Graduate Certificate in Public Administration Executive Leadership

Equipping public professionals with skills to lead in a changing environment

TN Law Enforcement Command College Class 2 Fall 2014 In a time of budgetary uncertainty, public agencies are being asked to operate more efficiently and effectively with fewer resources; the Public Administration Executive Leadership graduate certificate offers a knowledge base necessary to meet these demands. The Department of Public Administration has established a six-course, fully online graduate certificate program to enhance public service managers' abilities to rise to the challenges of today's public service. This certificate is also designed to coordinate fully with the curriculum of the MPS degree , a fully online masters in professional studies or the fully online MPA degree; for more on the relationship of these programs contact Dr. Rodney Stanley (MPS) or Dr. Meg Streams (MPA). 

Agencies interested in establishing online cohort relationships, contact Dr. Rodney Stanley directly at 615-963-7241 or via email. 

The six-course certificate is also available in fully online format for interested individuals, outside of an agency cohort - apply now! 

Current students - contact your advisor prior to course selection each semester. Courses are offered fully online, which helps meet our students' needs as working adults. You can start the certificate in spring, summer, or fall. 

  • Apply to the Graduate School directly, 615/963.5901
  • The certificate is a six-course (18 credit hours) program. Tuition and fees per credit hour for programs at TSU are available at the Bursar's website. All programs in the Department of Public Administration are delivered 100% online and typically asynchronously.
  • Details on the program are included in the Graduate Catalog, and policies which apply to allTSU graduate students are also included in that document.
  • Out-of-state students taking only online courses may be eligible for the TSU eRate, which is lower than regular out-of-state tuition rates. See more information on this below.
  • Financial aid and Graduate Certificate students - eligibility for Federal financial aid for certificate-only students requires submission of the Special Graduate Student form with a program of study listing all required certificate courses signed by the student and department chair prior to the first semester. See more information on this below.

HANDBOOK - PA EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP GRADUATE CERTIFICATE, non-agency cohort

CURRICULUM - The curriculum requires six 3-credit courses. The certificate is set up so that two courses can be taken each semester if this pattern is followed and it can be begun in any semester (or one course may be taken per semester if preferred):

NOTE: Those individuals who are in an agency cohort must take their assigned cohort section, which may not follow the semesters listed below.

  • PADM 6270 Seminar in Administrative Leadership (Fall only)
  • PADM 6260 Budgeting as a Management Tool (Fall only)

  • PADM 6310 Organization Theory (Spring only)
  • PADM 6420 Conflict Management and Resolution (Spring only)

  • PADM 6240 Personnel in Public Organizations (take in Summer)
  • PADM 6400 Project Management and Implementation (Summer only)

Key guiding documents

Applying for admission 

  • No standardized exams or tests are needed for admission to this graduate certificate program.
  • Applicants with a GPA above 2.5 from an accredited college or university are eligible for admission. Please note that official transcripts must be requested electronically from within the GradCAS application system; do NOT have them sent to TSU or the Grad School outside of GradCAS (instructions).
  • In addition to submitting official transcripts through GradCAS, applicants must submit a current resume or CV and pay the application fee.

How do I apply? How much does it cost?

  • APPLICATION PROCESS: Apply to the Graduate School directly in the GradCAS admissions system. If you have difficulty with the online admissions system, please contact the Graduate School at gradschool@tnstate.edu or 615/963.5901 for assistance.
  • PROGRAM LENGTH AND TUITION/FEES: The certificate is a six-course (18 credit hours) 100% online program, with asynchronous delivery (courses have deadlines throughout the semester but there are no regular required simultaneous class meetings). In-state tuition and fees as well as out-of-state eRate tuition and fees are available at the Bursar's website. Out-of-state students taking only online courses who complete the verification process before each semester may be eligible for the TSU eRate, which is lower than regular out-of-state tuition rates. Please learn more about this rate at the Bursar's website and at the TSU Out Of State eRate page. Follow any instructions there regarding the eRate and be sure to verify before Day 1 of any semester that the proper rate has been assessed for your residency status -- if not, follow up with the contact at the TSU Out Of State eRate page. Tuition, fees, and eRate availability are determined at the University level and may change over time. It is your responsibility to check your student account in myTSU frequently to ensure the proper rate for your situation is applied, balances are paid, the proper rate for your situation is applied, and to avoid balance holds which can affect grades, registration, transcripts, etc. [Out-of-state eRate graphic pdf]. You should budget for textbooks for each class during graduate-level study. FAQ - Advice about textbook and other required course materials
  • FINANCIAL AID AND PAYMENT: Please bear in mind, if relevant to your situation, that federal financial aid for graduate education has required that at least two 3-credit graduate courses in the student’s program of study be taken in a given semester to use aid in that semester. A range of policies control student eligibility for financial aid, including but not limited to satisfactory academic progress and taking only classes required for your program. Dropping or withdrawing from a class may affect your financial aid. All federal financial aid or account payment questions must be directed to the Financial Aid office or Bursar’s office as appropriate. Faculty and advisors cannot view student accounts or advise regarding financial aid. To contact Financial Aid, ook up the graduate student FA counselor at https://www.tnstate.edu/financial_aid/contact.aspx; the Financial Aid office website is https://www.tnstate.edu/financial_aid/. Tuition and fee schedules for the University are available at the Bursar’s webpage.   Monitor your student account closely throughout each semester to ensure that any issues are taken care of; follow up promptly with the relevant office if you have a question. Please bear in mind you are expected to acquire the required textbooks in time to fully participate on schedule in class and complete assignments on time even if you have not resolved all financial aid matters. Faculty cannot provide textbooks to you.
  • CERTIFICATE- ONLY STUDENTS USING FINANCIAL AID :  This section applies only to individuals admitted to the certificate by itself (not in combination with a degree) who would like to take out a federal financial aid loan to apply to the cost of their courses. Because this is a certificate and not a degree, there is a special form required in addition to any other financial aid documentation and signatures required. Certificate-only students must file a "Special Graduate Student" form accompanied by a program of study before their FIRST semester with the Financial Aid office to receive federal financial aid (in addition to any other financial aid-related forms or procedures). This form ensures that the Financial Aid office is aware of what courses are required for your program -- otherwise, financial aid may not be able to be applied. Download and complete the form from https://www.tnstate.edu/financial_aid/forms.aspx and send it to the department chair requesting signature well before the start of classes in your first semester; the chair will send back to you signed with a program of study. You must then send the completed form and program of study to the Financial Aid office at  loans@tnstate.edu, including your name  and T-number  and the words "Special Graduate Student Form" in the subject line and body of the email. The form should be sent when you register and must be before the start of the semester. You should only need to do this process one time during your certificate studies UNLESS a change is made to your program of study (ex. a course substitution). The maximum loan award for a graduate certificate student is $12,500 per academic year (per TSU Office of Fin. Aid as of Fall 2023); your own financial aid eligibility and situation depends on many factors, contact loans@tnstate.edu with questions. Please bear in mind you are expected to acquire required textbooks in time to fully participate on schedule in class and complete assignments on time even if you have not resolved all financial aid matters. Faculty cannot provide textbooks to you. [Graphic about this process]
  • STATE FEE WAIVERS (State of TN Only): Students wishing to use a state fee waiver to pay for a course must email the completed fee waiver with all signatures directly to bursar@tnstate.edu before class start, and never more than 14 days after semester start. Late waivers will not be processed and you will be responsible for your balance. A new waiver must be submitted EVERY semester -- they do not "roll over." Put "State Fee Waiver" in the subject header of your message to the Bursar's office. Include your name and T-number in the message with the attached waiver. Double-check to make sure you sent the waiver attached. Save a copy of your sent message for your records. Waivers sent soon after registration opens should post to your student account in myTSU (myTSU>Student>Student Account) by a few weeks before classes start; if not, follow up promptly with bursar@tnstate.edu. If you registered and sent a waiver close to the start of classes, check your myTSU student account daily to make sure it posts. It should post within a few days of sending in that case. It is the student's responsibility to send the fee waiver in a timely fashion prior to semester start, and it is the student's responsibility to verify that it posts properly to the student account before Day 1 of the semester. Do not wait till late in a semester or the next to try to resolve an issue -- waiver issues must be resolved promptly in the beginning of the semester of intended use. Questions should be sent to bursar.edu; visit the Bursar's website. Here is a graphic pdf version of fee waiver tips.
  • COSTS OF LATE SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENT, LATE REGISTRATION, WITHDRAWING FROM CLASSES: "Late" begins the day classes start (see the relevant Academic Calendar). Late registration/add/drop incurs a fee (see the Academic Calendar for dates of add/drop). Dropping or withdrawing from a class incurs an increasing penalty beginning on the first day of the semester and rising to full cost of the course well before the withdrawal deadline itself -- see the Bursar's webpage for the proration schedule. Impact of retakes, withdrawals, and other issues with course completion or academic progress on financial aid is an individual situation -- any questions about aid must be directed to the Financial Aid Office. Non-financial aid-related questions about your balance and student account should go to the Bursar's Office. Always have your schedule set in place before the first day of classes with appropriate classes for your program of study, and with your balance or payment plan settled, to avoid problems and risk of extra costs. Students using aid of any type must confirm their attendance (review the instructions at the Bursar's Office webpage).  

What classes should I take? How do I obtain advising? What grades do I need?

  • CURRICULUM: Courses required and the semester you should take them are listed in the upper part of this webpage. Be careful to take courses in the proper semester, as listed as not every course is offered every semester. The curriculum is also included in the relevant section of the Graduate Catalog.
  • ADVISING: Who's my advisor?  Speak to your advisor before your first semester to make sure you know your course requirements. If a course you need is full or unavailable, contact your advisor promptly to make the right choice. Courses are not offered every semester, so timing is important. This is especially important for students seeking the certificate along with a second degree (MPA, MPS, or PhD).
  • HOW TO REGISTER: Registration instructions
  • GOOD STANDING AND GRADES NEEDED:  All TSU graduate students must maintain a cumulative TSU graduate-level GPA of 3.0 or above to remain in good standing and to complete a program (degree or certificate; see Retention policy in TSU Graduate Catalog ). D's and F's count towards the cumulative GPA but cannot count towards graduate program completion (see Graduate Catalog ); such grades in required courses will necessitate a course retake. There are limits on how many times a course can be taken to improve a grade and how many retaken courses can be counted towards program requirements, see Retaking a Course policy in TSU Graduate Catalog . Make sure any Incomplete grades outstanding from a previous semester are fully resolved with the instructor well in advance of the end of the next semester to allow for evaluation and the paperwork to change the grade. If Incompletes are not resolved on schedule, they automatically turn to an F at the end of the next regular semester (see Graduate Catalog ).
  • FAQ - Taking graduate courses and maintaining good standing

How do I get ready to complete my program? 

  • APPLY TO GRADUATE  for your graduate certificate in mytsu.tnstate.edu>Banner Services>Student>Student Records>Apply to Graduate by the  Registrar's deadline. This is a University-level requirement for all program completers– it is the official notification to the Graduate School that you are planning to finish your programs and kicks off their process of checking and verifications. If you don’t do this step by the Registrar’s deadline, it can prevent your program completion from posting for this semester.  If you cannot find the right curriculum to apply for your certificate, that is an issue that requires resolution quickly – email your advisor right away, so we can get it resolved with the Graduate School. Please note that students completing a certificate only do not "walk" at Commencement exercises.
  • KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK IN CURRENT CLASSES:  All TSU graduate students must maintain a cumulative TSU graduate-level GPA of 3.0 or above to remain in good standing and to complete a program (degree or certificate; see Retention policy in TSU Graduate Catalog). D's and F's count towards the cumulative GPA but cannot count towards graduate program completion (see Graduate Catalog); such grades in required courses will necessitate a course retake. Make sure any Incomplete grades outstanding from a previous semester are fully resolved with the instructor well in advance of the end of the next semester to allow for evaluation and the paperwork to change the grade. If Incompletes are not resolved on schedule, they automatically turn to an F at the end of the next regular semester (see Graduate Catalog). There are limits on how many times a course can be taken to improve a grade and how many retaken courses can be counted towards program requirements, see Retaking a Course policy in TSU Graduate Catalog. 
  • WATCH FOR ANY HOLDS ON YOUR ACCOUNT: Items like balance or other types of holds or outstanding fines can affect your access to grades, transcripts, registration, etc. Please keep an eye on your account in myTSU and resolve any such issues as they arise. Check your student email address regularly to stay current on any messages from the University. 
  • RECEIPT OF CERTIFICATE: The certificate completion should post to your transcript within a month of the end of semester. The certificate itself is mailed by the Records Office and should arrive within approximately six weeks of end of semester. When referring to your completed certificate on your resume or LinkedIn profile, please bear in mind it is a "graduate certificate," not a "certification."





webpage contact:
Department of Public Administration