Address Complex Questions of Poverty and Development
The Evans School’s International Development Policy and Management (IDPM) certificate offers students a foundation for addressing complex questions of poverty and development. The transcriptable certificate has been earned by UW graduate students from 14 departments and schools and allows students to study current topics in international policy, management, and economics in a disciplinarily diverse classroom.
Requirements
The international development certificate requires that students complete 9 credits of core course material and two electives (6-8 credits) that cover areas or methods focused on international development.
1. Three core courses (9 credits total).
- PUBPOL 531 Development Management and Governance (AUT; 4 credits) examines the characteristics of development policy and aid institutions and explores the ethical and practical considerations of managing development projects at the national and local levels.
- PUBPOL 533 Economics of International Development (WIN; 4 credits) critically examines the most common economic development indicators of poverty, growth, and inequality, and provides an overview of, and basic economic literacy around, international macroeconomic topics including debt, aid, trade, and financial markets.
- PUBPOL 598 International Development Certificate Portfolio (SPR; 1 credit) A portfolio and paper developed by each student, reflecting upon the key learning experiences of the program. The portfolio will consist of a set of papers completed through certificate courses, while the paper will act as a reflective summary of the portfolio, coursework, and student learning in the program.
2. Two elective courses (6-8 credits total) that cover areas or methods focused on international development.
Completion of the International Development Certificate will be acknowledged on the student’s official UW transcript.
Students are encouraged to review the UW Graduate School policies on certificate programs.
Eligibility and Admissions
Current UW graduate students who have completed at least one quarter with a minimum 3.0 GPA are eligible to apply. Please note that students who are in fee-based graduate programs are eligible but have different tuition costs associated with state-supported certificates. If you are not sure if you are in a fee-based program, please contact your academic advisor or the Office of Student Affairs at evansgrad@uw.edu.
To apply for the certificate, please gather the following materials as a single PDF and upload as part of the application linked below.
- A short letter of application introducing yourself, your academic program at UW, your background, areas of interest, professional and academic experience, future professional goals, and interest in the certificate.
- A current resume listing both educational and professional experience.
- University of Washington transcript (unofficial is fine; minimum GPA 3.0).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, MPA students can complete the certificate. Completion of both the MPA and the certificate will require students to complete one additional credit beyond the Evans School minimum of 72 credits, in the form of the certificate’s 1-credit Capstone course, following UW Graduate School policy. Students who are interested in the certificate should contact the Office of Student Affairs at evansgrad@uw.edu.
Yes, but fee-based students should take note that fee-based programs will use a different process to apply, register, and pay for their courses than students in state-supported programs. Fee-based students should review Continuum College policies about student status in “dual-majors.” Things to consider for fee-based students include different tuition costs for state-supported certificate courses and different registration processes.
If you do not know if you are in a fee-based program, reach out to your academic advisor. It is the student’s responsibility to determine their student status prior to applying for a tuition-based certificate.
Currently, admission to the certificate operates on a rolling admission basis. Once your application is received, it is reviewed by our committee and the decision is sent within two to three weeks.
While we have a preference for you to take PUBPOL courses to fulfill your elective requirements, we understand this is not always practical. If you identify graduate level courses from other departments or schools that have appropriate learning in areas of methods of international development, then please bring an exception request to our attention. In your email message justify how the graduate-level course meets the spirit of the certificate and your professional goals.
Typical electives include PUBPOL 539 Values in International Development, and PUBPOL 575 Taxes and Social Policy
Questions? Contact evansuw@uw.edu.