Undergraduate Certificate in Public, Non-Profit & Community Leadership

12听credit hours (4听classes)

The Public, Non-Profit & Community Leadership Certificate is a valuable academic credential that reflects the participant's scholarly achievement in听courses related to public policy, local politics and/or community leadership. The undergraduate certificate is open to students pursuing a bachelor's degree in political science or any other major, or to non-enrolled students who wish to receive a stand-alone certificate.听

This certificate is administered by the Center for New Directions in Politics and Policy. The required course and some electives will be delivered through the New Directions weekend intensive (three weekend) format taught by practitioners. Other electives are offered by Political Science faculty through traditional, weekly courses offered in-person or remotely over the course of a full term.

听

Requirements

High school degree from an accredited high school.
Enrollment in a current undergraduate degree program is not required.听

Accreditation Information for Undergraduate Certificate in Public, Non-Profit & Community Leadership

听

Public, Non-Profit and Community Undergraduate Leadership Certificate

Outcomes Assessment Plan

Updated November 2024 Based on听Forthcoming Fall听2025 Catalog Requirements

Certificate鈥檚 Educational Goals: This credit-bearing undergraduate certificate engages students in a focused curriculum in the community organizing and development field, including field placements in internships with local community partners.听 The program curriculum is anchored around the study and practice of local civic engagement, especially in traditionally marginalized communities. 听We provide critical education and effective skills-based training for students seeking careers in community organizing and development, as well as for students seeking more active citizenship and civic engagement. This program contributes to a workforce and community of change agents鈥攁ctivists, organizers, social workers, leaders, researchers, and program directors鈥攖o work for change in low-income and otherwise marginalized communities.

Certificate Learning Outcomes:听 Graduates of the Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership Certificate program will:

Analyze structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength
Critique public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context
Apply critical thinking skills to solve collective problems in a manner that improves the public good
Deepen involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges (including internships and other experiential learning opportunities), allowing students to reflect on the relationship between theory, political practice and potential career paths.

Curriculum and Assessment Map: The Public, Non-Profit and Community Leadership certificate requires students to complete five undergraduate courses.听 Two courses are required:听 PSCI 4914 (Community Organizing and Development) and an experiential learning course (from among three course options).听 Two听courses are electives, and must be drawn from the following list:

PSCI 3035听听听听听Political Movements: Race and Gender
PSCI 2064听听听听听Power and Empowerment in the United States听
PSCI 4009听听听听听Politics of the Budgetary Process
PSCI 4024听听听听听State Politics: Focus on 黑料网官网听
PSCI 4025听听听听听听听听 Local Governance and Globalization
PSCI 4074听听听听听听听听 Urban Politics, Planning and Development
PSCI 4075听听听听听Gentrification and Social Equity
PSCI 4084听听听听听Local Government and Administration
PSCI 4124听听听听听听听听 Denver Politics
PSCI 4206 听听听听听听听 Social Movements, Democracy and Global Politics
PSCI 4207听听听听听听听听 Theories of Social and Political Change
PSCI 4248听听听听听听听听 Gender, Globalization and Development
PSCI 4265 听听听听听听听 Social Justice and Globalization
PSCI 4274听听听听听听听听 Conflict Resolution and Public Consent Building
PSCI 4324听听听听听听听听 Politics, Public Policy, and Leadership
PSCI 4414听听听听听听听听 Non-Profits and Social Change
PSCI 4535听听听听听听听听 Labor and Working Class Politics
PSCI 4555听听听听听听听听 International Women鈥檚 Resistance
PSCI 4002听听听听听听听听 Topics Courses鈥擶hen Relevant and Approved by Program Advisor
PSCI 4840听听听听听听听听 Independent Study鈥擶hen Relevant and Approved by Program Advisor
PSCI 5424听听听听听The Social Economy and Sustainable Development听
PSCI 5434听听听听听The Cooperative Movement: Politics and Policy听
PSCI 5548听听听听听Labor Law and Collective Bargaining听

Assessment of learning objectives is done upon completion of required courses that all certificate students must complete. The table below maps the learning objectives to required courses, and provides examples of typical assessments for each course with respect to each learning objective.

Learning Objective	PSCI 4914	Experiential Learning Course
Analyze Structural Roots of Community Problems and Strengths	Short Papers & Final Project	听
Critique Public, Non-Profit and Community Organizing and Leadership Strategies	Class Papers & Final Project	Regular Journal Entries and Final Field Analysis
Apply Critical Thinking Skills to Improve Public Good	Possible:听 Final Community- Based Action Research Project	Field Supervisor鈥檚 Evaluation
Deepen Involvement with Diverse Communities	Possible:听 Final Community- Based Action Research Project	Field Supervisor鈥檚 Evaluation

听

Assessment Data Collection and Analysis:听 Assessment for each learning objective will be undertaken at the time of conclusion for any of the required courses, using the rubrics below. Assessments will be conducted by reviewing relevant course records, and in consultation with relevant instructors.听 Assessment of achievement of learning outcomes for all students in the course will be conducted, providing evidence of the extent to which the opportunity to master learning objectives was provided to certificate student who might have been in the courses.

听

Learning Outcome 1:听 Analyze structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength

Category	Percentage of Students	Rubric
Exceeds Expectations	听	Demonstrates a broad and sophisticated understanding of the structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength.听听 Shows strong ability to link local dynamics to broader political, economic, historic, cultural or global forces that shape local life.
Meets Expectations	听	Demonstrates a solid understanding of the structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength.听听 Shows some ability to link local dynamics to broader political, economic, historic, cultural or global forces that shape local life鈥攂ut may demonstrate lack of depth in grasping either broader structural forces or in describing local manifestations.
Below Expectations	听	Demonstrates a limited understanding of the structural roots of community problems and sources of community strength.听听 Shows only limited ability to link local dynamics to broader political, economic, historic, cultural or global forces that shape local life.

听

Learning Outcome 2. Critique public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context.

Category	Percentage of Students	Rubric
Exceeds Expectations	听	Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of effective public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context.听 In field work, student demonstrates an ability to identify relevant challenges to effective leadership in a given context, and to identify/evaluate promising responses to those leadership challenges.
Meets Expectations	听	Demonstrates a solid understanding of different public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context. 听In field work, student might struggle to identify/evaluate multiple promising responses to specific leadership challenges in a given context.
Below Expectations	听	Demonstrates a limited understanding of different public, non-profit and community organizing and/or leadership strategies, depending on issue or community context.听 In field work, Student struggles to identify a promising response to specific leadership challenge in a given context.

听

Learning Outcome 3: Apply Critical Thinking Skills to Improve Public Good

听

Category	Percentage of Students	Rubric
Exceeds Expectations	听	Community-based action research project and/or student鈥檚 performance in field internship demonstrates nuanced and sophisticated understanding of specific community challenges/opportunities, and impressively creative approach to addressing those challenges/opportunities.
Meets Expectations	听	Community-based action research project and/or student鈥檚 performance in field internship demonstrates solid understanding of specific community challenges/opportunities, and student demonstrates diligence and commitment in addressing those challenges/opportunities.
Below Expectations	听	Community-based action research project and/or student鈥檚 performance in field internship demonstrates only rudimentary understanding of specific community challenges/opportunities, and/or student lacks diligence and commitment in addressing those challenges/opportunities.

听

Learning Outcome 4:听 Deepen involvement with diverse communities and real-world challenges (including internships and other experiential learning opportunities), allowing students to reflect on the relationship between theory, political practice and potential career paths.

听

Category	Percentage of Students	Rubric
Exceeds Expectations	听	Student demonstrates serious commitment to building connections between university resources and community needs and interests and a creative approach to the practical application of academic skills.
Meets Expectations	听	Student participates in relevant university-community partnership opportunities, but may not demonstrate a unique personal commitment to this work.听听 Student is capable, but does not stand out, in pursuing a practical application of their academic skills. 听
Below Expectations	听	Student is disinterested or undependable in completing relevant university-community partnership opportunities.听听 Student demonstrates rudimentary effort to pursuing a practical application of their academic skills.听

听

Schedule for Learning Outcomes Assessment听听听听听听听听听听听

听

Achievement of learning outcomes for each student will be assessed at the time of each course鈥檚 conclusion.听听 Data will be reported upon the completion of the certificate by five or more students. Managing the assessment process will be the responsibility of the department certificate coordinator and/or Department Chair.听

听

黑料网官网

Tools

Resources

Schools and Colleges

Campus Affiliates

The Plaza Building will remain closed through Jan. 20, 2025.