The Certificate program is intended to enhance public access to a university education with a flexible course of study that allows either a short term exit (upon completion of Certificate requirements) or the option of laddering into other programs, including the Bachelor program.
The Certificate also provides flexibility. All courses in the Certificate are university-credit courses. This means that students can apply credit taken in their Certificate to other programs should they later decide to pursue a Bachelor's degree. Moreover, the requirements for the Certificate could be completed in one year or could be completed on a part-time basis over several years, depending upon course scheduling and the situation of the student.
As soon as a student completed the 10 courses required in the program of study, the student would be eligible to receive his or her Certificate. The completion of the Certificate would give students the equivalent of one full year of university credit. This provides a laddered program of study which could result in the completion of a Bachelor's degree with three more years of study at UNBC or another university. Because the program is based on existing undergraduate courses, Certificate students will take their courses alongside regular, full-time students.
The requirements for admission into a Certificate program are the same as for any student enroled in a UNBC undergraduate program.
To be eligible for a certificate, students must achieve a minimum GPA of "C", based on all courses taken at UNBC that are applied to the Certificate. University transfer credits also can be applied to the program, as appropriate, to a maximum of 15 credit hours.
Public Administration
The Certificate in Public Administration consists of 10 courses (30 credit hours) drawn primarily from the Political Science program; offerings from Business Administration, Economics and English are also included. The program is generic in nature so that the knowledge acquired from the program of study can be transferred to different government settings, as well as to the variety of situations that students will encounter throughout their lives. At the same time, the courses in the Certificate place special emphasis on local government in the north which sets it apart from similar programs offered by institutions in the southern regions of the province.
The purpose of the certificate is three-fold: first, to provide educational opportunities to assist individuals involved in the administration of municipal governments, health boards, school boards and provincial government departments and agencies in northern British Columbia; second, to deliver the four specialized courses in local government administration for the Municipal Officers' Association Intermediate Certificate in Municipal Administration; and, third, to provide expanded educational opportunities at the university level for students who are not in a position to commit to a four-year program of study.
Certificate Requirements
100 Level
200 Level
300 Level
Three credit hours of electives at any level and in any subject.
*Courses for the MOA Intermediate Certificate in Municipal Administration.
