Apr 18, 2024

2022-2023 Graduate Catalog

2022-2023 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Public Policy-Ethics, Certificate

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Colleges > Hobby School of Public Affairs > Public Policy-Ethics, Certificate

While earning their Public Policy and Ethics certificate, students will study diverse value perspectives that inform different public policy issues, assess the strengths and weaknesses of these different value perspectives in diverse policy domains, learn to identify the value trade-offs that invariably underlie public policy decisions, and gain a better understanding of the ethical challenges and responsibilities associated with policy research, leadership, and organization behavior.

Admission Requirements

The application process for the graduate certificates is similar to the MPP and completed entirely online via ApplyWeb (https://www.applyweb.com/uhouston/index.ftl).

Applicants must complete a UH Graduate School application and provide official transcripts of all college-level coursework with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, current resume, and a statement of purpose.

The GRE is not required when applying for admission to the graduate certificate programs.

The graduate certificate programs have a $25 application fee.

Certificate Requirements

Credit hours required for this certificate: 12.0

Course Requirements

POLC 6330 - Philosophy and Public Policy I Credit Hours: 3.00
POLC 6331 - Philosophy and Public Policy II Credit Hours: 3.00

Non-MPP Degree Student Course Options

Students who are not MPP degree students may also take (but are not required to take) one of the following Hobby School introductory policy courses for credit toward their certificate:

POLC 6311 - Leadership and Professional Development Credit Hours: 3.0
POLC 6313 - Policy Analysis I: Microeconomics Credit Hours: 3.00

Elective Courses

Students who do not take POLC 6311 or POLC 6313 must take two other ethics-related classes. Students who take POLC 6311 or POLC 6313 for certificate credit need only take one other ethics related class.

POLC 6342 - Political Economy and Ethics of the Market Processes Credit Hours: 3.00
POLC 6371 - Rockwell Ethics and Leadership Center Seminar Credit Hours: 3
POLC 6397 - Selected Topics in Public Policy Credit Hours: 3.00
POLC 6372 - Research Ethics Credit Hours: 3
POLC 6373 - Philosophy for Public Policy Students Credit Hours: 3
BIOL 6356 - Medical Ethics Credit Hours: 3.00
LAW 6321 - Professional Responsibility Credit Hours: 3.0
LAW 6395 - Race and the Law Credit Hours: 3.0
MANA 6A25 - Ethical Leadership & Critical Reasoning Credit Hours: 1.5
MANA 7330 - Employment Law & Labor Relations Credit Hours: 3
MANA 7375 - Global Leadership Credit Hours: 3
MANA 7347 - Managerial Ethics & Corporate Social Responsibility Credit Hours: 3

Academic Policies

University of Houston Academic Policies

In addition to the specific courses that are listed, students can petition the Hobby School to include other courses. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and will require the consent of the Hobby School Director of Graduate Studies and the applicable department where the course is offered.

The graduate certificate will only be awarded to students with a 3.0 or higher GPA for classes taken towards completion of the program.

Students that complete the graduate certificate can also apply to the MPP program. If accepted into the MPP program, these courses will then be counted towards the MPP.