The 18 credit-hour graduate certificate in Citizen Engagement is designed to provide awareness of trends in engagement in public life, as well as training in how to enhance citizens' participation in democratic processes, civil society and political institutions. The program includes two required courses in addition to a required applied practicum in citizen engagement. The remaining credits are elected from three groupings of courses: Public Opinion Polling, Elected Institutions and Processes, or Appointed Institutions and Processes. Requiring both electives to be taken from the same category is intended to help students develop citizen engagement skills tailored to their specific political interests and to a traditional point of access in American government. The certificate addresses a democratic society's need for elected officials, public servants, and civil society leaders who not only value authentic citizen engagement in public life, but are trained in various techniques for promoting their participation. Students seeking the certificate must hold a competed baccalaureate degree or have acceptance into a graduate degree program at CMU.