Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship (Certificate)
The Master of Public Administration program at Stuart School of Business offers certificate programs specifically designed for mid-career professionals who want to enhance their expertise with the latest industry-relevant ideas, skills, and tools.
The Certificate in Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship prepares economic development managers and entrepreneurs to drive socially responsible economic change in a rapidly changing global environment. Students can customize their course of study, with choices among courses addressing effective financial and systems management in the government and nonprofit sectors, social entrepreneurship, community and regional planning and policymaking, economic development, and more.
Students in this certificate program take four semester-length courses, learning alongside degree-seeking students and benefiting from the same expert faculty and the master’s degree curriculum that is attuned to leading-edge business practices and technologies.
Convenient for busy professionals, courses are scheduled in the evening and most are held at Illinois Tech’s Conviser Law Center in downtown Chicago.
Your Choice—In Person or Online
With the M.P.A. program’s hybrid courses, you can choose to attend your class sessions in person or go online to attend virtually.
Program Overview
The Certificate in Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship prepares economic development managers and entrepreneurs to drive socially responsible economic change in a rapidly changing global environment. Students can customize their course of study, choosing among a range of courses offered.
Career Opportunities
The Certificate in Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship is attuned to professionals in the public sector who specialize in developing cutting-edge economic development strategies and programs at the local, state, or federal level, as well as those who want to be mission-driven entrepreneurs engaged in organizing, managing, or creating ventures that utilize social capital to foster local or regional economic development.
This certificate combines rigorous instruction with a practical orientation. The student selects a minimum of four semester-length courses (12 credit hours total) from among a list of economic development and social entrepreneurship courses offered by Stuart’s Master of Public Administration program. Each course meets once a week for 15 weeks. Use the link below for a list of courses and descriptions.
Additional courses could be taken in Stuart’s M.S. in Sustainability Analytics and Management program; the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering; and other related programs as permitted by the program director.
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)
- Three to five years of related work experience
- Depending on previous academic coursework, the applicant may need to take additional prerequisite courses that may not count toward the certificate
Designed for Busy Professionals
Stuart School of Business Certificates Are:
- Targeted: Get the education you need now to propel your career forward
- Convenient: Evening class schedule, with most courses taught at Illinois Tech’s Conviser Law Center, located one block west of Union Station and near Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago
- Flexible: Take one or more courses at a time
Use Your Certificate Credit Toward a Master’s Degree
The Master of Public Administration degree program includes the option for an Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship specialization.
Certificate program students who later apply and are admitted to a master’s degree program at Stuart may apply all approved certificate coursework with a grade of B or higher to a master’s degree. A certificate is typically equivalent to one-fourth to one-third of the credit hours required for a degree. Students have the option of transferring to the master’s program in any semester.
Featured Faculty
Roland Calia
Joanne E. Howard
