Public Administration
Program Overview
Humber’s Public Administration graduate certificate program is the first of its kind in Canada providing all of the knowledge, skills and experience graduates need to become successful public service employees. Designed and taught by public administration professionals, this program is your key to succeeding quickly in a public sector job. You will receive advanced training in communications, policy analysis, project management, information technology, public finance, governance, leadership and human resources management. Experienced faculty, most of whom currently work in the public sector, will guide you through the core of the curriculum, with guest speakers addressing specific topical issues. The practical, skills-based curriculum provides the foundation for long-term career success by exposing you to the primary activities of public administration and by providing networking opportunities with civil servants from across the sector.
Upon successful completion of the program, a graduate will:
Describe the machinery of government in Canada, including the roles and responsibilities of executives, legislatures and the judiciary, as well as the relationships between all levels of government.
Define ethics and values which are key to public administration and explain how they apply at all levels of public administration.
Explore and compare public administration practices found in industrialized countries, especially member states of the European Union and the United States.
Discuss current issues affecting Canadian public administration and examine how those issues are managed from a public management perspective.
Discuss key elements of strategic planning processes and examine how these apply to public administration.
Understand and relate to governments from two perspectives: as business entities with strategic plans, budgets, and core businesses; and as organizations composed of complex human behaviour.
Explain key economic and finance concepts such as externalities, public and private goods, deficit financing, debt repayment, and fiscal federalism.
Demonstrate how governments plan, manage and report on the collection and expenditure of public funds.
Discuss information technology and software applications used in public administration as well as current information technology issues faced by public sector IT managers.
Prepare and manage human resources in public administration, including the preparation of HR plans, recruitment and selection processes, supervisory skills, negotiating skills and conflict resolution skills.
Describe the role that communications plays in the public sector and work with stakeholders and partners to meet the information needs of the public, the media, political staff and the bureaucracy.
Examine how governments develop, implement and evaluate programs in general and learn how to use specific research and analysis tools to contribute to that process in particular.
Identify the methodological and conceptual issues associated with evaluating and maintaining quality services in the public sector.
Identify the skills and knowledge required by project managers and project management teams in the public sector.
Understand and fulfill leadership responsibilities in the public sector by assessing individual leadership traits and behaviours and apply this understanding to the broader theories and concepts of leadership.
Understand, contribute to, and manage partnerships in the public sector, broadly defined.
Work Placement
You will gain on-the-job work experience with an eight-week (minimum) work placement within the public sector. With faculty support, you will find placements with an appropriate organization.
The Humber Advantage
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Your Career
The federal government is the largest single employer in Canada. The provincial governments are a close second, and municipal governments employ hundreds of thousands across the country. The 3.2 million people in the public sector account for almost 20 per cent of all employment. And public sector employees tend to earn higher than average salaries with excellent benefits and working conditions. Shifting demographic factors are rapidly increasing governments’ and public sector agencies’ need for talented people with a broad range of public administration skills and knowledge – and the desire to make a difference – to continue the important work of the public service. Find exceptional career opportunities in positions such as policy analyst, communications officer and program officer.
Federal government employers include Service Canada, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Provincial government employers include the Ministry of Community and Social Services, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Related Programs
Program Availability
Public Administration
Watch "James Nowlan" to hear about his experience in the Public Administration program.
Humber Students Benefit from Five Centres of Innovation (COIs)
The Humber Centres of Innovation Network demonstrates our strong commitment to providing an experiential learning environment for students. Students and faculty work with industry partners on real-world challenges to prepare them to become the innovative and strategic problem-solvers of tomorrow. Come to Humber and experience interdisciplinary learning across five COIs.
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Accounting Alumna Places in Top 1% on Common Final Examination
Wed, January 11, 2023
Professional Accounting Practice graduate Melissa Pettau achieved the Honour Roll on the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Canada Common Final Examination (CFE).
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On October 21, 2019, the Provincial Government of Ontario announced the renaming of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU). Both names may appear on this website.
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