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 UNBC 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 UNBC 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
| ENPL 104-3 | Introduction to Planning |
| POLS 100-3 | Contemporary Political Issues |
| POLS 316-3 | Municipal Government and Politics |
| POLS 350-3 | Law and Municipal Government |
| POLS 351-3 | Local Services and Public Policy |
| POLS 360-3 | Local Government Finance |
Elective Courses
Specialization 1: Policy and Administration
| COMM 330-3 | Human Resource Management |
| POLS 200-3 | Canadian Government and Politics |
| POLS 302-3 | How Government Works |
| POLS 320-3 | Canadian Politics and Policy |
| POLS 327-3 | Leadership and Ethics in Local Government |
| POLS 332-3 | Community Development |
| POLS 333-3 | Politics and Government of BC |
| POLS 344-3 | Society, Policy and Administration of Natural Resources |
| POLS 353-3 | Project Management in Local Government |
| POLS 380-3 | Law and Indigenous Peoples |
| POLS 415-3 | Comparative Northern Development |
Specialization 2: Planning and Economic Development
| COMM 302-3 | Entrepreneurship |
| ENPL 105-3 | Principles and Practices of Planning |
| ENPL 208-4 | Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio |
| ENPL 301-3 | Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology |
| ENPL 313-3 | Rural Community Economic Development (CED) |
| ENPL 318-3 | Professional Planning Practice |
| GEOG 202-3 | Resources, Economies, and Sustainability |
| GEOG 424-3 | Northern Communities |
| POLS 332-3 | Community Development |
| POLS 415-3 | Comparative Northern Development |
Public Administration and Community Development Major
See Calendar entry under Geography
Updated: May 22, 2024