Graduate Certificate in Government Contracting
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Should Register?
The graduate certificate program is designed for public and private sector professionals who want to strengthen their skills in managing government contracts and develop a more thorough understanding of the process. These courses are ideal for contract administrators, contract managers, sales or business development managers, project managers or others responsible for contracting projects. These courses will help government contractors succeed at all levels.
What are the Benefits?
This prestigious credential not only demonstrates commitment to continuing education, but it prepares the student to obtain industry certifications and these courses can be applied to the Master of Public Administration degree
How many of these courses will transfer to a Masters of Public Administration degree?
The MPA degree requires nine core courses and three concentration courses. Three of the four courses can be transferred to the Government Contracting Concentration. None of the courses will substitute for the core courses. The nine core courses still must be taken.
If I have previously taken the MPA degree from Troy University and have taken three of the government contracting courses as part of my concentration, can I take the fourth course and qualify for the Certificate?
Yes, however the courses must be used for completion of the Certificate within the eight year time limit.
I previously completed Defense Acquisition Courses that appear to be the equivalent of some of the certificate courses. May I transfer these courses into the certificate program and take only two courses from Troy?
You may transfer in one course or 3 semester hours of credit .Please contact you MPA Program Advisor for details.
Is there a recognized body of knowledge in government contracting?
Yes. The general knowledge required of contract professionals is driven by federal regulation, studies, and reports and translated into competencies by the federal agencies and professional associations. This information may be found at:
- Federal Acquisition Institute Competency Reports and documents: http://www.fai.gov/sturep.asp
- The Common Body of Knowledge (CMBOK) is published and distributed by the National Contract Management Association as a stand-alone document, and it is used in the development of the certification examinations, educational products (such as the National Education Seminar and National Educational Conferences), the management of the certification program, and for other purposes. http://www.ncmahq.org/education/cmbok.asp
No. For private sector certifications a student must apply for and take the professional certification exams. While the Certificate Program contains the "body of knowledge" required to pass the certificate exam, there are also experience requirements that are part of the professional certification qualifications.
- National Contract Management Association has three professional certifications: Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM), Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM), and Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) http://www.ncmahq.org/certification/
No. Only the Federal agencies can award certification. This includes a combination of education, training and experience. While the GCGC courses can be used to meet the education requirement for maintaining certification, the courses do not directly substitute for specific classes in the training curriculum.
- Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) has three levels of certification. FAC-C I, II and III. http://www.fai.gov/ The courses listed are offered by the Defense Acquisition University, federal agencies or their partner institutions.
No. A partnership with DAU for granting course equivalency has not been established. However completion of the Certificate exposes the student to equivalent information found in the following DAU courses: (CON 100 - Shaping Smart Business Arrangements, CON 110 - Mission Support Planning, CON 111 - Mission Planning Execution, CON 112 - Mission Performance Assessment, CON 120 - Mission Focused Contracting, CON 210 - Government Contract Law). A request for partnership will be initiated in 2009. A list of strategic partners can be found at: http://www.dau.mil/about-dau/partnerships.aspx
