Public Policy Administration offers a Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management for students who are current professional staff, elected or non-elected local government officials or who are interested in pursuing a career in the local government sector.
The certificate can be taken by itself or in conjunction with the pursuit of the Master of Public Policy Administration (MPPA), or a graduate degree in another field. Course credits earned in the certificate program can be applied to the MPPA, but a separate application may be required. It is possible for students to complete their MPPA with an emphasis in Local Government Management and receive the graduate certificate without completing additional coursework.
A. The graduate certificate in local government management requires the completion of 18 credit hours. Twelve of these are the following core courses:
B. Three hours of electives are to be taken from selected courses in business administration, criminal justice, economics, political science, public policy administration, and sociology. A student may choose among these courses or other courses approved by the program director. Electives will be chosen from the following:
*Other courses may be added as deemed appropriate for content.
C. Three hours of internship are also required, or graduate students should demonstrate either a professional field experience equivalent to the internship or be required to participate. Any request for an exemption from the internship requirement must be approved by the local government program director after a review of the student’s professional or managerial field experience with appropriate documentation. Students who receive an exemption must take another 3 hours of electives from the selection in area B.
The internship will include learning activities in management and governance processes in local government jurisdictions, as well as a seminar in which students will critically reflect on their field experience with a faculty supervisor.
Requirements for admission to the graduate certificate program include an undergraduate degree and a GPA of 3.0 or better. In addition, two letters of recommendation are required, preferably with at least one letter from an applicant's previous college-level instructor. Applicants must submit a two-page personal statement explaining how the certificate program fits in with the applicant’s educational and professional goals. The letters and the personal statement should be sent directly to the Public Policy Administration Program. For more information go to the Graduate School Application Page
