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.

Current UCCS 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. 

New Students (Certificate Only)

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.

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.

All individuals wanting to pursue the undergraduate certificate need to submit the declaration form to the School of Public Affairs.  The web-based form will automatically be directed to the department for review and document your intent.

Some students choose to complete a certificate as part of their degree program. It is not required, but if you are electing to complete a certificate as part of your degree program, you will need to declare which certificate you wish you complete so that we can assist you with tracking of the requirements. Only current UCCS students enrolled in the MPA, MCJ, MPA/MCJ, or MPA/MA SOC programs who wish to complete a certificate, must complete and submit a Certificate Declaration form to spa@uccs.edu.  (Students enrolled as Gainful Employment Certificate only students, do not need to complete this step.) This form alerts us of your intent to complete the certificate and allows the Registrar to officially add it to your degree plan. It is best practice to submit it at the time you register for your first course that will count toward the certificate.

Upon completion of your required certificate courses (which may occur prior to completing your degree courses) and grades have been posted for the final course, students enrolled in the MPA, MCJ, MPA/MCJ, or MPA/MA SOC, or Gainful Employment Certificate only programs must complete and submit the Certificate Completion Application through your student portal. Once submitted, a review of the courses completed for the certificate will be done and the form submitted to the Registrar’s Office to be added to your official transcript. A screen shot is included to direct you to the form’s location.  Please note, prior to completing this step, grades for the final course must be posted.