Graduate Certificate in Public Policy

The School of Public Policy offers a certificate in public policy to graduate students from other Schools around campus. The goal of the certificate program is to provide a basic but well-rounded introduction to public policy thinking to Georgia Tech graduate students. The program is designed to address the needs of scientists, engineers, management scholars and others who seek to be more aware of policy, regulatory, ethical, and societal implications of science, technology and innovation. The program will provide breadth and context for those entering employment in any sector. The courses in the program explore the processes through which policy is made.

Although this certificate is not available to policy students, the courses are open to all graduate students, creating an opportunity for students to gain value from divergent perspectives.

Eligibility

Graduate students from all programs may take the courses offered as part of this certificate. The certificate will be awarded by the School of Public Policy to any non-public policy graduate student who successfully complete the program requirements and earns a graduate degree from one of Georgia Tech's degree granting academic units. The requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Public Policy will typically satisfy the minor requirements for the Georgia Tech Ph.D. degree.

Please contact Diana Hicks at dhicks@gatech.edu with any questions.

Certificate Requirements

Students are required to earn at least a B in every course that counts toward the certificate. The credit requirements for the Certificate in Public Policy are 12 semester hours.

Required Course, choose one:

6012 - Fundamentals of Policy Processes
6201 - Public Policy Analysis

Electives

Three electives are required for the certificate. Any 6000-level PUBP course or graduate-level special topic course counts as an elective in the certificate. The list below suggests courses currently taught and organized by theme. Students are not required to choose all electives from the same grouping.

  • Environmental & energy policy
    • 6310 - Environmental Issues
    • 6312 - Economics of Environmental Policy
    • 6314 - Policy Tools for Environmental Management
    • 6326 - Environmental Values and Policy Goals
    • 6327 - Sustainability & Environmental Policy
    • 6350 - Energy Policy & Markets
    • 6354 - Climate Policy
    • 6352 - Utility Regulation and Policy
    • 6360 - Sustainable Energy & Environmental Management  
    • 6701 - Energy Technology & Policy
  • Information technology
    • 6111 - Internet and Public Policy
    • 6501 - Information Policy and Management
    • 6502 - Information and Communications Technology Policy
    • 6725 - Information Security Policies and Strategies
    • 6726 - Privacy, Technology, Policy, and Law
  • Science and technology policy
    • 6401 - Science, Technology, and Public Policy
    • 6403 - Scientific Careers and Workplaces
    • 6402 - Research Policy and Management
    • 6414 - Technological Innovation and Government Policy
    • 6417 - Critical Perspectives on Science and Technology
    • 6440 - Science, Technology and Regulation
  • Analytical methods & economics
    • 6112 - Research Design in Policy Science
    • 6114 - Applied Methods and Data Analysis
    • 6116 - Microeconomics for Policy Analysis
    • 6118 - Public Finance Policy
    • 6120 - Cost Benefit Analysis for Policy
    • 6218 - Quantitative Models in Public Policy
  • Public administration
    • 6010 - Ethics, Epistemology, and Public Policy
    • 6014 - Organization Theory
    • 6017 - Public Management
    • 6018 - Policy Implementation and Administration
    • 6226 - Business and Government

Special topics (PUBP 8803) in public policy. See the Georgia Tech Course Catalog for offerings in upcoming semesters. Selection of other courses requires approval of the instructor and the certificate advisor.