Public Policy (Graduate Certificate)
Analyst, Analytical Skills, Program Evaluation, analysis, economic, government, nonprofit
Turn your passion for public service into a career in policy analysis or evaluation. You'll gain analytical skills and knowledge to advance a career addressing society's most vexing challenges. This certificate will complement your existing skills and education and help you excel professionally.
This certificate program in public policy is designed to give students analytical techniques and conceptual frameworks for understanding policy issues as well as for identifying potential solutions and applying these skills to relevant issues.
- College/school:
Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions
- Location: Downtown Phoenix
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
15 credit hours
Required Core (9 credit hours) Electives (6 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information Students are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") and to have no more than one grade below a "B" in courses taken to complete the certificate program.
PAF 505 Public Policy Analysis (3)
PAF 540 Adv Policy Analysis (3)
PAF 541 Program Evaluation (3)
The electives are chosen from a list of preapproved courses and are selected with the faculty advisor. The faculty advisor directs the selection of the electives to ensure that they focus on a common theme and to see that the students' experiences in the courses align with the learning goals outlined for the certificate. For the electives, students select any two three-credit PAF courses that are 500-level.
General university admission requirements:
All students are required to meet general
university admission requirements.
U.S.
applicants | International
applicants | English
proficiency
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- statement of career and educational goals
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Students from related fields (e.g., public administration, political science, planning, urban and metropolitan studies, sociology and other social science fields) might be interested in this program. However, all eligible students are considered.
Students should see the program website for application deadlines and admission terms.
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | Rolling |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | Rolling |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | Rolling |
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program’s learning outcomes include the following:
- Lead evidence-based efforts to solve public challenges within diverse and changing organizations and societies.
- Apply analytic techniques for developing, comparing and improving public policy solutions.
Students who receive this certificate are prepared to pursue a career in a field related to public administration or public policy, particularly in the areas of participatory governance and public engagement. This may include opportunities as either a manager or policy analyst in local, state or federal agencies; nonprofit organizations; and private organizations that interface with the public sector.
School of Public Affairs
|
UCENT 400
spa@asu.edu
602-496-0450
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.


