Public Administration
Graduate Certificate
What is public administration?
Advance your career in public service with our Graduate Certificate in Public Administration. Designed for professionals in government, nonprofit organizations and aspiring leaders, this program provides the knowledge and skills you need to improve the lives of your constituents and drive meaningful change.
Program Snapshot
Why choose our Graduate Certificate in Public Administration?
Whether you're overseeing a small municipality or managing a large government department, this graduate certificate will help you grow as a leader in public administration. You'll gain advanced insights into the political, social and economic factors that shape public policy.
You'll build expertise in strategic planning, fiscal management and leadership while learning how to formulate and implement policies that meet the needs of diverse communities.
With flexible online courses, you can earn your credentials without hitting pause on your career.
In our online program, you'll take a series of five classes covering topics including:
- Employee relations.
- Local government management.
- Public finance.
- Administrative law.
- Organizational theory.
- Urban government.
Through hands-on projects, you'll develop practical skills for managing nonprofits effectively in a variety of settings.
A path to your Master of Science in Administration in public administration
This certificate is the perfect next step if you’ve earned a bachelor’s degree but need specialized training to advance or pivot in your career. Typically consisting of 5 to 6 graduate-level courses focused on a specific subject, this program is designed to sharpen your expertise – in this case, preparing you to fine-tune your expertise and impact your community.
Each course takes eight weeks, allowing you to complete this Graduate Certificate in Public Administration in about a year. Even better, these courses seamlessly transfer into our M.S. in Administration degree with a concentration in public administration. By completing the graduate certificate first, you’ll already have almost half of the coursework for your master’s degree completed.
Highlights of our public administration graduate certificate
- Customizable courses: Extensive electives allow you to design a program around your career goals, focusing on ethics in government, public policy making, budgeting, state government, urban communities, strategic leadership and more.
- Credits transfer to master’s degree: The 15 credits earned in your Graduate Certificate in Public Administration will transfer into our 36-credit MSA in Public Administration. You’re almost halfway there!
- Flexible learning options: Take courses fully online or on-campus to suit your schedule and lifestyle.
- Expert-led curriculum: Your instructors are active professionals in public administration, providing you with real-world insights and strategies.
- Broad applications: This program benefits professionals from city and state to federal and even international public administration.
What’s the difference between public and private administration?
Not quite sure why administration is split into public and private? Which one really appeals to you? Where can you find your people? The ones with the same goals and passions as yours. Read our blog and discover the key differences between these two similar but different approaches to administration and outcomes.
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