CBEY Online Certificate Program Policies
Academic Integrity and Use of Sources
Yale University is committed to fostering a learning environment grounded in mutual respect, trust, and academic excellence. As a participant in a Yale non-degree online certificate program, you are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity.
We encourage all learners to review the following resources from the Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning:
These resources provide guidance on how to properly cite sources, avoid plagiarism, and engage in ethical academic practices. While originally developed for undergraduate students, the principles apply equally to all learners in Yale’s non-degree programs.
Violations of academic integrity, including plagiarism and improper use of AI tools, will not be tolerated and may result in expulsion from the program and forfeiture of tuition.
Attendance and Participation
Weekly live sessions are mandatory unless otherwise stated. Learners may have up to one excused absence per course. Make-up assignments may be required for missed sessions. Mandatory live session occur during each of the program's core course. They are typically one-hour long held on Zoom, once weekly, midday ET. Learners are also required to attend Orientation sessions which are typically 1.5 hour long, held daily on Zoom, Monday - Friday, midday, during Orientation week.
Certificate Completion Requirements
Certificate requirements are summarized in the intent to enroll form that all participants signed before enrolling into the program. A copy of the form is available upon request. Learners must meet minimum grade thresholds (70%) and complete all required modules, assignments, and capstone projects.
Technical Readiness
Learners are responsible for ensuring access to reliable internet and appropriate devices. For more information on technical requirements, visit Supported Browsers for Canvas @ Yale. Learners are expected to access program content from a desktop or laptop computer. Technical support is not provided for mobile devices or Chromebooks.
Please ensure that your desktop or laptop is equipped with the following:
Internal or external camera
Internal or external speakers
Internal or external microphone
Respectful Engagement: All participants are expected to contribute to a respectful and inclusive learning environment.
The Yale Financing and Deploying Clean Energy (FDCE) certificate programs requires the use of Microsoft Excel. Yale does not provide enrolled learners with a subscription to this application. Google Sheets is not able to run the formulas used in the Renewable Energy Project Finance course of the FDCE program. Please plan and budget accordingly.
We have outlined the recommended technical requirements for the best course experience. Please adhere to them for optimal interactivity with the program.
Devices
You should plan on accessing the material and doing your homework on a laptop or desktop computer. Our programs require extensive use of Microsoft Word, and, in the case of the FDCE program, Microsoft Excel. While tablets or mobile devices are adequate to view the content on Canvas or participate in live sessions, tablets or mobile devices are not sufficient to share screen on Zoom, write policy memos, work on shared PowerPoint presentations for group work nor develop financial models. Yale's IT support is also limited to desktops and laptops. For more information on device requirements, visit Supported Browsers for Canvas @ Yale.
Note that while Linux-based operating systems are adequate for most activities during the Certificate, they do not support the full functionalities of Microsoft Excel such as What-If Analysis. We do not recommend you use a Linux-based system during this program.
Internet
Optimal connection speed is a minimum speed of 600kbps. Please use this link to check the Internet speed from your location
Platforms
Yale G.L.A.S.S.
To submit an application to CBEY's online certificate programs, applicants must first create a profile in GLASS, Yale's Global Learner Access Support System. This system simplifies the enrollment process for non-credit programming at Yale, connecting professional and lifelong learners to world-class education. As a user, you can update your preferences, manage applications, access resources, and track your academic progress - all in one platform. Once accepted and enrolled, learners will utilize the GLASS platform to access the payment platform for submitting tuition payments, access course materials, submit cases for technical assistance, request confirmation of program status, etc.
Canvas
CBEY online certificate programs use Canvas to deliver all course materials. Learners do NOT need to create a Canvas account, as one will be created for you upon enrollment. Learners will access their Canvas course through the GLASS platform.
Zoom
We use Zoom to conduct live sessions and office hours. To prepare for the program, you can:
- Download the free Zoom Desktop Client software ahead of time at zoom.us;
- Sign-up for a free zoom account using the email address that you used during the application process;
- Test your camera, speakers, and microphone on the system that you plan on using to join live sessions by joining a test meeting here; and
- Use this overview guide to familiarize yourself with Zoom.
Digital Credentials
A digital credential is a web-based verification of course or program completion. Yale offers a digital certificate once you have successfully completed all program requirements. Your digital certificate from Yale will allow you to:
- Share your accomplishments with your network. Your credential can be easily displayed on your LinkedIn profile or other social platforms, as well as career sites and your online resume.
- Verify your credentials to employers. Yale non-degree credentials are 100% authenticated and secure, so they provide immediate verification of your credentials, speeding up employer verification processes.
The Yale School of Management and the Yale School of the Environment names will be visible on the credentials for CBEY's online certificate programs.
Is the certificate a degree?
No. CBEY online certificate programs are not degree-bearing and participants are not Yale students but important members of the Yale community as non-degree educational program participants. Participants who complete the requirements of the certificate led by CBEY will receive a certificate of completion from the Yale School of Management and the Yale School of the Environment.
If you are interested in a degree program with an energy justice, clean energy technology, policy, or finance focus, consider applying to one of the programs offered by the Yale School of the Environment or the Yale School of Management.
Is the certificate credit-based?
No. At this stage, you may not earn credits for Yale online certificate programs. As a result, we also do not offer transcripts.
If you are interested in a degree program with a clean energy technology, policy, or finance focus, consider applying to one of the programs offered by the Yale School of the Environment or the Yale School of Management.
How many credit-hour equivalents are these programs?
Yale online certificate programs are non-degree educational program, and they are not for credit. An equivalent in credit hour cannot be provided because the structure of Yale courses in general and of the courses in our online certificate is different.
A 3-credit course at Yale College would generally mean that students receive three hours of instruction per week, and are expected to work an extra six hours on assignments and readings over the course of 13 to 15 weeks. This means for instance that for a 14-week long semester, a student in a 3-credit class would work a total of 126 hours, including 42 instruction hours.
Generally speaking, CBEY's certificate programs are structured with three hours of readings and assignments and two instruction hours weekly for the Core Courses, in addition to a week-long Online Orientation and Foundations Courses. The FDCE program, for example, requires in excess of 200 hours of work, including about 100 hours of instruction in total over the course of an academic year. Thus the ratio of instruction hours to assignment hours is higher, and credit equivalent cannot be provided.
Deferral
An applicant admitted to the program, prior to the deadline for the first tuition installment, may request a deferral until the next academic year. No deposit is needed for deferral. Tuition will not be collected until the following year, and rates for the year of actual enrollment will apply. Deferrals after the first tuition payment will be granted only in extenuating circumstances. Deferrals are not granted after the first day of the core courses. In such cases, leaves of absence may be considered. If an applicant is granted a deferral, they will be asked to complete a new application to the program the following year. Once submitted, the applicant will be automatically accepted into the program. Scholarships, group discounts, or other special rates only apply the year in which they are awarded. To be considered for a tuition discount the following year, a new application requesting consideration for a tuition discount, if available, will need to be completed. Discounts provided year-to-year are different, and there is no guarantee that the tuition balance owed will be equivalent or smaller in the coming year. Accepted applicants may defer their acceptance for one year maximum for guaranteed admission.
Withdrawal and Readmission
A participant may withdraw from the program for any reason with a full refund minus $500 by the specified deadline (see: Important Dates page for the CEED program or Important Dates page for the FDCE program), or at any time thereafter without a refund of tuition payments made. A participant will be considered withdrawn from the program upon failing to complete timely tuition payments and/or failing to complete the requirements of a course in the program without taking a leave of absence. At such time, access to the course content will be revoked. This certificate is not for credit, and no partial credit will be awarded. Certificates of completion will only be provided to participants after the successful completion of all program requirements and timely payment in full of all tuition fees. Confirmation of enrollment or course completion will only be provided to participants in good financial and academic standing, including participants on approved leave. Withdrawing from the program does not guarantee readmission in a future year, nor can partial payments be refunded nor applied to future years or other programs.
Transcripts & Remediation of Failing Grades
The program is a non-degree bearing program for which no transcripts nor final course grades will be delivered. Certificates of completion will only be provided to participants after the successful completion of all program requirements, and all courses are evaluated as pass or fail. Upon failing to complete requirements of a course, the participant may request to take a leave of absence and return the following year to re-attempt the all incomplete courses (see leaves of absence) or they will be withdrawn from the program.
Leaves of Absence
A participant may request a leave of absence at any time, to be granted starting with the last successfully completed course and extending through the duration of the program. Leaves of absence (LOA) will not be granted for single courses (i.e., you may not request a LOA for one course and continue through the rest of the program). Leaves of Absence must be requested utilizing the Yale G.L.A.S.S. LOA request option in the learner portal. The participant will lose access to Canvas as soon as the leave is granted and should prepare accordingly. The learner will then be asked to return the following year to re-attempt the incomplete course(s) with the next cohort. Re-enrollment the following year is not automatic and requires action by the learner by stated deadlines. Because course content and course requirements change on an annual basis, the participant will be required to fulfill all of the course requirements of the new year and will receive no credit for partially-completed courses from the prior year, though they can receive credit for all fully completed courses. A certificate of completion will be provided the June following the successful completion of all program requirements. Leaves of absence will not be extended beyond one year. Leaves of absence are conditional upon good financial standing with the program and payment in full by the stated deadline at the end of the current academic year.
