Introduction

Local governments are integral to providing and producing a range of public goods and services to residents including public works, education, parks and recreation, housing, emergency medical services, broadband, local courts, vital records, and transportation. Local government officials are also crucial for assisting higher-level governments in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating public policy, thereby helping to achieve broader social outcomes. Perhaps more so than any other level of government, local government officials regularly coordinate and collaborate with non-profit and grassroots organizations to alleviate local policy problems. 

As demand for higher quality and quantity of public services from all levels of governments increases, the need for an educated, public-service oriented local government workforce has likewise grown. To help meet this demand, the Graduate Certificate in Local Government in the School of Public Affairs allows students to become well-versed in the forces that shape the agendas of local governments and the organizations they interact with in order to gain a richer understanding of governance and policy making.

Prospective students who wish to pursue this certificate must apply as non-degree applicants. Learn more on the School of Public Affairs admission web page.

Program Delivery

• Courses are offered on campus, online, and hybrid formats.

Program Requirements

• Students must successfully complete 12 credit hours of approved coursework.
• Students must maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA in this program.
• This program must be completed within 7 years.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Core Courses
PUAD 5503	Public Budgeting and Finance	3
Select one of the following:		3
PUAD 5625	Local Government Management
PUAD 5626	Local Government Politics and Policy
PUAD 5628	Social Problems and Policies
Required Elective Courses		6
Select two elective courses from the list below or select unlisted courses that have been approved in advance by the concentration director:
PUAD 5130	Collaboration Across Sectors
PUAD 5170	Strategic Management for Nonprofit and Public Managers
PUAD 5220	Human Resource and Talent Management
PUAD 5250	Intergovernmental Management
PUAD 5260	Managing for Social Equity
PUAD 5271	Managing Conflict and Change
PUAD 5380	Public Participation, Political Equity, and Government
PUAD 5410	Administrative Law
PUAD 5440	Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
PUAD 5460	Political Advocacy
PUAD 5502	Public Financial Management and Policy
PUAD 5632	Seminar in Environmental Management
PUAD 5650	Public Service in Emergency Management and Homeland Security
Total Hours		12