FAQ > Courses & Diplomas

Our courses are designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to obtain the role you are aiming for in this evolving field. Our core courses are designed for everyone – from managers wishing to get the “big picture” to support their decision-making, to engineers who want to delve into the technical details.

We encourage you to use our interactive course selection tool to help you select the course most suited towards your carbon management goals. We also highly recommend our core courses as the foundation for your learning path:

201 Basics of Organizational GHG Accounting

202 Basics of Project-Level GHG Accounting

501 IPCC: Introduction and Cross-Cutting Issues.

Descriptions of all our courses and programs can be found on our website under the Courses & Diplomas tab.

Our experts and faculty are internationally renowned in the field. They are led by our Dean, Dr. Michael Gillenwater. Please go to our Faculty page for a list of experts and course developers.

The GHG Management Institute offers the following:

1. A Certificate of Proficiency is awarded to learners who have successfully passed the exam associated with a course;
2. A Diploma is awarded to learners who successfully complete all requirements of a Diploma Program.

The GHG Management Institute currently offers three diploma programs:

Diploma in GHG Accounting

Diploma in Carbon Management

Diploma in GHG Measurement, Reporting & Verification (MRV)

Completing courses is dependent on the learners’ availability and time commitment. The approximate number of working hours to complete a course is typically in the range of 16-20 hours, but this can vary considerably depending on the course. Check the “Approximate Number of Working Hours to Complete” section located on each individual course page. Completing the Diploma would be the cumulative amount of time it would take to complete all courses in the particular program being taken.

The exams associated with our courses have not been designed to be taken separately from the coursework. However, there are cases where learners, due to their past education and work experience, may be in a position to pass the exam without taking the course. We allow learners the option of purchasing just the exam, independent of a course.

To purchase an exam, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Individual Courses page and select the course you are  interested in taking the exam for
2. Select the option for ‘course only’ from the drop down menu at the bottom of the page
3. Click “Add to Cart”
4. Click “Proceed to Checkout” and complete the checkout process

No. There is an exam that accompanies each course separately, but no exam covering the entire Diploma program. Learners receive a Certificate of Proficiency for each course. After completing all the courses and passing all the exams, the Diploma is issued.

No. All course materials are available online. No hardcopies of the lessons are provided; however, the online lessons for most courses do have a print/save option.

We have also entered into a licensing agreement to provide all learners at the Institute with one copy of the appropriate part of ISO 14064. You can download a copy by logging into your course and clicking the appropriate link. ISO 14064 Part 1 is distributed as part of the Basics of Organizational GHG Accounting course, ISO 14064 Part 2 is distributed as part of the Basics of Project-Level GHG Accounting course, and ISO 14064 Part 3 is distributed as part of the GHG Verification for Inventories and Projects course.

The Institute used to offer a Certificate of Participation for people who actively participated in a course, but who did not take or pass an exam. This certificate involved no evaluation of learning or expertise in the subject.  The Institute has, as part of its core strategy, a focus on achieving measurable learning outcomes.  The Certificate of Participation did not satisfy this objective, and the decision was made to discontinue issuing them. When we issue a certificate or diploma, we are communicating that an individual has completed a rigorous process and can make a claim that they have gained well-defined knowledge and competency in a subject.

One of the advantages of online learning (or e-learning) is the fact that it can be self-paced. We have a Suggested Study Pace for every course, however, this is only a guideline. Completion timeframes vary based on the time you are able to devote to the course and your background and ability regarding the concepts in the material.

The approximate number of working hours to complete a course is typically in the range of 16-20 hours – though this can vary considerably depending on the course. Check the “Approximate Number of Working Hours to Complete” section located on each individual course page.