The Post-Master’s Certificate program, offered by the Master of Public Administration program, is designed to provide students who have already earned an MPA or a similar degree with additional education and training in specialized areas of public management and administration. Students will be required to take at least 16 hours of graduate work beyond the Master’s degree in one of the five post-master's program areas of Court Administration, Criminal Justice Leadership, Health Care Administration, Local Government Management, or Nonprofit Organization and Management. Students in the post-master's certificate program will be required to earn a grade of 3.0 or above in each course required for the certificate.
Application requirements:
- Application for Admission to Graduate Study
- Official transcripts of the MPA or equivalent degree
- 2 essays
(Forms are downloadable from www.oakland.edu/mpa)
Admission Requirements:
- MPA or equivalent degree. If the degree is not from a NASPAA accredited program, the MPA Director, in consultation with the MPA faculty group, will determine whether a specific degree program provides adequate background training.
- Minimum 3.0 GPA in MPA or MPA-type program.
Post-Master's Certificate in Court Administration - 16 credits
To
provide specialized work in Court Administration, the student is
required to complete a minimum of 16 credits in the courses listed
below. Students who have completed any of these courses for their
master's program or another certificate program will be required to take
additional courses to complete the 16 credits required for this
certificate.
Core - 4 credits
| PA 540 |
Court Administration |
4 |
Elective courses - 12 credits
| PA 503 |
Intergovernmental Relations |
4 |
| PA 541 |
Law and Public Policy |
4 |
| PA 542 |
Law and Administration: Local Perspectives |
2 |
| PA 543 |
Law and Administration: State Perspectives |
2 |
| PA 548 |
Administrative Ethics |
2 |
| PA 561 |
Law Enforcement Leadership |
4 |
| PA 603 |
Contemporary Public Management Techniques
|
4
|
PA 610
|
Strategic Planning
|
4
|
| PA 634 |
Risk Management
|
2 |
| PA 638 |
Contemporary Public Management Techniques
|
2 or 4 |
PA 640
|
Advanced Court Administration
|
4
|
PA 644
|
Current Issues in Public Sector Human Resources Management |
2 or 4
|
Post-Master’s Certificate in Criminal Justice Leadership - 16 credits
To provide specialized work in Criminal Justice Leadership, the student is required to complete a minimum of 16 credits in the courses listed below. Students who have completed any of these courses for their master's program or another certificate program will be required to take additional courses to complete the 16 credits required for this certificate.
Core - 8 credits
| PA 560 |
Criminal Justice Leadership |
4 |
| PA 541 |
Law and Public Policy |
4 |
Elective courses - 8 credits
| PA 548 |
Administrative Ethics |
2 |
| PA 561 |
Law Enforcement Leadership |
4 |
| PA 562 |
Security Leadership |
4 |
| PA 563 |
Corrections Leadership |
4 |
| PA 603 |
Contemporary Public Management Techniques |
4 |
| PA 610 |
Strategic Planning |
4 |
| PA 638 |
Public Sector Employee Relations
|
2 or 4 |
Post-Master’s Certificate in Health Care Administration - 16 credits
To
provide specialized work in Health Care Administration, the student is
required to complete a minimum of 16 credits in the courses listed
below. Students who have completed any of these courses for their
master's program or another certificate program will be required to take
additional courses to complete the 16 credits required for this
certificate.
| PA 569 |
Organization and Administration in Health and Medical Care Programs |
4 |
| PA 559 |
Public Policy and Health Care |
4 |
| PA 568 |
Health Planning: Policies and Processes |
4 |
Elective courses - 4 credits
| PA 548 |
Administrative Ethics |
2 |
PA 603
|
Contemporary Public Management Techniques |
4 |
PA 610
|
Strategic Planning |
4 |
| PA 634 |
Risk Management |
2 |
| PA 638 |
Public Sector Employee Relations
|
2 or 4 |
| PA 644 |
Current Issues in Public Sector Human Resources Management |
2 or 4 |
Post-Master’s Certificate in Local Government Management - 16 credits
To provide specialized work in local government management, the student is required to complete a minimum of 16 credits in the courses listed below. Students who have completed any of these courses for their master's program or another certificate program will be required to take additional courses to complete the 16 credits required for this certificate.
Core - 4 credits
| PA 630 |
Local Government Management |
4 |
Elective courses - 12 credits
| PA 503 |
Intergovernmental Relations |
4 |
| PA 541 |
Law and Public Policy |
4 |
| PA 542 |
Law and Administration: Local Perspectives
|
2 |
| PA 543 |
Law and Administration: State Perspectives
|
2 |
| PA 548 |
Administrative Ethics |
2 |
| PA 603 |
Contemporary Public Management Techniques |
4 |
| PA 610 |
Strategic Planning |
4 |
| PA 631 |
Grants: Politics and Administration |
2 or 4 |
| PA 634 |
Risk Management |
2 |
| PA 638 |
Public Sector Employee Relations |
2 or 4 |
| PA 669 |
Community Planning and Zoning |
4 |
Post-Master’s Certificate in Nonprofit Organization & Management - 16 credits
To provide specialized work in nonprofit organization and management, the student is required to complete a minimum of 16 credits in the courses listed below. Students who have completed any of these courses for their master's program or another certificate program, will be required to take additional courses to complete the 16 credits required for this certificate.
Core - 8 credits
| PA 510 |
Nonprofit Organization and Management |
4 |
| PA 511 |
Fundraising and Philanthropy |
4 |
Electives - 8 credits
| PA 548 |
Administrative Ethics |
2 |
| PA 603 |
Contemporary Public Management Techniques |
4 |
| PA 610 |
Strategic Planning |
4 |
| PA 631 |
Grants: Politics and Administration |
2 |
| PA 634 |
Risk Management |
2 |
Non-Course requirements:
The Post-Master’s Certificate programs require the following of all students. Specific course requirements are listed under each of the certificate programs.
- Software skills: Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Professional Suite (or comparable package), and use of the internet. Students deficient in these skills may take an approved PC skills course which will not apply toward the certificate program.
- Academic progress: Students admitted to a certificate program will be subject to the same policies governing academic progress for regularly matriculated MPA students.
- GPA requirement: Students must earn a grade of 3.0 or above in each course required for the certificate in order to qualify for the certificate. Students may repeat any course once in order to achieve the minimum grade for that course.
- Number of certificates: Students may earn more than one certificate, but cannot use (double count) any specific course to meet the requirements of two certificate programs.
- Transfer credit: Up to four (4) credits of graduate work taken at another institution may be transferred to Oakland to meet part of the 16-credit requirement. These credits may not be used toward another certificate or degree program.
- Course requirements: Courses used toward the certificate requirements must be beyond those earned for the Master's degree. Students who have completed any of the specific courses required for the certificate as part of their Master's program will be required to take additional courses to produce a total of 16 credits for the certificate beyond the credits previously earned.