The North Carolina Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program is a 300-hour (including prerequisite courses), comprehensive, nationally accredited professional development program for state, federal, local, and tribal government entities and public institutions of higher learning. Unlike other leadership programs, we specialize in helping public sector middle managers: supervisors of other supervisors or professionals, or program managers who influence a wide geographic area or a large number of stakeholders.
Accredited by the National Consortium of Certified Public Manager® Programs, the NC Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program is authorized to bestow the designation of Certified Public Manager® to candidates who complete the program.
CPM at a Glance
Benefits For ...
Candidates
Hone your leadership skills with a program that prepares graduates for next level managerial performance.
Program faculty combine 40+ years of public sector knowledge, best practices shared by the 42+ CPM programs across the country, and peer-based “in-the-trenches” experiences of program candidates to deliver a transformational learning journey. A faculty member is assigned to coach and guide each candidate through an individualized growth and learning plan.
Upon completion of all requirements, a signed, framed certificate reflecting the Certified Public Manager® designation is presented to graduates by their agency leadership in a formal graduation ceremony. The national recognition of this certification will continue to benefit graduates no matter where their career paths take them.
The North Carolina State University School of Public and International Affairs offers a Master of Public Administration degree, normally requiring 36 credit hours. Students who complete the NC CPM program earn 6 credit hours towards this degree, only requiring 27 more to complete an MPA degree.
The North Carolina Society of Certified Public Managers® is a professional association of public sector managers who have earned the CPM designation or significantly promote the society's objectives. The society promotes networking with other professional managers as well as career development through continuing education.
Organizations
Through the course of the program, each participant will complete a CPM Capstone Project, which uses the principles taught in the CPM program to solve a real-world problem facing their organization.
This program uses data from a 64 item 360 degree assessment, MAS360, to assist candidates in identifying managerial skills performance levels. Based on the seven CPM core competencies, shared by CPM programs nationwide, the MAS 360 pre-and post-test assessment data show that program graduates significantly increase their managerial abilities (95% confidence interval).
Professional development is one of the most sought-after employment benefits in today's job market. Regular participation in this nationally-recognized program will help your organization attract and retain top talent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Program applicants should have prior training and experience with fundamental leadership skills and fall into one or more of the following categories:
1. Supervise other supervisors.
2. Supervise professionals who have significant autonomy and accountability (such as attorneys, engineers, scientists, etc.).
3. Manage programs that require the ability to influence others (internal and external stakeholders, executive levels of government) but over which they have no direct authority.
They must have also completed the 3 prerequisites.
The Certified Public Manager® program is a significant time commitment, so support from every level of your agency is crucial for your success. Start with your supervisor and your training coordinator. They should coordinate your agency's internal selection process with your agency leadership, beginning in November for the following program year. While we do not maintain a list of all training coordinators in the public sector, you can view the list of state agency training coordinators here.
- Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Fundamentals
- High Performance Coaching for Managers (Leading at All Levels Management program track)
- Advanced Skills for Managers (ASM) program
These must prerequisite courses must be successfully completed prior to admission, and completion could be seen by your agency as a sign of commitment. Support from your agency is crucial to enrollment in the program. These three prerequisites, available in the NC Learning Center, provide 100 additional instructional hours, for a CPM Program total of 300 hours.
The application window for agency selected managers to apply to the upcoming program is from January 31–March 31. Agency-approved managers, their supervisors, leadership, training coordinators, and finance officers all participate in the application process.
While we do not maintain a list of all training coordinators in the public sector, you can view the list of state agency training coordinators here.
If you are unsure where to begin, speak to your supervisor and/or the training coordinator within your organization. For more information, contact Dr. Reed Altman, program director, at reed.altman@nc.gov or 984-236-1021.