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Participants seeking to deepen their knowledge about Congress and explore additional coursework beyond our open-enrollment classes can choose to further pursue our Legislative Studies Certificate Program.
The program provides individuals with the background and skills to become more effective in a wide range of interactions with Congress, as well as enabling them to better understand developments and actions taken in the legislative arena.
As in all Government Affairs Institute courses, participants in the certificate program curriculum will have the opportunity to hear views from and exchange thoughts with academic experts as well as practitioners who have direct experience in various aspects of the legislative process.
The format of the program provides a mix of classroom courses explaining how procedures, organizations, rules, and practices shape the contemporary Congress, combined with actual time spent on Capitol Hill hearing from Members of Congress, congressional committee and personal staff, journalists, interest group representatives, and other individuals who interact with the congressional policy-making process.
Participants who wish to receive the Legislative Studies Certificate must complete a total of six courses from the following categories: one Core Class, two Advanced Classes, one Workshop, and two Research Seminars.
Please note that core, advanced, and workshop courses are open-enrollment classes and participants do not have to submit a certificate program application in order to attend. However, participants who wish to continue their studies with enrollment in the Research Seminars and receive the certificate program credential, are required to first submit an official application package.
The certificate program is designed so that it can be completed within approximately eighteen months, but participants have the option and flexibility to finish the required courses in a longer period as their schedules allow.
Individuals who have already successfully completed any of the Government Affairs Institute courses listed under Core Courses, Advanced Courses and Workshops in the last five years may generally apply those courses to the requirements for the certificate program.
Please note that courses are evaluated on a non-credit grading system, in which successful completion is the only passing grade, and requires full attendance and completion of all individual course requirements. The courses in the certificate program do not award academic credit units.
Once participants complete all required coursework, they can email gai@georgetown.edu to request their certificate of completion for the program. Our staff will review and approve the award of the certificate credential.
For additional information on the certificate program requirements and format please reach out to the Director of the Certificate Program, Katina Slavkova at kes69@georgetown.edu.
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution is required. Applicants should also have at least two years’ experience working full-time for a government entity, nonprofit organization, association, news organization, law firm, or other business or organization involved with public policy. Qualified applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants will be notified by email of admission decisions within approximately two weeks after submission of their complete application package.
The following application materials are required:
You can submit your application form and supporting documentation online, by email or by mail.
Email applications to: gai@georgetown.edu (Note: please indicate Certificate Program Application in the Subject Line of the email)
Mail applications to:
The Government Affairs Institute
at Georgetown University
3333 K Street, NW Suite 112
Washington, DC 20007
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