Public Policy (Certificate)

Dr. Thomas Birkland, Coordinator
Department of Public Administration
NCSU Box 8102
Phone:   919.513.7799
Email:    tom_birkland@ncsu.edu

Public policy -- the actions of government and its partners in the non-profit and private sectors -- is the keystone of politics and public administration. The creation, adoption, and implementation of public policy is a complex process. It requires skills in analysis, reasoning, and argumentation -- what we call evidence-based policy advocacy. The Graduate Certificate in Public Policy helps you make the most of your skills by providing you with the tools you need to be an effective advocate for realistic, effective, and responsible public policy.

Admissions: Students not attending NC State are required to submit transcripts. Current NC State students need not present transcripts, but they must be in good standing. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for admission to the program.  Provisional admission may be granted for applicants whose GPA is below 3.0.  Contact the program director for details.

Curriculum: The certificate requires a total of 12 credit hours consisting of Applied Political Economy (PA 509),  Public Policy Analysis (PA 511), Public Policy Process (PA 598), and an elective policy or managerial course approved by the program coordinator. Electives may be from virtually any program at NC State, such as history, social sciences, natural resources, agriculture, health, business, or engineering.

Other Information: Students who do not have course work in social science statistics will be required to take a statistics course either at the School of Public and International Affairs or a department of the student's choosing, with approval of the program coordinator.

For more information, see www4.ncsu.edu/~tabirkla/documents/ppcert.pdf