Certificate in Local Government Finance

The Certificate in Local Government Finance consists of three (3) fully online courses that are designed to help municipal government employees navigate the complexities of financial and organizational management and risk. 

Courses

This certificate consists of three (3) required courses. Click on each course name for more details and specific learning outcomes:

• OLCD-LGOV0023 Property Taxation and Assessment 
• OLCD-LGOV0037 Municipal Finance 
• OLCD-PALS0020 Risk Assessment and Management 

Please note:  The Certificate requires a passing grade of 70% in each course. See each course for applicable tuition fees and schedule. These courses fill up quickly, and registration in one course does not guarantee your spot in another.  You must register for each course individually to reserve your spot. Courses can be taken in any order.

Learning Outcomes

Students who complete this certificate will:

• know the basics of risk assessment and risk management;
• recognize organizational risks and be familiar with strategies to reduce them;
• learn how to use key financial information to guide decision-making; and
• understand the role of property tax in municipal finance and how property tax assessment works.

Prerequisites

Language Requirement: University-level English language proficiency required in writing, speaking and reading comprehension. It is recommended that students have an IELTS Academic score of 6.5 overall or a TOEFL-IBT score of 90 overall for this program. Please see the following guidelines from Dalhousie University for more information: English Language Requirements For Undergraduate Admissions - Admissions - Dalhousie University.

Program Delivery

The program is delivered through the flexibility and convenience of Dalhousie's enriched and engaging online learning platform (OpenDal). Courses include group activities, live streaming lectures and project work. Course delivery is designed to provide maximum benefit and flexibility through online study.

Who Should Take This Certificate?

This certificate will be useful to learners who may be involved with risk management and assessment, property taxation and assessment, and/or financial planning for their municipalities.

Recognition of Prior Learning

It may be possible to receive advanced standing in this certificate based on your prior learning from work or life experience. We provide two types of recognition of prior learning:

• Prior Certified Learning: Assessment of prior coursework or training through a provider, that is neither a university or college, for the purpose of advanced standing. Examples of certified learning may include military courses, accredited certificates, workplace training programs, etc.
• Prior Experiential Learning: Assessment of previous work and life learning that may be equivalent to learning outcomes of university courses / programs, for the purpose of advanced standing. Relevant prior learning may come from work or volunteer experience, participation on committees or boards, independent study, etc.

To discuss how to use your prior learning to apply for advanced standing, please contact rpl@dal.ca.