FAQ's
Prospective CPM participants are encouraged to register for CPM tracks using a downloadable registration form that may be faxed, e-mailed, or mailed to our office. Use this form to register for a single track or for the entire CPM series. Contact Emily Janowski at eajanows@central.uh.edu or 713-743-7171 if you have questions about registration.
The program is open to anyone who holds a management, administrative, or supervisory position in a governmental or non-profit agency and who is able to devote two days a month for just over a year to attend classes at the University of Houston central campus. There are no degree or test score requirements to participate in the CPM program. Administrative officers, managers, elected officials, public safety officers, not-for-profit staff, federal staff and other participants seeking to acquire knowledge based skills to further their careers will benefit the most from this program.
Over 1000 participants in Texas have completed the CPM Program since it began in July 1995.
Enrollment is open to all participants from the public and nonprofit sectors. A college degree is preferred but not required.
Participants who begin the program at the start of a cycle and take each track in sequence can complete the program in about 14 months depending on the schedule for award of the CPM credential at a formal graduation ceremony. There are two CPM graduations each year in June and December at the state capitol in Austin.
No. You can start with any of the six substantive tracks in a cycle and complete earlier tracks when offered in the next cycle. Normally, a participant must complete all six of the substantive tracks before beginning the capstone project. However, the program director may allow a participant who has completed all but one track to begin a capstone project while completing the final track.
Successful completion of the program is based on three criteria: attendance, completion of outside readings and “homework exams”, and submission of an applied research project and paper.
Download the 2024-2025 class schedule. Contact Emily Janowski at eajanows@central.uh.edu or 713-743-7171 if you wish to have a hard copy of the brochure and schedule mailed to you.
The CPM program is a nationally recognized and accredited development program for those who seek broader understanding and competency in the management of government and non-profit organizations. Thirty states have adopted the CPM program for training federal, state and local government managers since its founding in the mid-1970s. The Hobby Center at Texas State University administers the program for the state of Texas through a network of affiliated universities. The Hobby School of Public Affairs (HSPA) manages the University of Houston affiliate. The UH HSPA program consists of approximately 144 contact hours of training in six performance areas and a capstone project.
The Texas CPM Program is a 7 course sequence which leads to a nationally accredited public manager certification. The CPM Program is offered by Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service. Texas State University offers the program in cooperation with the following Texas universities: UT Austin, UT Arlington, Stephen F. Austin State University, Sam Houston State University, and the University of Houston.
Graduates of the CPM program gain a broadened understanding of the complex issues facing today’s public manager. They gain improved skills for coping with the management challenges facing their current organizations as well as organizations they will serve in future years. Many graduates credit networking with other public managers as a significant value added for their participation in CPM.
The Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program is a nationally recognized professional development program for supervisors and managers in government. It is a training system that develops and measure competencies in the field of public management. The National Certified Public Manager consortium monitors and accredits the state programs. Only accredited programs are authorized to award the CPM designation. The Texas CPM Program was accredited in May 1996. It was reaccredited in May 2002. Additional information about the National CPM Consortium can be found at www.cpmconsortium.org. Information about the Texas CPM Program can be found at www.txstate.edu/cpm. Currently 28 states and the federal government offer CPM certification.
People who are just getting started on a career and have the time and money to invest may prefer the MPA/MPP option. Without question, government employers regard the MPA/MPP degree as the professionally correct choice for those preparing for careers in government. On the other hand, individuals already working in government who have work, family and financial obligations may not be able to commit to the rigors of an MPA/MPP degree program. For them, a certificate may be the better choice. Certificate programs, like the CPM, allow participants to focus on specific learning content closely associated with job performance. The association with like-minded individuals can afford participants valuable networking opportunities that could be useful in their current and future positions.
Yes, if you completed the Hobby School's CPM Program, your CPM certification and coursework can potentially count for 3-6 credit hours for a master’s degree by following these steps:
1) Apply and gain acceptance as a Hobby School graduate student in the Master of Public Administration or Master of Public Policy program. Please contact Scott Mason (smason@uh.edu; 713-743-5572) for details regarding the graduate admission process.
2) Provide a written request to the graduate program advisor, along with official documentation showing the completion of the CPM program.
3) The Hobby School will review the request and documentation and, upon approval, submit a petition to the UH Graduate School for a course waiver(s) for 3-6 credit hours in substitution of specialization/elective courses.
The University of Houston’s Certified Public Manager Program (UH 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. Texas State University directs the nationally recognized program in cooperation with the University of Houston and other Texas universities.
The University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs CPM program is a comprehensive course of study that consists of six four-day training sessions on topics that are consistent with the requirements of the National CPM Consortium that accredits CPM programs nationwide and the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service that administers the CPM program for the state of Texas. The six topics are:
- Public Personnel Administration
- Managing for Quality
- Organizational Communication
- Public Finance and Budgeting
- Productivity and Development
- Information Systems for Managers
Use is made of carefully selected readings and homework assignments to assess comprehension and encourage job application of track content. CPM participants must complete a seventh track, an applied research project, on an area of personal or professional interest as a capstone or final requirement for award of the CPM credential.
The registration fee for a single CPM track is $595. The fee for the entire seven-track series, when paid in advance, is $3,695. This is a savings of $470 compared to paying for the tracks individually. The total program cost can be split between two budget years by special arrangement with the program director.
The William P. Hobby Center for Public Service awards several scholarships each year in honor of former Texas Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby. Awards are made on a competitive basis to eligible employees of governmental or non-profit organizations that nominate them. Details on scholarships and how to apply for them can be obtained from Dr. Howard Balanoff, the Texas CPM Program Director.
Please check with your Education Services Officer for details.
Contact your local VA office. VA benefits cannot pay for the certification.
Instructors come from the academic and practitioner fields. They combine expertise with the ability to create an effective classroom learning environment. To view a list of our CPM faculty, please click here.
Participants meet at the University of Houston central campus. The Hobby School of Public Affairs provides convenient parking for its CPM participants. CPM participants are also able to access on-campus dining and other university amenities.
Each Thursday session begins at 9:00am and ends at 4:00pm and each Friday session begins at 9:00am and ends at 12:00pm. There is a 90-minute lunch break and mid-morning and afternoon refreshment breaks on each day of scheduled training. Coffee, snacks and soft drinks are available throughout the training day.
Participants who attend the first two days of a track but must miss the second two days may be eligible to complete a make-up assignment. Normally participants who cannot attend the first two days of a track or must miss the entire track are asked to attend that track at some other location in Texas or to take the track during the next CPM cycle.