Best National Security Policy Studies graduate certificate programs - Updated 2020

The Woodrow Wilson School offers a certificate in Urban Policy (UP), primarily for its own master students, but graduate students from other Princeton departments are eligible to earn the certificate. The policy focus is global, and the coursework is grounded in the interdisciplinary and comparative study of cities and urban problems in both advanced industrialized and developing countries. The UP certificate emphasizes the social, economic and political dimensions of urban problems and is designed to prepare students for careers in urban policy analysis and economic development in national, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, think tanks and international organizations. The certificate does not appear on the official transcript. The UP certificate requires two core courses: WWS 537, Social Organization of Cities and WWS 538, Urban Economics. When one of these courses is not offered in a given academic year, an approved substitute is designated. A list of approved electives is made available at the beginning of each academic year. Two half-term courses count as one elective. UP certificate students (in WWS) are encouraged to take WWS 539, Urban Politics and Policymaking. If a WWS student takes a policy workshop with significant urban content, it can be counted as an elective toward the certificate. Students who wish to count one non-WWS course toward the certificate requirements must seek advance permission from the UP certificate chair.

Certificate of Study in Communication and Media Policy. The Annenberg School for Communication offers a Certificate in Communication and Media Policy to be taken in conjunction with other graduate programs offered by the University of Pennsylvania. We invite applications from existing Penn students who want to make an understanding of social communication and media policy part of their intellectual toolkit. The certificate program aims to give students a concentrated feel for the intellectual excitement of that environment and field of study. The application therefore requires that students interested in the certificate consider what communication and media policy means to them and how they believe the five courses they want to take toward the certificate will help them grapple with particular issues that emerge from that understanding. To qualify for the certificate, a student must successfully complete five courses in the general area of communication and media policy, earning a GPA of at least 3.5 in those courses Students select three media policy courses to be taken at the Annenberg School and the remaining two can be taken at any Penn graduate school. An application to the certificate program must be submitted before enrolling in the classes. The certificate application is available by clicking here. Students should list the five courses they would like to include and explain briefly how those courses relate individually and collectively to the area of communication and media policy. Students may subsequently change the courses with the approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. Approval for certificate-related courses Students must obtain approval for the two courses from outside Annenberg by submitting each syllabus to Annenberg’s Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies. Approval requests for Annenberg courses do not require syllabi. If the petition takes place after the initial application for the certificate, the student must explain how those replacement courses relate individually and collectively (as part of the five-course cluster) to the area of communication and media policy.

Online Certificate of Graduate Study in Healthcare Management and Policy. UVM’s online Certificate of Graduate Study in Healthcare Management Policy introduces students to a range of policy, finance, and management issues impacting healthcare and public health in today’s changing and challenging environment. The Certificate of Graduate Study in Healthcare Management and Policy is an 18-credit, online program that requires four core courses and two electives. This assures a solid foundation while allowing students some flexibility to pursue their own areas of interest.

The Certificate in Assessment, Evaluation, and Policy provides the skills and knowledge to design, develop, implement, and analyze a broad range of assessment systems evaluate teaching, learning and educational programming and develop multiple strategies to synthesize, share, and use data for decision­-making purposes. Embedded in each of the courses is an emphasis on the role of broader policy contexts in assessment, evaluation, and decision­-making. The intended audience of this certificate includes professionals in education and related fields (e.g., psychology, social work, family studies, and nonprofit management) such as teachers, administrators, district office staff, museum educators, policymakers, consultants, among others. This post­-baccalaureate certificate can be completed in roughly one and a half years through completion of five four­-credit courses.

Post Master’s Certificates (PMCs) are academic offerings that are earned after a student has completed a recognized master’s degree. A PMC usually is related to additional licensure or certification. The number of required courses varies, but the typical minimum number is 12 credit hours.