This Certificate provides a comprehensive overview of local government administration in Canada, with a focus on British Columbia. The Certificate complements existing degree programs at ÂÜÀòÉäÇø and is designed to help students prepare for careers in local government administration, policy, planning and economic development. Some of the courses in the Certificate also meet the requirements for provincial certification programs for local government administrators.
Drawing primarily from the disciplines of Political Science and Environmental Planning, the Certificate in Local Government Administration consists of 10 courses (30 credit hours), four of which are electives. The elective courses are drawn from lists of courses in two specializations: Policy and Administration and Planning and Economic Development. Students can choose to specialize in one of these areas, in which case they take four courses from one of the lists. They can also choose a generalist focus in which they take two courses from each list. Students must ensure that all prerequisite courses have been completed for the elective courses in the certificate.
Students can take the Certificate as a stand-alone program of study or in conjunction with a degree program. The requirements for admission into a Certificate program are the same as for any general ÂÜÀòÉäÇø undergraduate program. University transfer credit can also be applied to the Certificate, as appropriate, to a maximum of 15 credit hours.
Certificate Requirements
Required Courses
| Introduction to Planning | |
| Contemporary Political Issues | |
| Municipal Government and Politics | |
| Law and Municipal Government | |
| Local Services and Public Policy | |
| Local Government Finance |
Elective Courses
Specialization 1: Policy and Administration
| Human Resource Management | |
| Canadian Government and Politics | |
| How Government Works | |
| Canadian Politics and Policy | |
| Leadership and Ethics in Local Government | |
| Community Development | |
| Politics and Government of BC | |
| Society, Policy and Administration of Natural Resources | |
| Project Management in Local Government | |
| Law and Indigenous Peoples | |
| Comparative Northern Development |
Specialization 2: Planning and Economic Development
| Entrepreneurship | |
| Principles and Practices of Planning | |
| Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio | |
| Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology | |
| Rural Community Economic Development (CED) | |
| Professional Planning Practice | |
| Resources, Economies, and Sustainability | |
| Northern Communities | |
| Community Development | |
| Comparative Northern Development |
Public Administration and Community Development Major
See Calendar entry under Geography
Updated: May 22, 2024