Public Administration Certificate Program

About this programme

This Certificate provides a comprehensive overview of local government administration in Canada, with a focus on British Columbia. The Certificate complements existing degree programs at UNBC and is designed to help students prepare for careers in local government administration, policy, planning, and economic development. Some of the courses in the Certificate also meet the requirements for provincial certification programs for local government administrators. Drawing primarily from the disciplines of Political Science and Planning, the Certificate in Local Government Administration consists of 10 courses (30 credit hours), four of which are electives. The elective courses are drawn from lists of courses in two specializations: Policy and Administration and Planning and Economic Development. Students can choose to specialize in one of these areas, in which case they take four courses from one of the lists. They can also choose a generalist focus in which they take two courses from each list. Students must ensure that all prerequisite courses have been completed for the elective courses in the certificate. Students can take the Certificate as a stand-alone program of study or in conjunction with a degree program. The requirements for admission into a Certificate program are the same as for any general UNBC undergraduate program. University transfer credit can also be applied to the Certificate, as appropriate, to a maximum of 15 credit hours.