have completed or are enrolled in INT D 307.
Yes, students must complete CILS by the time their undergraduate degree is completed. CILS is an embedded certificate, so students can be enrolled in the certificate as long as they are enrolled in their undergraduate program.
No. Students must be enrolled in the certificate at the time of graduation. A certificate cannot be added retroactively to your degree.
There are many awards available for undergraduate students. For more information about awards and financial support, please visit our Awards page or the Registrar Office's Awards website for further details.
No. You must be registered in a U of A undergraduate degree to participate.
Regular international or domestic tuition and fees apply to our courses. Extra-curricular opportunities are offered at no extra cost. Students should speak with an advisor in their Faculty to see if PLSL courses count towards their primary degree.
No. Eligibility for our Certificate in Interdisciplinary Leadership Studies is not affected by a student's choice of residence.