Certified Public Manager Program - University of Houston
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Certified Public Manager Program

  • Instructor Arquella Hargrove teaching class
  • Participant presenting their capstone project
  • 2018 Certified Public Manager Cohort

    2018 Certified Public Manager Cohort

  • Deputy City Controller Alex Obregon

    Deputy City Controller Alex Obregon instructing Track 4

  • CPM Christine Schlenker

    Capstone presentation from participant Christine Schlenker

Accreditation

The University of Houston’s Certified Public Manager Program (UH CPM Program) is fully accredited by the National Certified Public Manager Consortium.

The Certified Public Manager® program is a nationally accredited, comprehensive management and leadership training program. The Hobby School of Public Affairs’ Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program is an affiliate of the CPM Program offered through the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service at Texas State University and is accredited by the National Certified Public Manager Consortium. Graduates are entitled to use the official designation of Certified Public Manager® (CPM), a professional credential and designation which exemplifies recognized standards for excellence in public management and leadership.

The Hobby School of Public Affairs’ CPM Program is:

  • A challenging program designed to help today’s manager become tomorrow’s leader with innovative curriculum, problem-solving, and networking opportunities.
  • For managers who are dedicated to public service.
  • For public service employees, working professionals, administrative staff, faculty, and students in the government and non-profit sectors who are interested in enhancing their skills and abilities needed to deal with “real-world” problems and situations.

The CPM Program's primary goal is to improve the performance of public sector managers and the organizational performance of federal, state, and local government employees.

More applied than theoretical, the CPM Program serves as a valuable companion to the traditional master of public administration (MPA) program offered by the University of Houston.

The CPM program consists of seven tracks (courses) offered over a 14-21 month period with each of the seven courses meeting 1.5 days a month. The courses include personnel administration; managing for quality; organizational communication; public finance; productivity and program evaluation; information systems for managers; and an applied project practicum. Download the 2025-2026 schedule of classes here: 2025-2026 CPM Program Schedule. CPM focuses on values, such as improving ethics in the public service. It sets up a continuing education network of federal, state, and local civil servants, who can work together to improve the quality and the image of the public service.