Certified Public Manager® 

The University of Washington Tacoma's Certified Public Manager® is a nationally accredited, comprehensive leadership and management development program for professionals from all levels of government - city, county, state, and beyond. This program is designed for high-achieving, career-oriented public supervisors and managers who hold or desire to move into mid- or senior-level positions. If you've been thinking about a master's in public administration but need something more flexible, more affordable, and more quickly achieved, this might be the program for you! 

Craft Beer

Are you an aficionado looking to learn the history of beer, a homebrewer who wants to brew your skills up to the next level, or are you looking to go into the business of craft beer and breweries - are you already in the industry and want to go expand your business? We can help you learn the tools, gain the skills and have the opportunity to pursue any of these paths. 

Customized Trainings 

In addition to serving individual students, the UW Tacoma Professional Development Center is able to provide our services to organizations on a contract basis. Our professional instructors have invaluable experience providing customized programming to public and private sector organizations with a wide range of needs and objectives. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

As the Professional Development Center, we are guided by a belief that everyone is better able to increase their diversity competencies when they have the opportunity to develop this knowledge and skillset within the context of their professional roles. Our initial series of workshops prepare you to analyze, diagnose, and address diversity and inclusion issues. As a participant, you’ll begin to gain the skills and insights needed to support a strategic, sustainable approach to diversity and inclusion leadership within organizations. 

Leadership 

To thrive in today’s environment, leaders and their organizations must possess adaptability, resilience, and a growth mindset. These workshops and courses will help you develop vision, acknowledge and recognize the role of organizational culture, create a leadership development plan, create change, strategically align the organization, and communicate more effectively - all to help the organization and our communities thrive. 

Fundraising Management 

As organizations compete for donor dollars, they have a great need for fundraising professionals. With the focus increasingly on the individual contributor, fundraisers recognize the growing importance of planned and major gifts, the fundamental relationship between good management, financial and marketing skills, and the ability to develop strong case statements for grant proposals. This Certificate Program in Fundraising Management reflects the changing trends and new directions of the field. 

Human Resources Management 

Designed by an advisory board of UW faculty and human resource professionals, this program emphasizes how disciplines of human resources can be integrated to address workplace effectiveness. The courses cover all major areas of human resources as identified by the leading national certifications in human resources. Students participate in case studies, group projects and discussions of practical, real-life work situations that make the program relevant to today's workplace issues and environment. 

Lean Six Sigma  

Lean Six Sigma is a business and data-driven, disciplined approach to reducing waste and minimizing defects in any type of process, be it manufacturing or services. Lean Six Sigma focuses on reduction of waste, increased profitability and customer satisfaction. We offer several levels of Lean Six Sigma programs, from entry to expert level, as well as executive overviews and workshops. Browse these programs to find the right fit for you. 

Nonprofit Management 

Learn to manage people, to build effective programs, and to maintain a healthy and efficient nonprofit organization. Develop the knowledge, insights and abilities to enter or advance your career in the nonprofit field. The curriculum focuses on nonprofit leadership, financial management and the broader operational aspects of nonprofits. 

Project Management

As PMI shifts its focus on methodologies over the course of this year, the Project Management program is being expanded to offer multiple courses toward successful project implementations. First in this series is the Foundations of Project Management. The 20-hour course is focused on the existing predictive a.k.a. waterfall methodology taught through PMBOK6. Key tenets of good project management practice are excellent communication, empowering leadership, strong people skills, a firm and consistent management style, combined with experience and wisdom. 

Self-Paced, Online Courses

The Professional Development Center now partners with MindEdge on a select catalog of self-paced, online courses related to our core subject areas. MindEdge has been a leading provider and pioneer in e-learning since its founding by Harvard and MIT educators in 1998. Our specific MindEdge catalog has been curated by the Professional Development Center to find the most relevant and up-to-date courses to supplement our existing programs.