Steven J. Green
School of International
& Public Affairs

Co-Chair: Dr. Shaoming Cheng, MPA Director
Co-Chair: Dr. David Guo, Assistant Professor of Public Administration

The Certificate in Public Finance, Procurement and Contract Management is designed as a specialization for students interested in careers in budgeting, finance, purchasing, and contract management in the public and non-profit sectors. The certificate program will expose students to competencies in areas like contract and project management, public finance and the budgetary process, procurement and ethics, and legal aspects of procurement and public finance.

Admission Requirements

All applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and have an upper division GPA of at least 3.0. Applicants with GPA lower than 3.0 may be considered if they submit a GRE, LSAT or GMAT Score. Students must be admitted to the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program to start taking classes.

Note: Those students who apply for and are admitted to the Master of Public Administration degree program may have certificate courses credited toward the MPA degree provided each course has a grade of “B” or higher and the student is admitted to the master’s degree program prior to the completion of no more than 12 Graduate Certificate credits.

How to Apply

In order for you to be officially considered for admission to a Graduate Certificate program, you must complete the following steps:

1. Submit an application online:
   • If you are currently enrolled in a FIU Master's or Doctoral degree program – Graduate Certificate Program Application
2. Submit an application fee. A $30.00, non-refundable, application fee payable by check, money order, or credit card is required;
3. Submit official transcript/s. Transcripts of all degree granting institutions must be sent directly from each college or university either electronically or in a sealed envelope to the Graduate Admissions Office (Note: If your undergraduate degree was from FIU you don’t need to do this because your student records are accessible by computer from the Department);
4. Submit resume to the Graduate Admissions Office

Use the Graduate Certificate Application to keep track of the courses you complete. When you have completed all certificate courses, turn in this form to the Department of Public Administration. You will receive your Certificate by mail after completion of the MPA program.

General Requirements

Students must complete their program of study within three years from the date of admission and earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. All course grades must be "C" or better.

Curriculum (18 credits)

Required Courses: (9 credits)

Elective Courses: (9 credits)

Students may take up to two electives outside the Department. These electives must be selected from a list of approved electives or must be approved by Certificate Co-Chairs.

*Depending on the topic of the course and pending MPA Program approval, PAD 5934 (Contemporary Issues) may be counted as a certificate elective

Tuition and Fees

Visit the Office of Student Financials to use the online Tuition Fee Calculator tool.

Contact Us

Shaoming Cheng, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Public Administration &
Director, Master of Public Administration Program
Florida International University
Modesto A. Maidique Campus,
11200 S.W. 8th Street, PCA 350A
Miami, FL 33199
Phone: 305-348-0432
Fax: 305-348-5848
E-mail: scheng@fiu.edu