Online Blended Online Learning Certificate (BOLT)
In today’s world, the need for online and blended learning is an ongoing necessity for higher education, K-12 schools, and corporate employee training. The ability to create, manage, and facilitate online learning is of the upmost importance for educators in countless fields. The University of Cincinnati Online’s Blended Online Learning and Teaching (BOLT) graduate certificate program sets students up to meet these demands by gaining skills in education, design, and information technology.
What is Blended Online Learning and Teaching?
Blended Online Learning and Teaching (BOLT) graduate certificate teaches current, technology-based learning modes, which require very specific skills in combining facilitation, collaboration, learning design, management, and assessment. BOLT combines digital educational materials for interaction online with traditional classroom curriculum. UC Online’s students will gain a good technological understanding of the nature of online and blended learning experiences; how they differ from traditional, in person classrooms; and how to make curriculum engaging, through a virtual platform.
Blended Online Learning and Teaching Certificate Overview
High Quality Education
By the end of the program, students will be able to:
- Develop strategies to encourage active learning, application, interaction, participation, and collaboration in online and blended environments
- Facilitate effective learning in online and blended learning environments
- Demonstrate mastery of contemporary learning technologies
- Explain the instructional delivery continuum, including associated strengths and affordances
- Remain cognizant of student academic needs and make appropriate accommodations
- Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards
The University of Cincinnati Online also offers a Master’s of Education in Instructional Design and Technology degree. Our M.Ed in Instructional Design is a 30 credit hour program that sets students up to meet online teaching demands by gaining skills in education, design, and information technology.
Flexibility
- 100% online: no campus visits are required
- Meets the current demands of teaching remotely and socially distanced formats
- Professional development rates available
- University of Cincinnati offers a Professional Development Award to specific endorsements and certificates. Our Blended Online Learning and Teaching (BOLT) graduate certificate qualifies; this scholarship award amounts to 30% off of the Instructional fee, General fee, and Info Tech fee of every credit hour. Connect with an Enrollment Services Advisor to see if you qualify for the Professional Development Award.
Support from Application through Graduation
At UC, you’ll have a full support team behind you:
Enrollment Services Advisor: Your go-to resource during the application process
Student Success Coordinator: Helping you prepare for classes and stay on track
Access to Resources: Access to university resources that will support you through your program including online learning expectations and resources, health and wellness resources, and academic support
Prerequisites
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university
- Overall minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (recommended)*
*Candidates who graduated from a non-accredited college or university or who do not meet the minimum grade point averages requirement for admission will need a waiver from the School of Education. For the program to request a waiver, the candidate must provide evidence that address mastery of the knowledge prerequisite to the courses required by the program, acceptable writing skills, the ability to engage in critical thinking, and a personal commitment to completing the program. The evidence must convincingly demonstrate the candidate’s potential for success in graduate level work.
Admission Materials
- One Letter of Recommendation
- Goal Statement
- Resume or CV
- Unofficial Transcripts
Complete the online application and submit the application fee.
Standard Application Fees:
- $65.00 for domestic applicants to most degree programs
- $70.00 for international applicants to most degree programs
- $20.00 for domestic applicants to Graduate Certificates
- $25.00 for international applicants to Graduate Certificates
- Application fees for UC Online programs are waived through Fall 2026 for all applicants who apply by July 1, 2026
- Fee waivers are automatically applied for applicants who:
- Are currently serving in the US armed forces
- Are veterans of the US armed forces
You can find more information here. Applications are accepted continuously throughout the year. Please review and submit the following materials:
All applicants are required to upload unofficial transcripts during the application process, showing all undergraduate and graduate course work completed, including degrees granted and dates of conferral.
Official transcripts are not required until the student has received and accepted an offer of admission from the university. Once the offer has been confirmed, the student must submit official transcripts.
Students who have received degrees from the University of Cincinnati do not need to submit official paper copies of their UC transcripts.
For questions regarding international students, contact an Enrollment Services Advisor.
Transcripts can be submitted electronically or by mail. To see if your transcript(s) can be ordered electronically, visit the links below and search for your previous school(s).
- Parchment
- Please select “University of Cincinnati – Main Campus” as the recipient of your transcript.
- National Student Clearinghouse
- Please have your transcript sent directly to admissions@uc.edu.
If you do not see your past school(s) listed on either site, please contact the school(s) directly. Then, mail your sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:
Please mail sealed, unopened, official transcripts to:
University of Cincinnati
Office of Admissions
PO Box 210091
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0091
One letter of recommendation is required.
- Recommendations should come from individuals who can attest to your academic and professional skills. References from current and former employers are always desirable. Additionally, recommendations from contacts within academia or professional organizations you’re involved in are also desirable.
- Those writing letters should explain who they are, their relationship to the applicant, and what they know of the applicant’s academic and professional abilities.
- Letters of recommendation from family, friends or current students are not accepted.
- Recommendations are submitted by the recommender themselves; they cannot be completed or submitted by the applicant or another party on behalf of the reference.
Professional Resume:
A resume relevant to academic and professional data. It should include the applicant’s name; phone; email; colleges attended with degrees, dates conferred, and grade point average; employment history; professional experience; present employer; and names of references.
Curriculum Vitae:
A detailed look at the applicant’s career path, including achievements, publications, and awards. Including comprehensive information about candidate’s research background, presentations, publications, committee memberships and other experience of an academic, clinical, or scientific nature.
The goal statement serves as a sample of the applicant’s writing quality and ensures their goals match with the program. It should denote applicant’s desired program concentration (if applicable) and highlight applicant’s motivation for pursuing a career in the field, and how the program will benefit them.
No GRE is required of applicants.
GRE scores are optional for admission. Scores are recommended to strengthen applications that may be weak in areas. For example, applicants with a minimum undergraduate GPA of less than 3.0 should include GRE scores with their application.
You may transfer up to one third of the credits of the program, about 9 credits credit hours of graduate courses from a regionally accredited college or university. These credits must have been earned within the last five years prior to admission and be approved by the program faculty. Practicum coursework cannot be transferred into the program.
Transferring from one graduate program to join another at UC, all UC graduate credits taken as part of the incomplete program or under a certificate are eligible to use to fulfill requirements in the new program, based on faculty evaluation of the equivalence to courses in the new curriculum and program approval.
International students are required to provide specific information about their transcripts. Transcripts must have a course-by-course evaluation completed from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).
English Proficiency Requirement: English proficiency is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. Students can demonstrate proficiency in a number of ways at the graduate level.
| Term | Application Deadline | Classes Start |
|---|---|---|
Summer 2026 Fall 2026 |
April 15, 2026 July 15, 2026 |
May 11, 2026 August 24, 2026 |
The University of Cincinnati's online course fees differ depending on the program. On average, students will accrue fewer fees than students attending on-campus classes.
The one fee applied across all UC Online programs is the distance learning fee. Students living outside the state of Ohio must also pay an additional “non-resident” fee to enroll in courses at UC Online. This fee is lower than the out-of-state fee for traditional on-campus programs.
To view tuition information and program costs, visit the Online Program Fees page.
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