Public Administration

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries and reshaping the global economy, making it crucial for professionals to grasp its legal, ethical, and policy implications. This certificate program empowers you to integrate AI responsibly within your organization, addressing these challenges head on. You will start by understanding AI systems, exploring their benefits and drawbacks, and tackling the legal and ethical issues they present. You’ll delve into AI’s impact on data privacy, bias, and accountability, while examining key U.S. and European regulatory perspectives. You'll also evaluate legal and intellectual property risks, develop strategies to mitigate your organization's legal and ethical risks, and promote effective and inclusive AI practices. The program further explores global AI dynamics, balancing innovation with compliance across international governance frameworks. You will gain practical tools for AI implementation, including change management, governance structures, and organizational alignment, along with advanced scenario planning for long-term strategic success. By the end, you’ll be equipped to deploy AI ethically, mitigate risks, and lead your organization through emerging AI challenges. For the best experience in this program, it is recommended to take these courses in the order that they appear. This program includes two years of free access to the AI Symposium! These highly interactive virtual events span multiple days and explore today’s most pressing topics. Symposium offers exclusive opportunities to engage in real-time discussions with your eCornell community, applying insights from your courses to real-world scenarios. Through reflections and small-group discussions, you will deepen your learning, broaden your perspective, and expand your professional network. Symposium events are held throughout the year, providing ongoing opportunities to stay engaged, gain fresh perspectives, and strengthen your skills. Once enrolled, you will receive access to the Symposium networking site along with details about upcoming sessions. You can participate in as many as you’d like to make the most of your experience, though attendance is not required to complete your program.

Data is transforming how governments, researchers, and organizations understand complex social challenges and evaluate public policy. In this certificate program, you will learn how to apply data science techniques to analyze issues such as income inequality, educational opportunity, public health, and criminal justice, using data to better understand these challenges and inform policy decisions. Throughout the program, you will use the R programming language and the RStudio development environment to analyze real-world datasets, perform statistical analyses, and create data visualizations that communicate meaningful insights. Along the way, you'll examine how data can be used to measure inequality, evaluate policy outcomes, and identify patterns across economic, demographic, and social issues. By the end of the program, you will be prepared to analyze large public datasets, communicate findings through data visualization, and apply data-driven insights to support policy analysis and decision making. To be successful in this program, you should have access to a New York Times subscription. You will have six months to complete the program, with the flexibility to progress at your own pace and finish sooner if your schedule allows.

In today’s rapidly evolving cannabis sector, staying ahead of legal changes is crucial. With laws and policies frequently changing, it’s essential not only to understand what to look for but also to know how to find the most up-to-date information relevant to your role in the industry. This certificate program will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the legal landscape of high-THC cannabis. You will explore federal regulations as well as New York State's unique regulatory structures compared to other states. You’ll analyze strategic business entity choices, delve into taxation nuances, and examine the dynamic field of medical cannabis legalization. Upon completing this certificate program, you will be equipped with the knowledge required to make informed decisions, implement responsible practices, and successfully navigate the growing cannabis industry. Note: Cornell University, as a federally funded institution, cannot accept payment directly from cannabis companies. This program contains information about cannabis, a federally illegal substance, and is intended for individuals aged 21 and above. You’ll have six months to complete the required elements for this certificate program, but this flexible approach allows you to finish sooner based on your schedule.

In today’s volatile world, analyzing and anticipating geopolitical risks is critical for professionals who operate multinational businesses, assess global investments, or do work related to foreign policy. This certificate program will help you hone your analysis skills so that you can more easily navigate the complex dynamics of the current international landscape. The program begins with an introduction to international relations theory to frame your approach to global challenges. You will then have the opportunity to craft compelling policy briefs that can be used to guide decision makers. You will also explore country risk evaluation, gaining the knowledge to synthesize political, economic, and social factors into actionable reports. Finally, you’ll harness the power of strategic foresight to anticipate future scenarios by backcasting. By the program’s conclusion, you’ll possess a unique toolkit of theoretical knowledge, practical analysis skills, and future-oriented thinking, equipping you to provide essential insights to stakeholders. For the best experience in this program, it is recommended to take these courses in the order that they appear.

The nonprofit world is changing fast. While competition for donors and clients heats up, organizations are being asked to focus on results. Because of this, demand is high in the nonprofit sector for financial leadership. The Financial Success for Nonprofits Certificate prepares nonprofit leaders and aspiring leaders to focus on mission while achieving financial sustainability. Whether you're working at a well-established nonprofit or a startup, Professor Grasso’s experience as a nonprofit leader prepares you to use financial statements and ratios, establish board governance and strategic leadership, raise funds and generate alternative revenue sources, and make strategic programmatic changes. For the best experience in this program it is recommended to take these courses in the order that they appear.

In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, even the most impactful initiatives can fail without strategic media communication that moves audiences to action. This certificate program is designed for professionals in or looking to transition to public-facing roles, providing essential skills for anyone who needs to amplify their message, build public support, and drive meaningful change through effective media engagement. In the program, you will gain practical tools and strategies to enhance your media presence while advancing your organization's mission. Through hands-on learning experiences, you'll discover the art of building relationships with key media influencers and create powerful narratives that drive action and support for public initiatives. As the program progresses, you will have the opportunity to explore ways to craft and deliver memorable spoken content that captures media attention through strategic storytelling and impactful delivery. By examining persuasive writing techniques for press releases, op-eds, and other media formats, you’ll discover how to transform complex issues into compelling narratives. Finally, you’ll strengthen your message in the media by building strategic validator networks that give your stories credible support and authenticity. The courses are particularly valuable for those who work in the public sector as well as experts and professionals who want to translate their technical work into narratives that resonate with broader audiences and influence public policy. By the conclusion of the program, you will have developed the ability to build a lasting media presence, overcome opposition, and drive meaningful change through strategic media relations and communication. The courses in this certificate program are required to be completed in the order that they appear.

Policy advocacy is a powerful tool for driving change. In this certificate program, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills needed to promote your causes effectively and create a lasting impact. Throughout the program, you’ll build a comprehensive toolkit for community engagement, including crafting compelling mission statements, conducting in-depth research, and developing actionable advocacy plans. You’ll explore how to analyze stakeholders, tailor messages for various audiences, and navigate the legislative process — from drafting impactful legislation to creating concise fact sheets. You’ll also harness the power of narrative and storytelling to engage with the media and amplify your message. In the final course, you’ll discover the essentials for running a successful political campaign, exploring practical strategies for planning and execution. By the end of this program, you will emerge with the strategic insights and hands-on experience to champion your cause and influence policy at local, state, and national levels. The courses in this certificate program are required to be completed in the order that they appear.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented health challenge on a global scale. A novel virus jumped from an animal to a person, and within a matter of weeks, people were infected around the world. Public health and healthcare systems were not prepared, and neither those frameworks nor our bodies were ready to detect, prevent, and respond. Countless lives were lost, as were jobs and financial security, food access, housing, and access to education. Now, we need to build back, and build back better, together. Public health is a field of work made up of many different types of people working in many different roles at community, state, national, and international levels. Its purpose is to develop and implement programs and policies to create the conditions where people can achieve health. This certificate program is designed for people who work — or want to work — to improve the health and wellbeing of communities. You will study fundamental public health principles and practices to enable you to be part of a push for health equity for all. You will examine how to review and interpret data so you can focus your efforts, and you will practice critical communication skills so you can support your community in making choices that prevent infection and illness. Using COVID-19 as one of many case studies, you will explore how, in public health, we learn from the past to improve the future. You will be positioned to use the knowledge and skills you gain to support the long-term goal of maximizing good health for all. The courses in this certificate program are required to be completed in the order that they appear.

There are a multitude of strategies, books, and resources that are meant to help you improve your leadership skills. But if you work in the public sector, do these strategies apply to you? What is different about leading in a public organization? In this certificate program, Seth Harris, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor, will help you explore these questions. You will assess your own leadership skills as well as examine your own organization to determine its unique characteristics. You will also examine your employees and teams to better understand what motivates them to work in the public sector. With a better understanding of both your organization and your people, you’ll have the opportunity to use several leadership models and goal-setting approaches that can help you determine which leadership strategies and behaviors will be most effective in your organization. This program includes two years of free access to Symposium! These events feature several days of live, highly participatory virtual Zoom sessions with Cornell faculty and experts to explore the most pressing leadership topics. Symposium events are held several times throughout the year. Once enrolled in your program, you will receive information about upcoming events. Throughout the year, you may participate in as many sessions as you wish. Attending Symposium sessions is not required to successfully complete the certificate program.