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GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM PROPOSALCover Sheet

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The attached graduate certificate proposal has been approved by the department. I understand that students cannot beadmitted to new graduate certificate programs until the program has received full governance approval and appears incatalog copy. ::r~<2-:

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Pleaseusethe following outline when preparing the certificate proposal, and attach the description to this form beforeforwarding for required governance approvals.

VII. Proposed Curriculum and Anticipated Schedule of Course Offerings for Certificate (please include proposedcatalog copy for the cerlificate program, and note that the minimum number of credit hours is 12 and the maximumnumber is less than ~ the minimum number of credit hours required for a master's degree)

VIII. Relation to Department's Existing Degree Program

IX. Relation to Professional Accreditation or ProfessionalAssociation Continuing Education Requirements (Ifapplicable)

XII. Administrative Issues (Le., who will provide advising for certificate stUdents,who will track course completionfor certificate?)

IV. The purpose of the certificate is to provide political and policy practitioners with academictraining in political science that is geared toward the needs of the practitioner.

V. The certificate is targeted to current and potential practitioners in national, state, and localgovernment. Given our location in the state capital, it is likely that the main draw will be fromindividuals who are active in, or who are planning to be active, in state government: legislativestaffers, policy analysts, campaign staffers and coordinators, lobbyists, etc. This is true of thecurrent practical politics concentration in the Political Science Master's degree. This certificatewill serve the same purpose of the concentration after the concentration is eliminated to create amore unified curriculum in the MA degree. The certificate will likely be attractive to individualsparticipating in the Illinois Legislative Staff Internship Program. Individuals in this programreceive graduate internship credit through the Political Science Department. With this credit,they will only need three additional courses for the certificate. We will certainly work with theILSIP staff to make participants aware of the certificate.

VI. We anticipate demand to be strong. The majority of student in the Political Science MAprogram choose the practical politics concentration, demonstrating the demand for a degree withan applied component. In addition, the certificate should be attractive for individuals who desireincreased professional certification but who are not ready to take on the commitment of a 40hour graduate degree. In other words, the certificate should attract potential students beyond themarket for our MA degree. Finally, our location in the state capital should generate significantdemand for this certificate.

The certificate in practical politics is intended/or political practitioners, orfor those who intendto become political practitioners, who wish to augment their background and skills throughexposure to political science frameworks and concepts with afocus on electoral politics, interestgroup politics and lobbying, and policy analysis.

Students with a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution may apply for admission to thecertificate. For admission to the certificate, a minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required, withconditional admission status possible for students with a slightly lower GPA, particularly if a

student has significant practical politics experience. Conditionally admitted students will befully admitted after receiving a grade ofB or better in PSC 501.

Students with significant practical experience may petition to replace the internshiprequirement with a PSC elective. The certificate can be taken as a part of the PSC MAcurriculum through electives or independently.

A grade of B or better must in each of thefollowing classes to qualify for the certificate (gradesof B- or lower will not be accepted).

PSC 501 (4 hours)Two (8 hours) of PSC 562, 563, 564One (4 hours) of 521, 522, 523, 524

Proposed schedule for course offerings: PSC 501 will be offered every fall semester. If demandwarrants, we will add a section in the spring semester. PSC 562, 563, and 564 will be offered ona rotating basis, with at least one of the courses offered every semester. PSC 521, 522, 523, and524 are offered every fall and spring semester.

X. The admission requirements for the certificate will be similar to those for the MA degree: aminimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA with conditional admission status possible for students with alower GPA, particularly if a student has significant practical politics experience. Conditionallyadmitted students will be fully admitted after receiving a grade ofB or better in PSC 501.

XI. We do not anticipate that the new concentration will require additional staffing or otherresources.

XII. Certificate students will be advised by faculty in the department. Progress toward thecompletion of the certificate will be moritored by the advisor and the department chair.

Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate programs require 18 semester hours or more for completion, and must receive theapproval of the Academic Department, College Curriculum Committee, Graduate Council, and Campus Senate; be reported to theUniversity of Illinois Board of Trustees; and be listed In the annual listing of the illinois Board of HIgher Education before they canappear in scheduled catalog copy and before a BANNER program code (CERT) can be assigned.

Campus-level Graduate Certificate programs require less than 18 semester hours for completion, and must receive the approval ofthe Academic Department, College Curriculum Committee, Graduate Council, and Campus Senate before they can appear Inscheduled catalog copy and before a BANNER program code (NDEG) can be assIgned.

This is a proposal for a D Post-Baccalaureate Graduate Certificate ~ Campus-level Graduate Certificate.It has been reviewed by the following governance bodies:

College Curriculum Committee ~ Proposal Approved D Proposal Denied

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Graduate Council D Proposal Approved D Proposal Denied

Campus Senate D Resolution Approved D Resolution Denied

D Academic Department Chair D College Dean

D Registrar D Asst to AVC (for catalog copy)

D Assoc Vice Chancellor

D Institutional Research Officer

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