Civil Society Organizations, CAS

Contact:

Professor Margaret Hermann, mgherman@syr.edu

This certificate is designed for students aiming to prepare themselves as professionals in the expanding field of non-governmental organizations and for students whose research interests focus on the roles of non-state actors in global civil society. This certificate is based on 15 hours of coursework that includes a foundational course, discipline-specific coursework, an internship/fieldwork requirement, and a proseminar.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Recognize theories used to understand civil society organizations

2. Have an experience with a civil society organization either through a capstone exercise or internship

3. Identify functions civil society organizations perform in global governance

4. Identify challenges civil society organizations face and strategies to address them

Foundational Perspectives Course (3 credits)

Take one of the following courses, or another course approved by the director of the certificate program:

ANT 707 - Culture in World Affairs 3 credit(s)
PAI 748 - Seminar on Nonprofit Management 3 credit(s)
PAI 765 - Humanitarian Action: Challenges, Responses, Results 3 credit(s)
PAI 763 - NGO Management in Developing and Transitioning Countries 3 credit(s)

Discipline-Specific Coursework (6 credits)

The student, in consultation with the program director, must complete at least 6 credits of discipline specific coursework. To fulfill this requirement, the student will choose courses that are included in the program (the TNGO’s course listings) or, with approval, they may draw upon graduate courses offered in their own department which are relevant to the topics of non-state actors and civil society or which help them to develop research skills in this area.

Internship/Fieldwork Requirement (3 credits)

Students must either participate in an internship program with a non-governmental organization or engage in research field work (in this case they would need to register for an independent study course) in an organization, before completing the certificate program. In either case the program director must approve the internship or fieldwork proposal as being relevant to the certificate program. MPA students may use the MPA capstone projects to fulfill their fieldwork/internship requirement.

Proseminar (3 credits)

The course ( PAI 713 /PSC 713 - Congress and the Presidency * ) will cover the wide range of perspectives and literatures on global civil society organizations and transnational NGOs and attempt to integrate these literatures through critical analysis. The course is designed to familiarize students with the organizational challenges facing these actors (coordination, accountability, impact assessment) as well as with the functions they perform.

*Please note that this list of foundational courses may change from year to year depending on whether they are offered during a particular academic year

Administration

The Certificate Program is administered by the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs in the Maxwell School; the program’s director is Prof. Margaret Hermann. She can be reached at mgherman@syr.edu.