Coursework for the certificate is completed online with no on-campus requirement. Students, faculty, and staff maintain contact and interact via the Internet with a user-friendly learning management system (LMS). The LMS provides one location for students to easily access course syllabi and readings; receive and submit assignments and projects; complete exams and course evaluations; and interact with classmates and faculty through discussion postings and private mail messages. The online educational environment is password-protected and accessible only to students registered in courses. Outside of the course environment, students communicate with faculty and staff through University e-mail, telephone, fax, and mail as needed.

Students can access their course materials anywhere in the world, at any time, as long as the computer they are using has access to the Internet and a web browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer is preferred). Courses are delivered asynchronously, as contrasted with real-time, and provide students with greater flexibility and convenience than on-campus classes. The certificate program, however, is not self-paced; the curriculum is designed so that students complete courses each quarter and their entire plans of study in a timely manner.