About Us
States University is a private online continuing-education platform offering non-credit courses, 100% online. Each course is reviewed before any certificate is issued, the certificate holder's information is checked, and every certificate is recorded with a unique registry number and a QR code so anyone can verify it online. States University is not a government agency and is not an accredited degree-granting institution.
Course review
How is a course reviewed?
No certificate is issued for a course that has not passed review. The review is based on the course documentation and happens before any certificate can be recorded.
The review looks at three things: the stated course hours, the syllabus and the materials actually delivered to the student. The course hours must match what the syllabus covers; the syllabus must match the materials; and the materials must exist in the form described.
The review is repeated when a course changes its structure. A significant change in course hours, content or the person responsible for the content sends the course back to review before new certificates are issued.
What causes a course to fail review
- Stated course hours that do not match the content delivered.
- A generic syllabus that does not describe what is taught.
- Materials that are inaccessible, incomplete or different from what was reviewed.
- No identifiable person responsible for the course content.
- A promise of a certificate with no actual course behind it: selling a document, not a course.
Certificate holder
How is the certificate holder checked?
A certificate says something about a specific person. Before issuance, the information provided is checked so that a certificate is not issued in the wrong person's name.
The full name, ID number and date of birth provided at issuance must form a consistent set and belong to the same person. When a partner organization requests the issuance, the check is made on the data it submitted.
The check looks for three specific problems: identity mismatches (details that do not match each other), duplicates (the same course claimed more than once or by more than one person) and inconsistent history (a course completion that does not fit the information provided).
A mismatch puts the issuance on hold until the certificate holder or the partner organization clears it up. A certificate issued with false information is revoked, and the verification page shows the revocation.
The certificate
What does a certificate include?
Each element exists for one purpose: to let a third party check the document without having to contact us.
- Unique registry number: every certificate has its own code (CERT-…), generated cryptographically so it cannot be guessed.
- QR code on the document: the PDF includes a QR code that opens the verification page for that specific certificate, with no search needed.
- Online status: the verification page shows whether the certificate is active, revoked or invalidated, so a third party can compare it with the document received.
- Long-lasting record: the certificate record (number, course, dates and status) is kept for as long as the verification service exists, so the document can still be checked years later.
A long-lasting record does not mean exposure: a certificate is private by default, and the certificate holder decides what is visible to the public. Have a document in hand? Check its authenticity now.
International version
How does the international version work?
A certificate shown to someone abroad often runs into two problems: language and the inability to check the document. The international version addresses both.
Once a certificate is recorded with its own number and QR code, the certificate holder can request a supplementary international version (the International Competency Certificate). It carries the same registry number as the original certificate; it is not a second certificate.
Verification happens on a public web page that anyone can open without an account, so HR teams and institutions can check the record directly, without intermediaries. As with any certificate, acceptance is at the discretion of each employer or institution.
Limits
What we do not do
We say it plainly, because a lack of clarity about what a certificate can and cannot do is often the first sign of a problem.
- We are not a government agency. States University is a private online continuing-education platform; no certificate it issues is a government act or record.
- We do not award degrees of any kind. States University is not an accredited degree-granting institution. Its courses are non-credit continuing-education courses, and each certificate is a private certificate of completion: it does not carry college credit, is not recognized by any education authority and does not confer a license to practice any regulated profession. Acceptance is at the discretion of each employer or institution.
- We do not issue certificates without an approved review. A course that fails review does not generate certificates, and a request with inconsistent information stays on hold until it is cleared up. We do not sell stand-alone documents.
The processing of personal information is described in the Privacy Policy; requests to correct, unpublish or delete data go through the data deletion and correction page.
Accountability
Who is responsible for the platform?
A certificate from an issuer you cannot identify has the same problem as a certificate without a number: it cannot be checked.
States University is operated by States University.
Questions about an issuance, a course review or a document you received: support@states.university or through the contact page.