Graduate Certificate in Public Administration

The Graduate Certificate in Public Administration program provides students with the essential knowledge and skills needed to meet the administrative and management challenges of today’s public sector and nonprofit organizations. It is designed for individuals who would like to gain a solid foundation in public administration topics for career transition or advancement into the public or nonprofit sectors, or to take the first step toward pursuing a master’s degree in public administration. Courses in the program build the knowledge base necessary for decision making, planning, administrative effectiveness, budgeting, and critical thinking, as well as the management and leadership skills essential for success. Students who successfully complete the certificate program can later apply these courses to the Master of Public Administration degree program (MPA), once an application has been submitted and accepted. The certificate program is composed of five (5) graduate-level courses, three of which are core courses and two of which are electives.

Admission Requirements

The certificate program is open to individuals who have earned a baccalaureate degree in any field from a regionally accredited college or university.

Applicants must:

1. submit a completed Graduate Certificate Application form
2. have an undergraduate GPA of 2.70 or higher.
3. submit official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work
4. submit a Statement of Purpose which includes the applicant’s professional goals
5. provide two Letters of Recommendation

For further information about the Graduate Certificate in Public Administration, please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at508-626-4501.

Transfer Credit

No transfer credit is permitted in this certificate program.

Certificate Course Requirements (5):

Students must earn an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher for successful completion of the certificate. A student shall be dismissed upon a grade of “F” or when the student’s GPA remains below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters. To be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Public Administration, students must complete all courses with a grade of “B-“ (2.70) or better.

Core Courses:

• PADM 901 Foundations of Public Administration
• PADM 929 Techniques of Policy Analysis
• PADM 937 Techniques of Public Budgeting & Resource Management

Choose Two (2) Electives from the following:

• MGMT 904 Management and Leadership
• PADM 911 Grantsmanship and Development
• PADM 932 Managing Public Sector Projects
• PADM 957 Risk Management and Fiscal Analysis
• PADM 981 Personnel Management in the Public Sector