Certificate Programs
Different departments around the university offer certificate programs that allow you to focus in a personal area of interest. These are pursued while you are earning your master's degree and usually require no extra time. Electives are used to fulfill the requirements. The programs that typically interest Sustainable Communities students are as follows.
Local Government Management
The certificate in Local Government Management provides an overview of forms, structures, functions and services of local government. The course of study emphasizes leadership skills, board administration, performance management, strategy development and public participation. A variety of important financial management topics will be covered including: revenue forecasting, capital planning, debt issuance and management, intergovernmental and interorganizational fiscal administration, service cost analysis and management, accounting, performance and accountability. Learn More
Non-Profit Administration
The certificate in Nonprofit Management provides students with an introduction to core aspects of management and leadership in the nonprofit sector. The course of study emphasizes an introduction to essential aspects of nonprofit management, an overview of current policy and management issues, the development of analytical skills critical to effective work in the nonprofit sector and specialized coursework in several aspects of management. Learn More
Disaster Management
Graduates of this certificate program are prepared to develop and implement educational programs for first responders, community-based organizations, voluntary organizations and academic institutions. Learn More
Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention
The graduate certificate in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention (GMAP) will educate and train students in the current range of practices designed to identify populations or groups at risk of mass political violence, and to intervene to prevent or reduce the risk of such violence. This course of study informs practice through the application of the latest scholarship in areas such as the quantitative analysis of at-risk communities; how factors such as gender, climate change, political transitions and population flows contribute to risks for genocide and mass atrocities; and the role of governments, civil society actors and international bodies in effective prevention. Learn More
Watershed Studies and Management
Natural ecosystems purify water and air, modify climate, reduce flooding, and provide natural products that are crucial to human existence, but few systems have been managed to sustain these benefits. This certificate program focuses on the physical and policy sciences of managing watersheds through a variety of biology, geology, geography and sustainable communities courses. To learn more contact Weixing Zhu, the director of the Center for Integrated Watershed Studies.
