Mini-Master of Public Administration™ (Mini-MPA™) Certificate

Course TitleDelivery MethodDate(s)FeeStatus

Mini-MPA™ Program

CELG-6200-SP25-1

FULLY ONLINE (Canvas)April 21 - May 16, 2025$2,250Register Online

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Program Overview

The Rutgers Mini-Master of Public Administration (Mini-MPA™) is a professional development program that results in a certification for public service managers working in local government and nonprofit organizations.

Classes meet over four weeks. Online assignments and readings enable access to the course during the day or evening. Students also meet with faculty, online in Zoom on Fridays from 12 noon (EST) to 1 PM (EST). Each module of the Mini-MPA is organized around key skills for managers.

The Mini-MPA™ is accepted by Rutgers-Camden MPA program as a three credit course. The certificate is also approved for professional CEU credits for New Jersey Municipal employees.

If you are a local government or nonprofit professional ready to assume the next level of responsibility, the Mini-MPA™ certificate program provides an opportunity for your skill development. Taught by Rutgers faculty and practitioners, the content of each module includes both theory and practice. The program supports specialist seeking a broader understanding of administrative roles, finance, human resources and public policy.

A camera and microphone are required to participate.

Qualifies for veteran training.

For information related to taking our online courses, visit our Online Course Information page.

Online Course Information

Module 1: Leading Public Organizations

Leading is more than adapting your personal style to situations and the public sector poses new challenges for even experienced managers. Managers must combine personal leadership and organizational leadership to accomplish goals in the public sector.  In this module, you will be provided with both theory and practical knowledge for leading in uncertain times.

Module 2: Building Relationships Through Communications

How do you get your message across so that your constituents can be engaged? In this module, that question will be explored. As organizations become more complex and the citizenry more diverse, public managers need effective tools to keep communities informed and interested.

Module 3: Challenges and Opportunities in Public Management

This module dives into the realities of public sector management. You will have an opportunity to develop skills to optimize organizational behavior and performance. This can be a challenge when working and negotiating with collective bargaining units. Being effective in this realm requires developing a better understanding of the complex relationships between decision-making, actions, and public management ethics. In the public sphere, how we resolve conflicts and manage change matters.

Module 4: Financial and Performance Management

A common frustration for public managers is the ability to identify and secure resources necessary for operations. This difficulty directly impacts short-term and long-term planning and performance management. Money and how it is spent is a priority of any organization. Combining performance measurement with skills for management requires insights to people and how we behave.

Program Topics

Please note that the order of topics and instructors is subject to change.

This module's topics include leadership, organizational strategy, and managing people.

Learning Objectives:

  • Hone your approach to decision-making
  • Apply skills to cases and discussions faced in the public sector with case work
  • Develop insights to your personal and organization leadership style

This module's topics include strategic communications and constituent relations.

Learning Objectives:

  • Practice skills to effectively communicate with elected officials and the public
  • Engage in approaches for collective collaborative arrangements that involve other units of government, nonprofits and private businesses

This module’s topics include the realities of management, change management, and negotiation to resolution.

Learning Objectives:

  • Insights for managers dealing with the realities of leading in the public sector.
  • Increase critical thinking about challenging issues facing public service organizations
  • Address conflict resolution strategies in complex relationships
  • Guest lectures from the award winning Rutgers DEI program for public service organizations – support enhanced Human Resource skills for recruitment, retention and promotion
  • Develop a framework for ethical decision making

This module’s topics include financial management, budgeting, and performance management.

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn how to identify and secure the resources necessary for operations
  • Develop strategies for difficult budget decision – within and across organizations
  • Expand understanding of how your department relates to the larger organizational budget
  • Combine performance measurement with skills for management

Certification (CEU's)

Earn up to 32 CEUs for completing course modules.

  • CMFO:
    • Office Management & Ancillary Subjects – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • CCFO:
    • Office Management & Ancillary Subjects – 4.0 hours
    • County Fiscal Operations – 4.0 hours
  • CTC:
    • General/Secondary – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • CPWM:
    • Management – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • RMC:
    • Professional Development – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • QPA:
    • Office Admin./General Duties – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • RPPO/S:
    • Management/Supervision – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • CMFO:
    • Office Management & Ancillary Subjects – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • CCFO:
    • Office Management & Ancillary Subjects – 4.0 hours
    • County Fiscal Operations – 4.0 hours
  • CTC:
    • General/Secondary – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • CPWM:
    • Management – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • RMC:
    • Professional Development – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • QPA:
    • Office Admin./General Duties – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • RPPO/S:
    • Management/Supervision – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • CMFO/CCFO:
    • Office Management & Ancillary Subjects – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • CTC:
    • General/Secondary – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • CPWM:
    • Government – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • RMC:
    • Professional Development – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • QPA:
    • Office Admin./General Duties – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • RPPO/S:
    • Management/Supervision – 4.0 hours
    • Ethics – 4.0 hours
  • CMFO/CCFO:
    • Financial and Debt Management – 4.0 hours
    • Office Management and Ancillary Subjects – 4.0 hours
  • CTC:
    • General/Secondary – 4.0 hours
  • CPWM:
    • Management – 4.0 hours
  • RMC:
    • Finance – 4.0 hours
  • QPA:
    • Office Admin./General Duties – 4.0 hours
  • RPPO/S:
    • Management/Supervision – 4.0 hours

Quotes from Recent Program Participants:


"The program was very helpful, and it made you really think of the different situations, and how to handle them. I thought the instructors were excellent, and I really enjoyed seeing other people's points of view."

Fall 2023 Participant

"I like how the course took a case study and carried it through the entire program. Applying various principles to a real situation was beneficial. I also liked the reflection process so we could think about how the specific module applied to our current work environment."

Fall 2023 Participant

"Online/asynchronous classes are great for today's working professionals and scheduling, but I also really liked having a Zoom discussion in real time at least once a week to discuss "face to face" with the class and instructors."

Spring 2024 Participant

red hexagon with black border which read "Rutgers Mini-Master of Public Administration™ Center for Executive Leadership in Government""

Those who complete the Mini-MPA™ program are eligible to receive a digital badge credential from Rutgers University in addition to their certificate. Acceptance of the digital badge is voluntary. Those who redeem their badge will be able to share it on various social media platforms, on electronic copies of resumes, in email, or embed in a website. To learn more about micro-credentialing and digital badging at Rutgers, please visit the Micro-credentialing and Digital Badging website.


Tuition

$2,250

 

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Program Location

This program is delivered via the Canvas learning management system. Students will be provided with a tutorial before the start of the program.

Enrollment Requirements

Anyone who is interested in learning more, gaining more knowledge and managerial experience in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors.