Graduate Certificate in Public Budgeting and Financial Management

The Graduate Certificate in Public Budgeting and Financial Management is a four course (12 credit-hour) program for working professionals, MPA+ students or other interested individuals with graduate standing. Students gain additional knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for subject-matter experts to be successful in budgeting and financial management and supervision in public programs and agencies. These skills increase transparency and accountability in government and efficiency and effectiveness in public programs.

This certificate is a stand-alone program of study, that promotes the highest standards of ethics and accountability in management. Topics include the legislative budget process, the judicial and political contexts of the budget process, special topics in fiscal management, and how evidenced-based performance budgeting is used to improve the quality of government systems.

Certificate Learning Objectives

Students who complete the Graduate Certificate in Public Budgeting and Financial Management will be able to:

Apply public budget concepts and approaches.
Relate the U.S. taxation and budgeting system to important areas of public spending; including current controversies related to taxation and government spending.
Evaluate government fiscal decisions and the effects of these decisions based on criteria such as efficiency, equity, effectiveness, etc.
Explain public budgeting analysis results in oral presentations and visual communications.
Use public budgeting tools to the practice of equitable public administration and public policy analysis.