The Public Affairs Professional Certificate is a joint program offered by the School of Public and International Affairs' Department of Political Science and Grady College of Journalism's Department of Advertising and Public Relations. This interdisciplinary certificate, one of the first of its kind offered in the nation, prepares a cohort of students who are majoring in either SPIA or Grady (or both in the case of double majors) with critical academic knowledge, practical information, and technical skills in the area of applied politics and public affairs communications.
This program's focus is to take what we have learned in political science and apply it. By engaging in real-world applications, students and faculty will be better able to generate better theory, better research that tests the theory, and better training for those who wish to work in the real world, because if you have training in both these areas, you will better be able to make predictions about political outcomes. Beginning in fall of 2016, the Certificate will offer two tracks: Applied Politics and Public Affairs Communications. The goal is to provide UGA students with a competitive advantage in the area of professional/practical politics and public affairs communications.