Program Overview

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this online graduate certificate is to provide certification (micro-credentialing) of graduate-level familiarity with knowledge, language, skills and tools in the field of public policy and management.

Students who complete this program will have acquired the following:

1) A foundational understanding of at least one core concept/skill area of the field through successful completion of one required graduate core course: Politics of the Policy Process, Comparative Public Policy, Policy Methods, Policy Analysis, Public Management, Statistical Analysis, or Economics and Public Policy.

2) Advanced knowledge of two content or skill areas in the field through successful completion of two electives or additional core courses. Examples of electives include: Program Evaluation, Public Budgeting & Finance, US Education Policy, Environmental Policy, etc.

3) The ability to think critically, analyze data/history/text/policy, and write clearly and concisely.

These abilities are emphasized in all SPP courses. Overall, this certificate is meant to certify that the student has a foundational understanding of at least one core conceptual area that is foundational to public policy as well as two additional and more specialized conceptual or skill-based public policy topics.

REQUIREMENTS

The online graduate certificate requires:

-- one (1) 600-level SPP public policy core class, selected from this list: 601 Politics and the Policy Process, 602 Public Management, 603 Public Policy Analysis, 605 Economics and Public Policy, or 611 Comparative Public Policy.

-- two (2) 600-level public policy (SPP) elective or core classes. Public Policy offers a rotating selection of electives online.

The certificate does not specify which specific classes are required, allowing students to select courses of greatest interest to them or those that are offered based on their schedule and timeline

COMPLETING THE CERTIFICATE

While taking the last class required for the certificate, students should complete the Public Policy and Management Certificate Requirements Form, found here. Then email this document and the Certificate Eligibility form (found on the graduate school forms page) to  sppadmissions@umass.edu.

These documents are due to SPP by the "Deadline to submit Degree Eligibility Form to department" date found on the graduate school calendar. Degree-seeking students must submit this form before or while graduating from their degree program.  Non-degree-seeking students must submit this form no later than one semester after completing their certificate course work.