Graduate Certificate in Public Management

Purpose

The Public Administration Program at the University of West Georgia offers a 12 hour course of study leading to a Graduate Certificate in Public Management (GCPM). The GCPM is designed to meet the needs of practicing and future public administrators who already have a bachelor’s degree and who desire to:

• broaden their understanding of the concepts and techniques of public management; or
• pursue the certificate with the goal of career advancement but do not find it necessary or feasible to complete the MPA degree; or
• continue their education with the goal of earning a graduate degree in public administration (MPA).

Learning Outcomes

Certificate students will demonstrate the knowledge and understanding of:

• Public service values including ethics, democracy, and constitutional principles
• Generalist management techniques and skills
• The linkage between theory and practice

Admission

The GCPM is open to all prospective students who have a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.5 or above. Any bachelor’s degree meets the requirements for admission. Prospective students must complete the Graduate School online application form and submit it along with official college transcripts prior to being accepted into the GCPM. Students seeking admission to the GCPM register in a non-degree/post-baccalaureate status. Courses taken by GCPM students are the same as those taken by MPA students. Students must complete their program of study within four years from the date of admission and earn no less than a 3.0 GPA.

All courses for the GCPM are offered regularly and can be taken in any order. Courses may be offered online or face-to-face. Courses taught in-person are mostly on the Carrolton campus, primarily at night, and sometimes on weekends.

Students deciding to apply for admission to the Masters in Public Administration (MPA) Program after completing the GCPM must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), scoring at least 800 and meet all other MPA admission requirements. Students who have completed the GCPM may apply up to 9 credit hours toward the MPA degree within six years of completion and award of the certificate.