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Cohort 2010 is scheduled for January 2010. Applications are now being accepted through December 31, 2009.

Today’s successful managers need a varied, multidisciplinary understanding of communication, decision-making, service delivery and organizational structure. The Certificate of Public Management (CPM) program is designed to meet this need by enhancing the administrative effectiveness, technical competency, analytical abilities and communication skills of its participants.

Working with the State of Oregon and associations of local governments, the Atkinson Graduate School of Management developed the CPM, now beginning its 9th cohort. The CPM is designed to meet the professional needs of managers in the public service. This systematic and comprehensive professional development program recognizes that the demands and challenges of the public management profession require focused, high-quality training.

The CPM program, in combination with other elements of the International City/County Management Association's credentialing process, also provides a way for professionals to achieve and maintain their status as an ICMA Credentialed Manager, and for other ICMA members to fulfill the professional development guidelines stated in the ICMA Code of Ethics. The Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) will accept the CPM as equivalent in professional value to DPSST's 80-hour Middle Management course.

Graduates of the CPM program will join an alumni group of previous cohorts who continue their invovlement in the program to ongoing networking and peer support.

The Program
Successful completion of eight courses over 15 months leads to the CPM. Courses will be taught in 10-week periods: fall term, early September through late November; winter term, early January through mid-March; and, spring term, mid-April through late June. During each period, two courses meet for two hours each on Friday mornings. Readings and project assignments are spread appropriately over the duration of the courses. Courses conclude with the completion of a paper or project that is graded Pass/Fail. Participants are encouraged to bring work-related issues to the classes for purpose of discussion and as the basis for assignments.

Each class is taught by tenured and contributing faculty from Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management.

Why Willamette?

The Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University is an innovative graduate-level management school, noted for the quality of its faculty, curriculum and professional preparation. It's nationally recognized masters degree program is based on the philosophy that effective management requires more than the traditional application of quantitative and qualitative tools of management.

Overview

The Goals
The goals of the program are to enhance the decision-making, stewardship and leadership skills of government managers; to promote government productivity and service delivery; and to improve career opportunities for current employees.

Transferability of Credits
CPM courses have the same transferability as other Willamette University MBA courses.

Students who successfully complete the CPM program who are admitted to Willamette University's Full-time MBA program, may transfer 12 credits of CPM course work to the elective portion of the MBA degree.

Students who successfully complete the CPM program who are admitted to Willamette University's MBA for Professionals program may transfer 8 credits of CPM course work to the MBA degree.

Class Size
Class sizes are 25-30 students.