Local Government Management Graduate Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management is designed for current professional staff, elected or non-elected local government officials, and those who are interested in pursuing a career in the local government sector. The certificate can be taken by itself or in conjunction with the Master of Public Policy Administration degree or other graduate degree. A separate application for the certificate program may be required when students in a degree program wish to incorporate the certificate program.

Requirements

The Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management requires the completion of 18 credit hours. Twelve of these are the following core courses:

Three hours of electives are to be taken from selected courses in business administration, criminal justice, economics, political science, and public policy administration. A student may choose among these courses or other courses approved by the program director. Electives will be chosen from the following course list:

Three hours of internship are also required but may be waived if the student has sufficient professional experience in the field. Any request for an exemption from the internship requirement must be submitted in writing and approved by the local government program director after a review of the student’s professional or managerial field experience. Students who receive an exemption must take another three hours of electives from courses listed above.

Requirements for admission to the graduate certificate program include an undergraduate degree and a GPA of 3.0 or better. Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. At least one of the letters should be from a current or former 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.