Public Administration Certificate

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Advising and Admission

Professor Randy Allen, Director (GC 406)

The department is authorized to grant an Undergraduate Certificate in Public Administration (UCPA). Students should consult a faculty member in the Public Administration area for advisement.

The undergraduate certificate is an interdisciplinary approach in several related areas that is designed to assist students to be considered for entry-level administrative positions in government.

Admission requirements include graduation from an accredited high school with at least a 2.89 GPA or completion of 20 credit hours of college or university work with a GPA of at least 2.5; regular enrollment as an undergraduate student; and a letter of intent from the prospective student.

When admitted, the student meets with the program director to develop a program outline. The program director advises students throughout their programs.

Requirements

The student must complete the program’s course requirements and the bachelor’s degree. Total program units required vary between 27 and 30 credits, depending on courses taken. The student is expected to maintain a GPA of a least 2.5 throughout the program and receive no less than a grade of C- in any course. Many program courses also fill major and/or minor requirements. The Public Administration Undergraduate Certificate Program consists of two parts – Required Courses and Functional Specialization – as shown below.

Required Courses:

Quantitative Skills:

Choose one:

PSY 3010 - Statistics in Psychology 3 Credit(s)
SOC 4810 - Social Statistics 3 Credit(s)
MATH 1040 - Statistics 4 Credit(s)
MATH 1050 - College Algebra 4 Credit(s)
POLS 2000 - Research Methods in Political Science 3 Credit(s)
ECON 2500 - Quantitative methods for Business & Economics 3 Credit(s)

Public Administration:

POLS 3410 - Public Administration 3 Credit(s)

Practical Experience:

Choose one:

POLS 4890 - Internship 1 to 12 Credit(s)
PSY 4890 - Internship 1 to 12 Credit(s)
SOC 4890 - Sociological Internship 1 to 9 Credit(s)

Note:

The internship may be satisfied by a student’s previous or current work experience, provided that it is approved by the director. The work experience or the internship must include at least 135 hours completed in a supervised administrative, para-administrative, or technical capacity.

Functional Specialization

Requirements

The student must complete at least two courses from at least one of the functional specialties listed below. Classes may be substituted within a specialty class with the approval of the program director.