diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/certificates/tests/test_webview_views.py b/lms/djangoapps/certificates/tests/test_webview_views.py
index fadda9ce0a..90898dd2cd 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/certificates/tests/test_webview_views.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/certificates/tests/test_webview_views.py
@@ -212,6 +212,15 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
     Tests for the certificates web/html views
     """
 
+    def setUp(self):
+        super(CertificatesViewsTests, self).setUp()
+        self.mock_course_run_details = {
+            'content_language': 'en',
+            'start': '2013-02-05T05:00:00Z',
+            'end': '2013-03-05T05:00:00Z',
+            'max_effort': '10'
+        }
+
     @override_settings(FEATURES=FEATURES_WITH_CERTS_ENABLED)
     def test_linkedin_share_url(self):
         """
@@ -921,7 +930,7 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         Tests custom template search and rendering.
         This test should check template matching when org={org}, course={course}, mode={mode}.
         """
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'en'}
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = self.mock_course_run_details
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
         self._create_custom_named_template('test_template_1_course', org_id=1, mode='honor', course_key=unicode(self.course.id))
         self._create_custom_named_template('test_template_2_course', org_id=1, mode='verified', course_key=unicode(self.course.id))
@@ -951,7 +960,7 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         match org and mode.
         This test should check template matching when org={org}, course=Null, mode={mode}.
         """
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'en'}
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = self.mock_course_run_details
         othercourse = CourseFactory.create(
             org='cstX', number='cst_22', display_name='custom template course'
         )
@@ -984,7 +993,7 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         Tests custom template search when we have a single template for a organization.
         This test should check template matching when org={org}, course=Null, mode=null.
         """
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'en'}
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = self.mock_course_run_details
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
         self._create_custom_named_template('test_template_1_course', org_id=1, mode=None)  # Correct template
         self._create_custom_named_template('test_template_2_course', org_id=1, mode='verified')  # wrong mode
@@ -1007,7 +1016,7 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         Tests custom template search if we have a single template for a course mode.
         This test should check template matching when org=null, course=Null, mode={mode}.
         """
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'en'}
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = self.mock_course_run_details
         mode = 'honor'
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
         self._create_custom_named_template('test_template_1_course', org_id=None, mode=mode)  # Correct template
@@ -1039,7 +1048,10 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         right_language = 'es'
         wrong_language = 'fr'
         mock_get_org_id.return_value = 1
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'es'}
+        course_run_details = self.mock_course_run_details
+        course_run_details.update({'content_language': 'es'})
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = course_run_details
+
         CertificateGenerationCourseSetting.set_language_specific_templates_enabled_for_course(self.course.id, True)
 
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
@@ -1082,7 +1094,9 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         right_language = 'es'
         wrong_language = 'fr'
         mock_get_org_id.return_value = 1
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'es'}
+        course_run_details = self.mock_course_run_details
+        course_run_details.update({'content_language': 'es'})
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = course_run_details
         CertificateGenerationCourseSetting.set_language_specific_templates_enabled_for_course(self.course.id, True)
 
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
@@ -1124,7 +1138,9 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         right_language = 'es'
         wrong_language = 'fr'
         mock_get_org_id.return_value = 1
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'es'}
+        course_run_details = self.mock_course_run_details
+        course_run_details.update({'content_language': 'es'})
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = course_run_details
         CertificateGenerationCourseSetting.set_language_specific_templates_enabled_for_course(self.course.id, True)
 
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
@@ -1165,7 +1181,9 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         right_language = 'es'
         wrong_language = 'fr'
         mock_get_org_id.return_value = 1
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'es'}
+        course_run_details = self.mock_course_run_details
+        course_run_details.update({'content_language': 'es'})
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = course_run_details
         CertificateGenerationCourseSetting.set_language_specific_templates_enabled_for_course(self.course.id, True)
 
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
@@ -1206,7 +1224,9 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         right_language = 'es'
         wrong_language = 'fr'
         mock_get_org_id.return_value = 1
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'es-419'}
+        course_run_details = self.mock_course_run_details
+        course_run_details.update({'content_language': 'es-419'})
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = course_run_details
         CertificateGenerationCourseSetting.set_language_specific_templates_enabled_for_course(self.course.id, True)
 
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
@@ -1242,7 +1262,7 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         """
         Tests custom template renders properly with unicode data.
         """
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'en'}
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = self.mock_course_run_details
         mode = 'honor'
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
         self._create_custom_template(mode=mode)
@@ -1276,7 +1296,7 @@ class CertificatesViewsTests(CommonCertificatesTestCase):
         """
         Tests certificate template asset display by slug using static.certificate_asset_url method.
         """
-        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = {'content_language': 'en'}
+        mock_get_course_run_details.return_value = self.mock_course_run_details
         self._add_course_certificates(count=1, signatory_count=2)
         self._create_custom_template(mode='honor')
         test_url = get_certificate_url(
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/certificates/views/webview.py b/lms/djangoapps/certificates/views/webview.py
index e7c6ce3c29..22d247bd8a 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/certificates/views/webview.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/certificates/views/webview.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ Certificate HTML webview.
 import logging
 import urllib
 from datetime import datetime
+from dateutil import parser
 from uuid import uuid4
 
 import pytz
@@ -252,7 +253,16 @@ def _update_course_context(request, context, course, course_key, platform_name):
     if CertificateGenerationCourseSetting.is_language_specific_templates_enabled_for_course(course_key):
         fields = ['start', 'end', 'max_effort', 'content_language']
         course_run_data = get_course_run_details(course_key, fields)
-        context.update(course_run_data)
+        if course_run_data['start'] and course_run_data['end'] and course_run_data['max_effort']:
+            # Calculate duration of the course run in weeks, multiplied by max_effort for total Hours of Effort
+            try:
+                start = parser.parse(course_run_data['start'])
+                end = parser.parse(course_run_data['end'])
+                max_effort = int(course_run_data['max_effort'])
+                context['hours_of_effort'] = ((end - start).days / 7) * max_effort
+            except ValueError:
+                log.exception('Error occurred while parsing course run details')
+        context['content_language'] = course_run_data['content_language']
 
 
 def _update_social_context(request, context, course, user, user_certificate, platform_name):
diff --git a/openedx/core/lib/edx_api_utils.py b/openedx/core/lib/edx_api_utils.py
index 85dd4dffac..00d009e201 100644
--- a/openedx/core/lib/edx_api_utils.py
+++ b/openedx/core/lib/edx_api_utils.py
@@ -19,12 +19,7 @@ def get_fields(fields, response):
     """Extracts desired fields from the API response"""
     results = {}
     for field in fields:
-        try:
-            results[field] = response[field]
-        # TODO: Determine what exception would be raised here if response does not have the specified field
-        except:
-            msg = '{resource} does not have the attribute {field}'.format(resource, field)
-            log.exception(msg)
+        results[field] = response.get(field)
     return results