Graduate Certificate in Public Management

Plan Description

The School of Public Policy and Leadership offers a Graduate Certificate in Public Management. The certificate is designed for individuals with a baccalaureate degree and who are currently employed in a public (national, state, or local) or nonprofit agency. The certificate is designed to provide individuals the basic intellectual foundation necessary to function as a manager in the public sector.

 The Public Management Certificate Program begins once a year in January of the Spring Semester.

Students earning the certificate may apply for admission into the Master of Public Administration degree program. If accepted, the fifteen credits earned in the certificate program may be applied to the M.P.A. Additional information about admissions to the M.P.A. can be found on the School of Public Policy and Leadership web page.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes, please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

 To be admitted to the program, you must:

1. Have earned an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
2. Be currently employed in a public agency at the national, state, or local level or at a nonprofit.
3. Enter a cohort that is being sponsored by a government or nonprofit agency.
4. Be accepted by the Graduate College and the School of Public Policy and Leadership.
5. Provide two letters of recommendation from professors, employers and/or professional colleagues.
6. Submit a current resume with your application.
7. All applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

 Application Process:

1. Apply to the Graduate College through the online application system. Be sure to select the certificate in Public Management (rather than the MPA degree) from the list.
2. You are required to send official transcripts for all college-level work to the Graduate College.
3. Note: Unofficial transcripts can be uploaded and submitted to the Graduate Coordinator in the School of Public Policy and Leadership for initial evaluation.
4. Identify the two people sending letters of recommendation on your behalf. They will, in turn, upload their letters to the Graduate College’s On-line application site. To get this process started, go to the Graduate College’s Application process web page and click on the RECOMMENDATIONS link at the left side of the page immediately below the Application process links. Then make sure you check “yes” when it asks you about submitting your letters electronically (These can be submitted electronically by the letter writers).
5. After the School and Graduate College obligations have been met, the file then goes to the School’s Admission Committee. The Graduate College will then send you an email confirmation with the status of the admission decision.

Note: If you complete the required 15 credits with a 3.5 GPA or higher, then you will be able to apply for the MPA program and possibly be accepted without taking the GRE the following spring.

Refer to the Graduate College website for current deadlines.

Students are accepted into a certificate program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

Total Credits Required: 15

Plan Certificate Completion Requirements

1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation in MyUNLV by the appropriate deadline.
2. Complete the capstone experience.