Gain the skills to diagnose and manage state and local government finances. The Certificate in Municipal Finance prepares students for careers with local and state governments as well as private-sector financial and consulting firms. Students will gain in-depth expertise in the process, politics, and economics of public revenue and expenditure decisions and learn the practices and techniques of modern financial administration and the operation of the municipal securities market. Such policy expertise is essential for raising, spending, and borrowing money to provide basic local government services, as well as for tackling many pressing municipal problems that are dependent on resources provided by the budget, such as funding public pensions and health care. Students who complete this certificate will be able to: Understand how U.S. states and local governments raise revenue and make expenditure decisions Analyze the economic impacts of fiscal choices made by states and localities Develop a working knowledge of the process and roles of market participants in issuing municipal bonds Analyze creditworthiness of municipal borrowers The certificate's menu of electives is designed to allow students to explore related issues in budgeting, finance, and fiscal policy. In addition, we encourage students pursuing this certificate to participate in events sponsored by the Center on Municipal Finance which bring a mix of private, public, and nonprofit sector stakeholders to campus. These events may include short courses, seminars, and workshops in budgeting, accounting, finance, and fiscal policy; the annual Municipal CFO Forum; alumni networking events; and other programs. Application Process The certificate is open to Harris Public Policy graduate students only. Please indicate your intent to pursue this certificate using the Harris Certificate Application Form. For certificate registration questions, please reach out to harrisregistration@uchicago.edu. Planning for the Certificate For information on which quarter(s) each course will be offered see the Harris Courses page and filter by certificate. For courses offered by other divisions the typical quarter(s) offered has been indicated. Certificate Requirements The certificate requires completion of two required courses, along with one additional elective course. Students must achieve at least a B- grade in each course with the exception of the last term prior to graduation, and there is no pass/fail option. Students should complete the formal signup process to indicate their intention to pursue the certificate. Required courses Students must complete both of the following courses: PPHA 32100 State and Local Public Finance PPHA 32530 Fundamentals of Municipal Bonds Elective courses Students must complete one of the following courses to fulfill the requirement: PPHA 35565 Infrastructure and Development PPHA 42510 Applied Financial Management PPHA 60000 Policy Lab (with permission of the Certificate Director) SSAD 49600 Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations (Autumn, Spring) LAWS 53110 Project and Infrastructure Development and Finance (Autumn) LAWS 53193 Topics in State and Local Finance (Spring) Not offered in 2022-2023 PPHA 36055 Understanding State and Local Government Accounting PPHA 36101 Financial Investments for Public Policy PPHA 38720 Urban Economics and Policy ECON 26060 Public Sector Economics Certificate Contact Christopher Berry, Certificate Director Faculty Spotlight Christopher Berry William J. and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor Christopher R. Berry is the William J. and Alicia Townsend Friedman Professor at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and the College. He is the academic director of the Center for Municipal Finance. He studies metropolitan governance and the politics of public finance. Recent News Harris Presents the War Horse Symposium, Inspired by Student-Written White Paper Mon., March 20, 2023 Alumni Profile: Jabril Eyman, DAC’22 Thu., March 16, 2023 More news Upcoming Events Data and Policy Summer Scholar (DPSS) Program Roundtable with Alumni Tue., March 21, 2023 | 8:30 AM PKU-UChicago Summer School Faculty Spotlight: Mini Class with Professor Xuezheng Qin (Peking University) Wed., March 22, 2023 | 8:00 AM More events
January 25, 2023 Q&A: Associate Professor Damon Jones Discusses the Council of Economic Advisers, Inequality, and the State of the US Economy
November 16, 2022 Harris Evening Master's Program Class Visit: Public Finance and Budgeting with Professor Justin Marlowe
November 09, 2022 Harris Evening Master's Program Class Visit: Public Finance and Budgeting with Professor Justin Marlowe
November 02, 2022 Harris Evening Master's Program Class Visit: Public Finance and Budgeting with Professor Justin Marlowe