Career Programs

Students entering Career Certificate programs are expected to have earned a high school diploma, GED, or state-approved home school equivalent. Any student under 18 years of age must provide the signed permission of a parent or guardian. All students are expected to have a satisfactory command of the English language. Completion of the Professional Certificate is a prerequisite for entering a Concentration.

Sessions College is in compliance with all requirements imposed by or pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and section 504, Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The institution does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, creed, age, or national origin in its activities, programs, or employment policies, in accordance with Federal, State, and local laws.

Sessions College is committed to providing qualified students who have a disability an equal opportunity to access the benefits of educational programs and activities in compliance with The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Accommodations are provided to qualified students with disabilities. Students who believe they require accommodations should contact a Student Advisor at advisor@sessions.edu or call 800-258-4115 Option 2.

Upon completing registration, students are enrolled into an online Orientation class which must be completed before the start of term. In order to complete Orientation, students must:

1. Create a student profile.
2. Complete an advisor interview via telephone or email.
3. Get comfortable with how to access and utilize the Sessions learning environment.
4. Confirm their program schedule with their Student Advisor.

Sessions College career certificate programs include a list of required courses that are approved for the program. Students who have prior art, design or software experience can waive up to 50% of required courses (up to 180 hours of coursework) provided they take alternate course(s) and complete the minimum clock hours required for the program.

Any student wishing to substitute a course must work with an advisor to identify a replacement courses. Course selections are subject to availability and prerequisites. If desired, students who wish to substitute a course may submit one of the following items to validate their experience:

• A school or college transcript indicating equivalent course(s) completed.
• A resume indicating specific work experience.
• Links to online work that indicates a specific area of competence.


Program advisement decisions are at the discretion of Student Services and Education Departments. Questions about course substitution can be addressed during the Program Orientation or by emailing advisor@sessions.edu.

If a career certificate program student wishes to add/drop a scheduled course after it has begun, he or she may do subject to advisor approval, provided an alternate course in the subject at an equivalent or higher level is taken. A course may be added or dropped at no additional tuition cost if no exercises have been submitted. If exercises have been submitted or the replacement course is longer than the original course, the student may be responsible for additional tuition. Any questions about course add/drop should be directed to your Student Advisor.

Students who wish transfer from one career certificate program into another may be able to switch programs, subject to student advisor approval. Students who switch into a new program will need to meet all requirements of the destination program and tuition differences may be assessed if additional courses are required. Students who transfer may also be required to sign a new enrollment agreement.

Once Program Orientation is complete, Vocational Certificate program students review their schedule and program start dates with their Student Advisor. The start dates represent the dates that courses will open. Each level in a program will be allocated 3 months of access. For Professional Certificate students, Level I will be available in month 1, and Level II will be available on month 4. Professional Certificate students will be permitted access to any uncompleted courses up their program end date. Beyond that time, extensions are available for students in good standing.

When a course opens, a link to the course will appear on the student’s homepage in the learning environment. Students are not required to start a vocational course on the day it opens, but in order to complete their programs on time, certificate program students are expected to maintain a pace of completing at least one assignment per week.

Students who complete their courses ahead of their schedule can request access to their next course(s). Students who fall behind schedule have until their program deadline to complete any of their scheduled courses but must complete all courses by the program end date.

Career program students must attain satisfactory grades in all courses. At the midpoint of a certificate program, a student must have attained a grade average of 70 or higher in each course in order to continue. Students who do not meet this standard may be asked to retake courses or face dismissal. A certificate program student must attain a grade average of 70 or higher in order to graduate.

In order to graduate a Sessions Career program, students must:

• Complete all assignments and any graded exams in each course.
• Achieve an overall average grade of 70 or higher.
• Complete all required hours of coursework in the program.
• Complete the program within the allotted timeframe or within the allowed period of extensions.
• Have resolved all financial obligations to Sessions College for Professional Design.

Any questions about graduation requirements can be directed to your Student Advisor.

The Enrollment Agreement for a Sessions College Career Certificate program provides a guarantee of service for the duration of the student’s program.

After the expiration of the above time periods, the enrollment agreement is void.

Career Certificate students who reach their program end date and need more time can continue their enrollment for up to 6 additional months at a rate of $50/month, provided they have completed Level I of the Professional Certificate program. The program is an automatic payment plan. Students simply set up an automatic charge of $50 per month on their credit card, which will continue until the earliest of their cancellation, program completion, or 6 months. No partial month refunds are permitted, one extension is permitted per program, and extensions must be booked within one month of program end date.

Career program students who do not complete their programs within the period of their contract and any permitted extensions must re-enroll. A returning student may be awarded credit towards a new program for courses completed with passing grades. Courses completed will be evaluated for transfer to the new program to ensure that they are applicable to current program prerequisites and curriculum. Students are required to sign a new enrollment agreement and pay a $200 Registration Fee. Program tuition for re-enrollment is prorated at $75/lesson for the courses required to complete the new program. Returning students are provided with six months of access to complete their programs. Standard withdrawal and refund policies apply in a six month program contract.

Sessions College establishes the identity of each program student at enrollment by collecting identifying data that includes name, address, telephone number, date of birth, and social security number, and official documents that can range from high school or college transcripts to financial aid documents. Any information used for student identification is private and confidential and not shared with third parties.

During interactions with staff, students may be asked to provide their Student Identification Number, along with other requested sources of personally identifiable information, at any time, in order to verify their identity.

In order to access their classes, students are issued unique passwords for secure entry to the online learning environment. It is the responsibility of students to protect their passwords to prevent unauthorized access to their accounts at all times. School administrators can track IP addresses and login patterns at any time.

In our Associate Degree and Undergraduate Certificate programs, proctored written examinations are administered at regular intervals. Proctored exams must be facilitated by an online proctor through ProctorU or by an approved alternate proctor.

In the pursuit of their educational goals, Sessions College students have certain responsibilities toward their fellow students, to their school, and to themselves. To fulfill these responsibilities, students are expected to adhere to the following items in the DEAC Student Code of Conduct. I will:
• Conduct myself with professionalism, courtesy and respect for others in all of my dealings with the institution staff, faculty, and other students.
• Present my qualifications and background truthfully and accurately for admission to the institution.
• Observe the institutional policies and rules on submitting work, taking examinations, participating in online discussions and conducting research.
• Never turn in work that is not my own, or present another person’s ideas or scholarship as my own.
• Never submit or post creative or written work that has been developed using generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools unless authorized.
• Never ask for, receive, or give unauthorized help on graded assignments, quizzes, and examinations.
• Never misrepresent or overstate my role producinga part or whole of a submitted assignment or other
artwork.
• Never divulge the content of or answers to quizzes or examinations to fellow students.
• Never improperly use, destroy, forge, or alter my institution’s documents, transcripts, or other records.
• Never divulge my student login information or password.
• Always observe the recommended study schedule for my program of studies.
• Always report any violations of this Code of Conduct to the appropriate institution official, and report any evidence of cheating, plagiarism or improper conduct on the part of any student of the institution when I have direct knowledge of these activities.

Sessions College students are expected to behave with respect toward their instructors and fellow students. Every individual has the right to be treated with respect in the school learning environment. Individuals who breach this code of behavior may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.

• Plagiarism. Students may not copy another student or artist’s work (whether the work is an essay, a piece of visual artwork, or a page of code) without attribution.
• Submitting AI Generated work. Students may not submit either creative work or written documents/discussion posts that have been generated by AI unless authorized by their instructor and/or per the assignment criteria. If AI generated work is submitted in lieu of original creative or written work, this action is considered plagiarism. The same disciplinary process for plagiarism will be followed for unauthorized submission of AI generated work (written or creative).
• Obscenity. Students may not post or send obscene material within the learning environment. The judgment as to whether posted material is offensive and needs to be removed will be made by school administrators.
• Harassment. Students will not engage in verbal hazing and/or make derogatory remarks degrading an individual’s gender, race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disabled status.
• Email spamming. Students will not engage in any mass emailing of other students for any purpose, whether promotional or informational.
• Privacy infringements. Students will not share any private student information with third parties.

Committing any of the above actions may subject the student to disciplinary action. A student who violates the Enrollment Agreement or the Behavior and Conduct Policy will be subject to the appropriate disciplinary action, which may include: Written or verbal warning, suspension from a course or program, or dismissal from Sessions College.

Any student may appeal a disciplinary action, including dismissal from the College, by submitting a written appeal letter explaining any mitigating circumstances that led to the disciplinary action and/or any evidence that contradicts the disciplinary action. Appeals must be in writing and sent to the attention of the Appeals Committee at appeals@ sessions.edu within 15 days of notification of disciplinary action. The College will review the appeal promptly. If the appeal is successful, the disciplinary action will be removed or reduced, as appropriate. If the appeal is unsuccessful, the disciplinary action is final and will stand.

A student applying to a career program must pay a registration fee of $200. A student who cancels a career program within five days of enrollment is entitled to a full refund of all fees and tuition. After five days, if a student cancels this contract, the school may retain the registration fee of $200, plus a percentage of tuition based on the number of weeks elapsed in a semester not to exceed the following. Certificate programs are administered in 13-week semesters until contract expiration.

For each student cohort, the semester begins on the first day of Orientation. For students who elect to start classes before first day of Orientation, the beginning of semester will be defined as the first day that course access is provided.

For example, a student canceling after the 2nd week of a semester would be entitled to a refund of 70% of the tuition for that semester. A student withdrawing from a course or program may notify the school of cancellation in any manner, by email, fax, phone, or mail:

Email: Bursar@sessions.edu
Fax: 1-602-354-9436
Phone: 1-800-258 4115
Mail: ATTN: Bursar
Sessions College for Professional Design
Main Campus
404 S. Mill Avenue, Suite 201
Tempe, AZ 85281

Within 30 days after withdrawal or dismissal, Sessions College shall tender to the student any refund that is due. Any questions regarding the refund policy may be directed to bursar@sessions.edu.