Certificates

Admission to a SPA graduate certificate requires a bachelor's degree in any field from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better.

New Students

New students interested in pursuing a graduate certificate must complete the online graduate application, select their intended certificate and pay the required $60 application fee. An official transcript showing the undergraduate degree conferred should be sent to UCCS Admissions, 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, or electronically to gradapp@uccs.edu.

Current Students

Current graduate degree-seeking students wishing to pursue a certificate concurrently should complete the Certificate Declaration and submit it to spa@uccs.edu. The application fee and official transcripts are not required for current graduate degree-seeking students. 

The number of courses required varies by certificate program. A grade of B- or better is required in each course counting toward the certificate. Certificate students must maintain a 3.00 GPA once admitted to the certificate program. For more information, consult the specific certificate program page you are interested in. 

Please be advised that courses are typically offered alternately online and on campus, not concurrently. It is possible that pursuing a certificate fully online or fully on campus could take up to two years, depending on course availability. Find more about upcoming course schedules.

Up to 12 credit hours of SPA graduate certificate coursework completed as an unclassified (non-degree) student with a grade of B or better may be applied to the Master of Public Administration (MPA) or the Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) upon admission, subject to degree plan requirements and program director approval.  

SPA graduate certificate coursework completed with a grade of B- or better as a current MPA or MCJ student may count toward the degree’s elective requirement, allowing students to earn a certificate in addition to the MPA or the MCJ, subject to degree plan requirements and program director approval. 

Exceptions: as of fall 2018, current MPA students may not pursue the Graduate Certificate in Public Management and current MCJ students may not pursue the Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice.

Upon successful completion of the courses within the declared certificate, students must complete the "SPA Application for Certificate Completion" through their student portal. The certificate will then be annotated on the transcript, and a printed certificate will be mailed to the student. Students who wish to pursue a master's degree during or after completing the certificate program simply follow normal application procedures.