Department of Politics and International Affairs
Public Management, Graduate Certificate
This web-delivered program is professionally oriented, emphasizing management skills required by people who work or plan to work in public administration.
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Careers
What Can I Do with a Certificate in Public Management?
The Public Management Certificate is targeted toward students who are currently employed, part- or full-time; those who wish to upgrade their professional skills; those contemplating a graduate program who wish to "test the waters" first in a graduate certification program; and those already enrolled in another graduate program who wish to obtain an additional professional credential. Students who successfully complete the Public Management Certificate may apply all credits earned in the program toward a Public Management emphasis in the Master in Administration degree. Successfully completing four Political Science courses earns you the certificate. All courses for the certificate are offered regularly, can be completed entirely via web-based instruction, and may be taken in any order.
You may enroll in certificate courses during any semester, including summer, after first being admitted to NAU through the Graduate College as either a non-degree graduate student (minimum requirement is a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.5 or above), or as a student pursuing a graduate degree. There are no prerequisites for admission to the certificate program. This program also offers optional field work experience or independent study credit.
Note: Please remember - the completion of this program does not automatically provide any form of endorsement or certification in AZ or elsewhere.
You may enroll in certificate courses during any semester, including summer, after first being admitted to NAU through the Graduate College as either a non-degree graduate student (minimum requirement is a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 2.5 or above), or as a student pursuing a graduate degree. There are no prerequisites for admission to the certificate program. This program also offers optional field work experience or independent study credit.
Note: Please remember - the completion of this program does not automatically provide any form of endorsement or certification in AZ or elsewhere.
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University Requirements
- Graduate certificate programs require a minimum of 12 credit hours. Many certificate programs require more than 12 credit hours.
No more than one 400-level NAU course (3 or 4 units) may be used on a certificate program.
No more than 25% of the units required for the certificate program may be transferred from another university.
A 400-level course (undergraduate course) completed at another university is not eligible for transfer credit.
A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be achieved to obtain a graduate certificate. No more than three units of coursework with a grade of "C" may be used in a certificate program.
A graduate student may pursue a graduate certificate concurrently with a graduate degree. Each graduate degree program must decide which, if any, certificate courses can be counted toward the graduate degree.
Students who are admitted to a graduate certificate program will be eligible for the official posting of the graduate certificate to their transcripts when all applicable coursework has been successfully completed and approved by the academic unit and the Graduate College.
- Please be aware that federal financial aid is not available for some certificates, if the certificate is pursued and completed as a stand-alone certificate (i.e., not completed concurrently with a degree program). See the “Details” tab for additional information.
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Overview
In addition to University Requirements:
- Complete individual plan requirements.
Please note that you may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 15 |
| Fieldwork Experience/Internship | Optional |
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Details
Additional Admission Requirements
- Admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
- NAU Graduate Online application is required for all programs. Details on admission requirements are included in the online application.
- Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A"), or the equivalent.
- Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College.
- Transcripts
- For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the Graduate Admissions Policy
- International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy
Individual program admission requirements include:
- A bachelor’s degree in a closely related discipline
Certificate Requirements
Take the following 15 units:
- POS 541 or POS 543 (3 units) (with advisor approval, POS 641 or POS 643 may be substituted)
- POS 642 or POS 644 (3 units)
Specialty area (6 units)- With your advisor's approval, you may choose any 500- or 600-level POS courses not used to meet other certificate requirements. Courses taken to fulfill the specialty area requirement may not be used to fulfill the Masters of Public Administration degree.
This certificate may be pursued and completed concurrently with a degree program or as a stand-alone certificate. Federal financial aid cannot be used if the certificate is completed as a stand-alone certificate.
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also take. For prerequisite information click on the course or see your advisor.
Both POS 541 and 543 may be applied to the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. With advisor approval, students may replace 541 or 543 in their certificate program with POS 641 or 643, respectively; these courses are not offered online.