Graduate Certificate Local Government

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.