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Local Government Management

The Virginia Tech Center for Public Administration and Policy (CPAP), in partnership with the Virginia Local Government Management Association, offers a graduate certificate program in local government management that provides the next generation of local government managers and leaders with the tools to advance their careers and provide exceptional leadership within the communities where they work. The central goal of the program is to offer graduate-level training in local government management that both prepares pre-career students for capable public service at the local level and enhances the capacities of existing local government employees who aspire to be town, city, or county managers or assistant/deputy managers. The International City/County Management association (ICMA) has identified leadership development as one of the most important issues that local governments will face in the coming decade.

The certificate program offers five 3-credit hour courses and students are required to complete four of the five courses with a GPA of 3.0 or better to earn the certificate. Students are exposed to a full spectrum of local government issues, service delivery options, and management tools. The analysis of a real life, local government case study is central to each classroom experience. Case studies are used within the courses to emphasize the relationship between the political and management worlds that all local government managers must understand and navigate in order to be successful. All courses are taught by experienced, highly qualified Virginia local government practitioners via two-way video telecasts to Virginia Tech broadcast centers, allowing the class to be taught around the state simultaneously giving more students the opportunity to participate in the program.

Both Full time and Part time employees of Virginia local government are eligible for financial assistance through the Bob Stripling Scholarship for the Advancement of Local Government Management. Funds available are dependent on donor contributions and are approved on an annual basis.

In-state tuition is available to all students. Virginia residency NOT required.  Due to the demand and need for investing in local government leadership, in-state tuition is available to all students who enroll in the Local Government Management program. This means that students who reside and work beyond Virginia can also receive the advantages of in-state tuition, a very competitive rate for top tier education.

The per credit hour tuition rate is $850. The program requires completion of 12 credits.

Students who complete the certificate may apply for entrance as a degree-seeking student in the CPAP MPA program and transfer all twelve credit hours towards their MPA.

(CIP 44.0401)

Program Website: 
Local Government Management

Program Director:
Dr. Stephanie Dean Davis