Public Management Certificate

Program Snapshot

Degree Type: Executive Development Program
Campus: Salem, Portland, Online

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Earn a Certificate in Public Management

Equip yourself with the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to thrive in public management. Join over 700 government professionals who have benefited from the Certificate in Public Management program.

Why pursue a certificate in public management at Willamette?

Three to Four Day Class Modules. Take modules as they become available, depending on your availability and interests. Each module spans three to four days during a particular week.
The best of business and public sectors. Our approach helps those at federal, state, or local government agencies do more with less. Combine business expertise with a public and nonprofit focus and provide excellent customer service using practical tools and strategies.
Innovative modules you can choose from. Our certificate program offers a variety of topics that benefit government and non-profit employees. Choose eight modules that enhance your skills.

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Curriculum

Gain confidence and skills that you can immediately apply in your role. We offer multiple modules, some of which span multiple times in a year. Participants must complete any eight modules listed below to earn a Certificate in Public Management. View the schedule below.

Data Analysis & Presentation

Accounting: What’s that got to do with Management?

Follow the Money - Budget and Finance in the Public Sector

Negotiating for Success: Creating “Win-Win” Every Day

Innovation & Change

Conversations in Strategic IT

Process Improvement
Strategic Management

Understanding the Dynamics of Organizations

Policy and Politics

Effective Public Speaking

Managing with Artificial Intelligence: Assessing the Ethics, Efficacy, and Efficiency of AI in the Workplace

Why Choose a Certificate in Public Management

Program Values

We’re focused on preserving democracy. Our certified public manager program is designed to make individuals and government agencies excel. Your community, organization, and career will thank you for it.

Democratic Institutions

Public Management Instructors

Our instructors know what challenges affect those in public service. Their experience, paired with peers in the program, provides a wealth of knowledge to help public servants excel in management.

Jasmine Ames, Contributing Assistant Professor
Brad Avakian, Associate Professor, Public Management Instructor
David Baden, Instructor, EDC
Nancy Bearg, Executive Professor
Warren Binford, Associate Professor, Public Management Instructor
Donna Haole Valenzuela, Public Management Instructor
Kennedy Hawkins, Director-Executive Development Center
Syed Hussain, Public Management Instructor
Tim Johnson, Grace and Elmer Goudy Associate Professor of Public Management & Policy Analysis
Tim Roby, Project Management Instructor
Pamela J. Stroebel Powers, Public Management Instructor
Madilyn Zike, Program Director Public Management

Price, Details, and Discounts

Details

We offer courses in Salem, Portland and online. We also offer a flexible course schedule where you can take courses as they become available. The program requires students to complete any eight modules to earn a certificate.
Costs

A certificate of completion is awarded upon completion of eight modules. For the 2025-2026 academic year, each module costs $475. Pricing includes instruction, textbooks, learning materials, and program activities.
Discounts
The Certificate of Public Management now offers the following incentives for enrollment:

Willamette Community Discount: A special discount is available for all Willamette University Alumni and current students

Bulk Purchase Discount (4 Modules): Purchase four (4) modules at once and receive a 50% discount on the fourth module.

Bulk Purchase Discount (8 Modules): Purchase eight (8) modules at once and receive one module completely FREE.

Reach out to edc@willamette.edu to attain discount codes and to see if you are eligible.

State of Oregon Internal Selection

Many governmental units have an internal selection process for candidate selection. Potential students should consult with a supervisor regarding participation. Agency rules will dictate the process for covering or reimbursing training costs.

Schedule: Upcoming Sessions

Each Certificate in Public Management module covers approximately two and a half days of instruction. To receive credit towards the certificate, participants must attend all scheduled class days, or make arrangements with the instructor, and complete all required work.

Dates:

October 30, 2025 (Thursday): 08:00 am to 02:30 pm
November 6, 2025 (Thursday): 08:00 am to 02:30 pm
November 13, 2025 (Thursday): 08:00 am to 02:30 pm

Instructor: Donna Haole Valenzuela

Module Description: This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of public budgeting and financial management within government and non-profit organizations. It's designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and utilize budgetary and financial information for effective decision-making and resource allocation in the public sector.

Key topics typically include:

Fundamentals of Budgeting and Financial Management: Covering the basics of public funds management, budget preparation and processing, and revenue projection.
The Budget Cycle: Exploring the phases of the budget cycle (preparation, approval, execution, and audit/evaluation) and its relationship to government accountability and performance.
Revenue and Expenditure Analysis: Examining different revenue sources (taxes and non-tax), tax policies and their implications, exploring innovative revenue ideas better suited to today's economy and methods for analyzing and controlling expenditures.
Budgetary Decision-Making: Understanding how to use budgetary and financial information for organizational planning, implementation, control, reporting, and analysis.
Ethical Considerations and Accountability: Addressing the ethical implications of the budget process and the importance of financial accountability and transparency.

Through hands-on and interactive exercises, you will get a glimpse of a full budget cycle, along with a day of role-play of a legislative hearing.

Dates:

February 4, 2026 (Wednesday): 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
February 11, 2026 (Wednesday): 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
February 18, 2026 (Wednesday): 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
February 25, 2026 (Wednesday): 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Instructor: Pamela Stroebel Powers

Module Description: Recent Secretary of State audits have found knowledge and communication gaps between management and accounting operations. They also found that people new to the accounting field have difficulty explaining how accounting fits into the overall operations. As a manager, it is important to increase your accounting literacy, and people who work in the accounting field need to gain a bigger picture perspective of the impact of accounting practices. Because of these special needs, we have designed a new module in consultation with the agency finance officer, the Secretary of State’s Audit Division, and the State Treasurer’s office.

This module will review financial statements used by state agencies and demonstrate how reviewing financial information can improve decision-making and provide awareness of opportunities for process improvement. Most managers have an awareness of budget processes, so the module will explore the differences between the budget and accounting processes.

Participants will learn the shared financial vocabulary between accountants, management, and auditors and will discuss ways to partner with auditors for effective outcomes as well as prepare for an audit. The module will also provide tools and techniques for analyzing, documenting, mitigating, and monitoring risks. Guest speakers will cover special topics including specialized accounting practices in government, Treasury rules and practices, and external audits.

Important Information

Read through some of our testimonials:

Darlene Kelly

Business Transitions Manager
Department of Human Services – Self-sufficiency Program

I couldn't have timed my participation in the Certificate of Public Management better if I’d tried. After 12 years of experience in the public sector, I joined the CPM to expand my leadership capacity, refine my managerial skill set, and make a greater contribution.

Shortly after finishing the program, I took on a large managerial role beyond my job description and outside my professional ‘comfort zone.’ Drawing heavily on the CPM’s lessons, I oversaw the training of a surge of new hires. Thanks to my new skills –and the support of a dedicated staff- the mass training went smoothly and efficiently.

What most impressed me about the program was its close alignment with the unique challenges we face in the public sector. The graduate-level faculty’s instruction, context and projects proved that they knew where we were coming from. They tailored each class and project to the types of challenges that we confront on a daily basis.

Layered over the classes and projects, a series of interactions with the legislature illustrated the interdependence of the state’s various agencies. I now have a richer understanding of how I contribute to my agency’s mission, how my work affects other agencies, and how we can collaborate to make the Department of Human Services a world-class agency.

I would recommend the CPM to anyone with the vision and drive of an aspiring leader; someone who is motivated to amplify her impact by investing in her skills and knowledge.

Kristen Duus

Director of Technology
Salem-Keizer Public Schools

The Certificate of Public Management equipped me with the skills I thought I needed as a burgeoning public manager, and more besides. I came into the CPM with a computer science degree and several years of real-world experience. I needed to bolster my managerial acumen and leadership capacity so that I could continue growing professionally and expand my impact.

Ten years after completing the CPM, the quality of the conversation amongst my cohort stands out as one of the program’s most memorable benefits. It was very enriching to hear the perspective of experienced peers from other departments. During my undergrad studies in computer science and subsequent years of work I hadn’t heard ‘their side.’ Understanding their daily challenges and expectations for technology made me a better manager and collaborator.

The program itself delivered just as much value. The way the CPM aligned best business practices with the unique needs of the public sector has proven indispensable. Though our motives and accountability structure differ, we in the public sector still have to run a tight ship. From marketing to negotiation to IT, every course expanded my perspective of the complex, strategic, and systemic aspects of public management.

Finally, I have to praise the faculty. The real-world experience of the government executives complemented the graduate-school professors. That layering of context over the in-class conversation and material was a real boon.

I would recommend the CPM to any public sector professional seeking a transformative learning experience.

Pat Dodge

Senior Policy Analyst
City of Salem Public Works

I describe the CPM as ‘an MBA without the electives.’ The program is well designed for ambitious public employees who may not have studied business or public administration in college, but wish to build on their practical experience. I took the program as a structured opportunity to update my degree in public administration and my 30-year career.

The CPM helped me to refocus on the challenges that I face as an analyst for the City of Salem, refine my understanding of management, and work more efficiently. It refreshed the way I think about everything, from my daily tasks to my department’s overall mission.

The CPM also provided a useful opportunity to hear how other agencies, departments, and divisions get their work done. The diversity of perspectives -representing all levels of government- really elevated the quality of the conversation. The program’s duration complemented that breadth of experience; the CPM lasted long enough for us to study and discuss current governmental topics as they played out. It was very informative to hear from the different ‘sides’ of the group as these matters reached resolution.

Between the expanded perspective, the material tailored to the public sector, and the graduate-level faculty, the CPM delivered on its promise. It outlines how to be more effective as a public sector manager. It’s not a refresher course for those who already have a graduate-level education.

I would recommend the CPM to any public or non-profit employee who wants to be successful and work up to the higher levels of public management.

Program Snapshot

Earn a Certificate in Public Management

Curriculum

Why Choose a Certificate in Public Management

Program Values

Public Management Instructors

Price, Details, and Discounts

Details

Costs

Discounts

State of Oregon Internal Selection

Schedule: Upcoming Sessions

Important Information

Darlene Kelly

Kristen Duus

Pat Dodge

Atkinson Graduate School of Management

Salem Campus

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Graduate and Professional Center

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