The Essentials of Urban Park Management Certificate
The Essentials of Urban Park Management Certificate provides a non-credit credential for professionals in the field and focuses on practices critical to the care and management of urban parks.
Applications for the spring 2023 cohorts are now closed. Please check back for updates to our program.
About the Program
Hosted entirely online, the Program—designed, facilitated, and hosted by the Institute in partnership with the City University of New York School of Professional Studies provides a professional non-credit credential for current urban park managers and focuses on practices critical to the care and management of urban parks.
Admissions Criteria
We encourage applicants with entry- to mid-level positions in public agencies (i.e., parks departments) and nonprofit urban parks groups (i.e., conservancies, friends groups, or other park organizations directly providing support to an urban park) to apply. We recommend that applicants have some experience in the field of urban park management. We will limit the number of participants admitted from any one individual organization at our discretion, to ensure rich conversation with multiple points of view.
Curriculum
Students will explore topics relevant to their current work, gain a deeper understanding of the latest developments and challenges in the field of urban park management, and engage with a network of urban park managers in an interactive online environment. The Certificate program covers the following topics:
- Introducing the field of urban park management
- Valuing partnerships
- Engaging communities
- Coordinating volunteers
- Hosting programs
- Managing special events
- Assessing environmental sustainability
- Working with tools and technology
- Managing during capital improvements
- Measuring performance in urban park management
- Making checklists for tasks in urban parks
- Affirming our commitments
Students who complete the program receive a certificate jointly from Central Park Conservancy and the City University of New York School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS). There are 12 units within the Certificate program; all must be successfully completed in order to earn the certificate.
SCHEDULE AND PROGRAM DETAILS
Students will participate in fully online course work for 12 weeks. The self-paced program will require students to commit to three hours of work per week, including the completion of weekly assignments.
FEE
COVID-19 has caused widespread financial challenges for urban park organizations and agencies around the world. In order to make the Certificate program as accessible as possible, the Spring 2022 program fee has been reduced from $479 to $250.
Economic hardship scholarships are available to applicants from qualifying agencies and organizations.
QUESTIONS?
Do you have questions about the certificate that are not answered here? Please contact the Institute for Urban Parks at [email protected].
PROGRAM PARTNER
The Essentials of Urban Park Management Certificate is a partnership between the Conservancy and CUNY SPS. Home to the first fully online degree programs at CUNY, CUNY SPS provides online and on-campus programs that meet the needs of adults who are looking to finish a bachelor’s degree, earn a master’s degree or certificate in a specialized field, advance in the workplace, or change careers. of their choosing.
About the CUNY School of Professional Studies
As New York’s leader in online education since 2006, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) offers the most online bachelor’s and master’s degree options at the City University of New York, and serves as the University’s only undergraduate all-transfer college. With 24 degrees and numerous other non-degree and grant-funded workplace learning programs, CUNY SPS meets the needs of adults who wish to finish a bachelor’s degree, progress from an associate’s degree, earn a master’s degree or certificate in a specialized field, and advance in the workplace or change careers. Consistently ranked highly by U.S. News & World Report for its quality online offerings, and noted for its soaring growth and enrollment, CUNY SPS has emerged as a nationwide leader in online education. The School’s renowned and affordable online programs—which offer in-state tuition to all students regardless of where they live—ensure that busy working adults may fulfill their educational goals on their own time and schedule.
