Introduction

Please click here to see Political Science department information.

Program Delivery

This certificate is administered by the Center for New Directions in Politics and Policy, within the Department of Political Science. The required course and some electives will be delivered through the New Directions weekend intensive format, taught by practitioners over the course of three weekends spaced several weeks apart. Others are offered by Political Science faculty through standard, weekly courses offered in-person or remotely over the course of a full term. 

Declaring This Certificate

Students interested in completing this certificate should complete this form: CLAS Undergraduate Certificate Intent to Declare Form, which requests that the certificate be added to your student record. Once added, you will be able to run a certificate degree audit. The certificate degree audit should be used in collaboration with the Certificate Advisor to ensure successful completion of the requirements.

Students should then work with Robin Kniech (robin.kniech@ucdenver.edu) – the certificate advisor, to ensure completion of all certificate requirements.

Completing This Certificate

Students must also complete the CLAS Undergraduate Certificate Completion Verification Form, before graduation, in order to confirm completion of their certificate. The certificate advisor will confirm that your certificate has been successfully completed, and will work with campus partners to apply the certificate to your transcript.

Students must fill out the Certificate Completion Form before the deadlines below, to ensure the certificate is applied to your transcript correctly. If you are a non-degree seeking student, please fill out this form in the term in which you intend to complete your certificate.

Spring semester – April 1
Summer semester – July 1
Fall semester – November 1

These program requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to make exceptions and substitutions as judged necessary in individual cases. Therefore, the College strongly urges students to consult regularly with the New Directions director at NewDirections@ucdenver.edu or their Certificate advisor. 

General Requirements

Students must satisfy all requirements as outlined below and by the department offering the certificate. 

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Certificate Requirements

1. Students must complete 12 credit hours in approved courses.

2. Students must complete a minimum of six upper division (3000 level and higher) credit hours from approved coursework.

3. Students must earn a minimum grade of C (2.0) in all courses that apply to the certificate and must achieve a minimum cumulative certificate GPA of 2.0. Courses taken using P+/P/F or S/U grading cannot apply to certificate requirements.

4. All credits must be taken in residence at CU Denver.  

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Complete the following required course:		3
PSCI 4914	Community Organizing and Community Development
Complete one of the following Field Placement courses:		3
PSCI 3914	The Urban Citizen
PSCI 3939	Internship
PSCI 4934	CU at the Capitol
Complete six credit hours from the following Public and Community Leadership elective courses:		6
PSCI 3035	Political Movements: Race and Gender
PSCI 3064	Power and Empowerment in the United States
PSCI 4002	Topics in Political Science 1
PSCI 4009	Politics of the Budgetary Process
PSCI 4024	State Politics: Focus Colorado
PSCI 4025	Local Governance and Globalization
PSCI 4074	Urban Politics, Planning, and Development
PSCI 4075	Gentrification and Social Equity
PSCI 4084	Local Government and Administration
PSCI 4124	Denver Politics
PSCI 4206	Social Movements, Democracy and Global Politics
PSCI 4207	Theories of Social and Political Change
PSCI 4248	Gender, Development and Globalization
PSCI 4265	Social Justice And Globalization
PSCI 4274	Conflict Resolution and Public Consent Building
PSCI 4414	Non-Profits and Social Change
PSCI 4535	Labor and Working Class Politics
PSCI 4840	Independent Study: PSCI 1
PSCI 5424	The Social Economy and Sustainable Development
PSCI 5434	The Cooperative Movement: Politics and Policy
PSCI 5548	Labor Law and Collective Bargaining
Total Hours		12

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PSCI 4002 Topics in Political Science and PSCI 4840 Independent Study: PSCI, can only be applied with advisor approval.

To learn more about the Student Learning Outcomes for this program, please visit our website.