Policy Analytics Certificate

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Return to: 2130 Department of Public Management and Policy

Andrew Heiss, Faculty Contact
aheiss@gsu.edu

The Graduate Certificate program in Policy Analytics provides students with state-of-the-art data analytics skills applied specifically to questions and issues in the public and nonprofit sectors. Policy analytics examines large, structured and unstructured data for insights, prediction, and evaluation of individual and organizational behavior, spatial forms, and/or public and nonprofit programs. Students learn how to wrangle and analyze complex data, effectively visualize and communicate results, and contribute to the open source community. These skills prepare students for positions as data analysts, data scientists, and other data-intensive roles in public sector and nonprofit organizations. This certificate can be completed 100% online.

This certificate is not intended as a substitute for a complete graduate degree in data science or policy analytics, but as a supplement to another graduate degree or as additional professional training. Specifically, this certificate is designed to serve the needs of two groups of professionals:

Those pursuing non-AYSPS graduate degrees who desire training in public and nonprofit sector-oriented data science and analytics. AYSPS graduate students interested in data science and policy analytics should consider the Policy Analytics Concentration in the Master of Public Policy degree program.
Those already working in the public or nonprofit sector who wish to improve skills not addressed in their regular on-the-job training, such as data visualization, GIS analysis, and advanced causal inference methods.

Regulations for the Certificate in Policy Analytics

Applicants to the certificate program will be subject to the same admissions requirements (with the exception of the submission of letters of recommendation) that exist for the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) and Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) degrees. Obtaining the certificate will be based on the completion of the four stipulated courses with a minimum GPA in these courses of 3.0. No grade of a C- or lower will count for credit towards the certificate, nor will more than one grade of C+ or C be allowed for credit towards the certificate. The time limit for completing the certificate program is three years from the term of entry.

Graduate Certificate Requirements

Required Courses (6 Credit Hours)

PMAP 8551 - Data Analysis and Visualization 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8511 - Big Data for Public Good 3 Credit Hours

Elective Courses (6 Credit Hours)

Select two of the following courses:

ECON 8720 - Introduction to Data Management and Analysis 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8311 - Urban Demography and Analysis 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8521 - Evaluation Research: Design and Practice 3 Credit Hours * Can be taught as an asynchronous online class once a year.
PMAP 8541 - Coding in R for Policy Analytics 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8561 - GIS Applications 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8571 - Machine Learning for Policy Analytics 3 Credit Hours

Awarding of the Certificate

Students in the Graduate Certificate program should apply to graduate two semesters prior to their expected completion term. Details and deadlines can be found here: registrar.gsu.edu/graduation.