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Graduate Certificate Program in Public Administration and Leadership

Prepare yourself for a leadership role at public and community-based justice organizations with UMass Lowell's online Graduate Certificate in Public Administration and Leadership.

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Online Graduate Certificate in Public Administration and Leadership

Develop the communication, analytical and management skills you need to lead with UMass Lowell's online Graduate Certificate in Public Administration and Leadership. This program places a special emphasis on regional and state government, preparing you to analyze social problems and tackle community issues at a local level.

This four-course program is offered by the College of Fine Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, and is intended for those who currently work, or aim to work, at justice-related organizations in the public sector such as law enforcement, social service agencies and the court system.

The Public Administration certificate is ideal for managers seeking to expand their leadership skills, staff members who are preparing to move into management roles, those looking to gain a management-oriented credential who hold an existing master's degree in relevant fields and Public Administration graduate students who want to earn a credential on the way to their degree.

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One of the Most Affordable Tuitions in the Nation

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Career Outlook

3.48M
Jobs (2020)
+19.4%
% Change (2020-2021)
$99.6K/yr
Median Earnings
659,727
Annual Openings
Source: Lightcast, 2022
"Employment of social and community service managers is projected to grow 13 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations."
— U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2019

Key Takeaways

Deepen your knowledge of a range of topics, including:

  • Theoretical and practical aspects of public administration
  • Effective change strategies for criminal justice agencies
  • The structure and sources of government revenue
  • Budgeting as a tool for performance management and accountability to the public
  • The use of analytic tools in understanding public policy problems and questions
  • Leadership within public and community-serving organizations
  • The role of the criminal justice manager in the adult and juvenile justice systems

One Success Leads to Another

Apply credits from lower credentials to higher ones. Our programs are designed to build upon themselves:

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Graduate Certificate Program in Public Administration and Leadership
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Master of Public Administration

Curriculum Outline

4 Courses / 12 Credits

Required Courses

Choose 1

Choose 1

Course Descriptions

CRIM.5210 Managing Justice Organizations (3cr)

A range of criminal justice management issues are addressed, including organizational structure, purpose, rewards and relationships, leadership and management styles, and the development of effective change strategies by criminal justice agencies. The complex role of the criminal justice manager in both the adult and juvenile justice system is emphasized.

CRIM.5900 Descriptive & Inferential Statistics (3cr)

This course is a rigorous introduction to statistical inference: probability theory, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests. The course also covers regression analysis, which is developed in a non-technical way, with an emphasis on interpretation of regression results, using examples from recent research.

MPAD.5010 Foundations of Public Administration (3cr)

This course provides an introduction to the field of public administration, including both its theoretical and practical dimensions. Beyond exploring the history and evolution of the field, the course will examine the contours of the public sector, the workings of public institutions and bureaucracies, and the ways in which analytic tools can be applied to understand public policy problems and questions.

MPAD.5020 Public and Non-Profit Budgeting and Financial Management (3cr)

This course provides students with a conceptual and practical introduction to budgeting and financial management in the public sector. It examines the relationship between the budget and agency strategy, reviews the mechanics of the public budgeting process, and introduces students to the basics of financial management practice and financial analysis. It also emphasizes budgeting as a tool for performance management and accountability to the public. Topics covered in the course include an overview of the structure and sources of government revenue, the politics of the budget process, capital budgeting, intergovernmental fiscal relations, the process of budget formulation, performance-based budgeting, financial reporting, and an overview of generally accepted accounting principles.

MPAD.5040 Data Analysis (3cr)

This course provides students with a basic introduction to the use of quantitative methods in policy research. It is very much designed as a course in applied statistics, covering common topics such as types of variables and data, probability theory, hypothesis testing, measures of central tendency and variance, as well as tools for examining basic relationships between two variables: contingency tables, correlation and bivariate regression. Weekly homework assignments ask students to work with actual data and develop skills for quickly analyzing data, reporting the results, and using their conclusions to inform decision-making.

Graduate Certificate Requirements

Students enrolled in graduate certificate programs through UMass Lowell must complete all courses indicated in the curriculum outline. Students may complete the certificate program at their own pace by registering for and successfully completing one or more courses each semester, depending upon his/her personal time constraints. Students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.000 with no more than one course grade below B to receive the certificate.

Online courses meet throughout the year during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters (see Calendar for details). Online students generally log into their online course website one or more times per week to retrieve lectures and assignments or to participate in a chat session. Online students should expect to spend 6 to 10 hours per week engaged in course-related activities for each course. For more information on online courses, visit our online program home page .

Completing a Graduate Certificate Program

Graduate certificate courses must be completed within a five-year period with a minimum 3.000 grade point average and no more than one course with a grade below B. Once all courses for a graduate certificate have been completed, students must complete and submit the Graduate Certificate Clearance Form. Students must submit their clearance form to their coordinator. The coordinator will apply them in SIS, Graduation Tracking.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition at UMass Lowell is typically half the cost of private colleges, and our online tuition is among the lowest in the nation. Tuition for online programs offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same whether you live in-state, out-of-state or outside of the U.S.

Fall 2025 Tuition

 Cost Per Credit Cost Per 3-Credit Course*

Graduate
Online $610 $1,830
Online Business1 $655 $1,965
Online Engineering2 $625 $1,875
Online Education3 $470 $1,410
Online 7000-Level Education $750 $2,250
Online HyFlex $750 $2,250
Select Online Nursing M.S. courses4 $750 $2,250
Select On Campus courses5 $610 $1,830
All other On Campus courses6 View Here
*Tuition is priced on the listed credit hour unless the contact hour is different. Tuition is then based upon the listed contact hour.
1Applies to ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST and POMS courses.
2Applies to courses with the following prefixes: BMBT, BMEN, CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, ENGY, ENVS, IENG, MECH and PLAS excluding online hyflex courses.
3Applies to EDUC courses excluding 7000-level courses.
4Applies to NURS.6510, NURS.6511, NURS.6512 and NURS.6513 courses.
6Applies to graduate on campus courses excluding select courses

Additional Costs

 Cost
Term Registration Fee $30
Returned Check Fee $30
Graduate Degree and Certificate Application $50

Please note: Tuition and fees are subject to change.

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Applying into a Graduate Certificate Program

You can apply anytime. There are no deadlines. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

All applicants must submit:
  • An application
  • An application fee ($50)
  • Official transcripts
  • Official test scores
    • GRE not required
    • If English is NOT the national language in your home country, please submit one of the following English proficiency tests:
      • TOEFL: minimum acceptable score is 79
      • IELTS: minimum acceptable score is 6.5
      • Duolingo: minimum acceptable score is 115
      • ASC English: minimum acceptable level is 6
      • PTE: minimum acceptable score is 53

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution

Additional Information

F1 student visas are not issued for this program.

You may apply to more than one certificate program but can only take 12 credits maximum before enrolling in an advanced degree.

Certificates must be completed within 5 years.

Official transcripts can be sent to us directly from your previous institution either electronically or mailed to:

Graduate Admissions
University of Massachusetts Lowell
839 Merrimack St., Floor 2
Lowell, MA 01854-5104

We cannot accept previously opened transcripts, photocopies, PDF email attachments or faxed transcripts.

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Questions Regarding Your Graduate Application?

Email Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or call 800-656-4723 (for U.S. students) or 978-934-2390 (for international students).

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

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Complete Your Online Graduate Certificate Program in Public Administration and Leadership from an Award Winning Public University.

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