CPM Course Information

PA Certified Public Manager

 

  • Nationally Recognized Certificate Program – American Society of Public Administration (ASPA)
  • Advanced Public Management/Leadership skills
  • All required coursework is 100% online and facilitated by subject matter experts who guide you through your learning. All events have a hybrid option for those who cannot attend in-person.Online Model
  • Capstone Project Required
  • Program Layout:
    • CPM Opening Retreat (1 day session)
    • 4 Required Courses (CPM 090, CPM 091, CPM 092, CPM 097)
    • Research Session
    • Mid-Program Retreat
    • 3 Required Courses (CPM 094- CPM 096)
    • Capstone Project Reviews 
    • CPM Graduation

Applications ARE now being accepted!

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Required Courses and events

 

CPM Opening Retreat Thursday, September 25, 2025

8:30AM - 4:00PM at The Ware Center, Lancaster PA

 

CPM 090 Self-Awareness and the Public Leader (6-week course)

  • Course Description: Demonstrating commitment to continuous learning, self-awareness and individual performance planning through feedback, study, and analysis. Topics include: Public Manager Self-Assessment, Business Writing, Presentation Skills, and Leadership Communications Skills

CPM 091 Introduction to the Public Management Profession in PA (6-week course)

  • Course Description: Public policy establishes the agencies and jurisdictions within which public employees work as well as creates the activities and programs administered by public managers. Knowledge of the processes which influence the formulation, adoption, and implementation of public policy assists public officials' understanding of how the institutional and societal context of government shapes the design of policy and its implementation. Particular emphasis will be placed on the policy process as it unfolds in the State of Pennsylvania. Topics include: Public Service 101, History and Culture of Politics in PA, Organizational Culture In the Public Sector and Pennsylvania Local Governments

CPM 092 Managing Public Sector Work (6-week course)

  • Course Description: Meeting organizational goals through effective planning, prioritizing, organizing, and aligning human, financial, material and information resources. Empowering others by delegating clear job expectations; providing meaningful feedback and coaching; creating a motivational environment and measuring performance. Monitoring workloads and documenting performance. Dealing effectively with performance problems. Topics include: Strategic Planning and Goal Setting, Project Management, Team Building and Public Personnel Management

CPM 097 Change Management (6-week course)

  • Course Description: Acting as a change agent; initiating and supporting change within the organization by implementing strategies to help others adapt to changes in the work environment, including personal reactions to change; emphasizing and fostering creativity and innovation; being proactive. Topics include: Change Management and Succession Planning, Policy Analysis, Organizational Change and Process Improvement Techniques

 

Mid-Program Retreat Tuesday, March 10, 2026

10:00AM - 4:00PM at The Ware Center, Lancaster PA

 

CPM 094 Leading People (6-week course)

  • Course Description: Inspiring others to positive action through a clear vision; promotes a diverse workforce. Encouraging and facilitating cooperation, pride, trust, and group identity; fostering commitment and team spirit. Articulating a vision, ideas and facts in a clear and organized way; effectively managing emotions and impulses. Topics include: Mediation, Negotiation, and Conflict Management, Managing Different Generations, Motivation and Ownership and Personnel Management and Supervisory Skills

CPM 095 Personal and Organizational Integrity (6-week course)

  • Course Description: Increasing awareness, building skills and modeling behaviors related to identifying potential ethical problems and conflicts of interest; appropriate workplace behavior; and legal and policy compliance. Topics include: Public Policy, Laws and Politics, Ethical and Accountable Behavior for Managers, Safety and Security in the Public Sector and Legal Issues for Public Managers

CPM 096 Systemic Integration (6-week course)

  • Course Description: Approaching planning, decision-making and implementation from an enterprise perspective; understanding internal and external relationships that impact the organization. Topics include: Problem Solving and Decision Making, Intergovernmental Relations, Financial Management & Budgeting and Information Technology

 

CPM Graduation Tuesday, August 18, 2026

9:00AM - 1:00PM at The Ware Center, Lancaster PA

 

Total Investment for all 7 courses and 3 Retreats: $3600.00