Heartland Certified Public Manager ® (CPM)
View Sessions & ApplyEquipping public managers through competency-based learning to lead with purpose.
The certified public manager program is a nationally accredited management and certification program committed to developing exceptional public managers.
About the Heartland CPM Program (R)
The Heartland Certified Public Manager® (CPM) is the flagship program at the KU Public Management Center and provides professional development for public service professionals in Kansas and Missouri.
This 300-hour course is the only credentialing program for professionals in federal, state, or local government, nonprofits, and organizations that contract to provide public services and meet community needs.
The course culminates with participants completing a capstone project that delivers an innovative solution to an issue they've identified within their organization.
Heartland CPM accreditation
The Heartland CPM has been continuously accredited by the National Certified Public Manager Consortium since 1993, and is one of the longest running programs in the country. The decades-long history demonstrates the staying power of the competency-based curriculum and the positive effect the program has on its participants and the organizations that send them.
More than 2,000 public managers have graduated from the Heartland CPM program and have joined the international network of over 40,000 credentialed public managers worldwide.
About the CPM with Distinction
The CPM with Distinction was established to recognize graduates who continue their professional development and make significant contributions to the advancement of public services through:
- Teaching
- Writing articles
- Mentoring and advising on projects
- Joining professional development organizations
- Taking additional management
- Leadership-related training
The Heartland CPM curriculum
The program's curriculum is based on leading research in leadership and management theory. It is designed to reflect the management skills and seven core competencies needed to successfully manage projects, people, policies, and programs in today's public sector workplace.
The seven core competencies are:
- Personal & Organizational Integrity
- Managing Work
- Leading People
- Developing Self
- Systematic Integration
- Public Service Focus
- Change Leadership
In the classroom, instructors provide practical application, hands-on approaches, and the tools to bring the theory to life.
Program participants are challenged to apply the skills and knowledge learned to the day-to-day operations of their organizations.
Investing in CPM Heartland
CPM graduates are organizational leaders who foster effective management practices. They unleash the capacity and potential of their staff, improve the organizational culture, and inspire future leaders from within. Organizations led by CPM graduates are professional, high-performing, efficient, and aspire to improve the quality of life for the residents in the community.
Time commitment
The program requires 300 hours for completion. Just over half those hours are earned by attending class sessions. Over 11 months, beginning in either January or July, participants attend two back-to-back full class days (9:00am-4:30pm). The remaining curriculum hours are completed on the participant's own time as they work through the capstone project and other course assignments. The graduation ceremony is usually the first Friday in December for a January start, or the first Friday in June for a July start.
Details
The early bird rate for the Heartland Certified Public Manager program is $3,900 until Oct. 31, and increases to $4,100 on Nov. 1.
The fee covers tuition, materials, and end-of-the-year graduation ceremony. Most commonly, agencies sponsor their employee's participation.
Disclaimer
If your state, municipality, or agency is funding your participation in a Public Management Center program, please make sure that your participation complies with the specific funding requirements set by your organization.
We have sent 27 managers and department heads to CPM over the last nine years. The knowledge they bring back and the projects they implement through their capstones have strengthened the performance of our entire organization."
- Toby Dougherty, ICMA-CM, City Manager, City of Hays, Kansas
"Being in CPM has given me some amazing tools to handle my daily responsibilities so much better than I would have without them. The program has taught me to think critically, delegate when necessary and be willing to seek outside suggestions and/or help. Overall, I think I have the potential to be a great leader with the tools, resources and education provided by the CPM courses."
- Tiffani Officer, Deputy Chief of Appeals, Kansas Department of Labor
"This class really helped me become a better manager and leader. It helped me see that I don’t have to do it all and that teaching my staff to take on broader roles by giving them more not only makes us more productive, but I won’t be so miserable when I leave for a day or two off! I am beyond thankful for this class. The learnings and the connections made are priceless for my professional and personal life."
- Christina Hayes, Convention and Visitors Bureau Director and Community Coordinator, Great Bend, Kansas
"The fact that we are able to collaborate with our peers in thinking and exploring makes this program invaluable. The network we’ve built in this past year is something we can all leverage going forward."
- Grace Hanne, Innovation Team Principal Analyst, Johnson County Government
"This course has been nothing short of life-changing. It has really guided my thinking and changed many behaviors in myself in all aspects of my life. I will never forget what I have learned here to make me a better person, not just a better public servant."
- Mason Ruder, Mayor, Hays, KS and Advancement Director, Hays Catholic Schools
Questions? - Heartland Certified Public Manager ® (CPM)
Kate Nygren, Associate Director, Education Programs
knygren@ku.edu