Public Management and Leadership Certificate

Return to: 2130 Department of Public Management and Policy

K. Jurée Capers, Faculty Contact
pmapmastersdirector@gsu.edu

The Graduate Certificate program in Public Management and Leadership provides basic preparation for students seeking a role as a leader at a government agency or a nonprofit organization. Learning from faculty experts, students develop a leadership toolkit to lead an increasingly diverse public workforce in addressing the complex challenges that our society faces.

Regulations for the Certificate in Public Management and Leadership

Applicants to the certificate program will be subject to the same admissions requirements and criteria used for the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP) degrees, except that letters of recommendation will not be required. Obtaining the certificate requires completing the two required courses and one elective with a minimum GPA 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. This certificate can be completed 100% online.

Graduate Certificate Requirements

Required Courses (6 Credit Hours)

PMAP 8111 - Public Management & Democracy 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8151 - Leadership and Organizational Behavior 3 Credit Hours

Elective Courses (6 Credit Hours)

Select two of the following courses:

PMAP 8551 - Data Analysis and Visualization 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8161 - Public Budgeting and Finance 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8171 - Public Management Systems and Strategies 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8210 - The Nonprofit Sector 3 Credit Hours
PMAP 8223 - Public Sector/Nonprofit Human Resources 3 Credit Hours

Prior Learning Credit

Students may earn up to 3 hours of academic credit towards requirements in the degree program from training gained through or in conjunction with a position in public or nonprofit service or a related profession. Students who wish to apply for credit for prior, formal training must request from the program director a list of pre-approved training that faculty have verified meets the same learning objectives of up to one course in the certificate. Alternatively, a student may request to have prior, formal training reviewed by the program director and pass a faculty-designed assessment to demonstrate learning outcomes of up to one course in the certificate. In both cases, students must provide documentation that describes the content, duration, and assessment of prior training and proof of successful completion when applying for prior learning credit.

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/.