The Graduate Certificate in Science, Technology, and Security at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government provides an introduction to the intersection of science and security, covering topics such as the technology of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons; proliferation; technical countermeasures; and the role of science and technology in the policy-making process.
Banner code: PP-CERG-STS
The Graduate Certificate in Public Management at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government offers a variety of courses in public management including an overview of the operations required in public management and the processes that support them. This graduate-level certificate prepares you to succeed in managing today’s increasingly complex public and nonprofit organizations. The public management certificate program, made up of five courses, is designed for middle- and senior-level managers who want to expand their knowledge and skills but do not require the full 12-course MPA degree program.
Banner code: PP-CERG-PMG
The Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government is primarily designed for those currently employed in the nonprofit sector or who are considering a career in this sector.
Consisting of only five courses, this is an affordable and strategic investment in advancing your career by earning a credential from one of the top-ranked policy schools in the U.S., while obtaining critical knowledge on some of the most pressing international issues.
Banner code: PP-CERG-NPMG
The Graduate Certificate in National Security and Public Policy at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government offers an overview of theory and practice in public policy, peace operations, national security management, history of military operations, national security decision-making, law and policy, illicit trade, national security and the global economy, transnational crime and corruption, grand strategy, and global governance.
Consisting of only five courses, this is an affordable and strategic investment in advancing your career by earning a credential from one of the top-ranked policy schools in the U.S., while obtaining critical knowledge on some of the most pressing international issues.
Banner code: PP-CERG-NSP
The Certificate in Illicit Trade Analysis at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government operates at the intersection of social science, national security, international trade, and law enforcement. It draws on the expertise of the Schar School’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) and its new Anti-Illicit Trade Institute (AITI). The graduate certificate program supports professional credentials for individuals working in government, the private sector, the legal community, inter-governmental organizations, think tanks, journalists, and nonprofit organizations.
The Certificate in Illicit Trade Analysis is the first state-accredited certificate on this topic in the United States. It will be of interest to professionals pursuing careers in law enforcement and policy-making, as well as members of the business and finance sector working on risk management, commerce and supply chains, and regulation of the financial community.
Consisting of only five courses, this is an affordable and strategic investment in advancing your career by earning a credential from one of the top-ranked policy schools in the U.S., while obtaining critical knowledge on some of the most pressing international issues.
Banner code: PP-CERG-ILTA
The Graduate Certificate in Global Health and Security at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government provides an introduction to the intersection of global public health and security, covering topics such as emerging infectious diseases, biosurveillance, the development of vaccines, and emergency response to public health disasters.
Consisting of only five courses, this is an affordable and strategic investment in advancing your career by earning a credential from a highly ranked policy school, while obtaining critical knowledge on some of the most pressing international issues. This certificate can also be applied to a master’s degree, offering students exceptional flexibility.
Banner code: PP-CERG-GHS
The Global Economic Policy Graduate Certificate educates students in the foundations of international economics and the analysis of global economic policies. Students learn the techniques of trade policy analysis; gain knowledge in the analysis of open-economy macroeconomics and international finance; and cover the fundamentals of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. Certificate graduates are able to analyze trade policy and international financial policy for agencies and organizations.
Consisting of only five courses, this is an affordable and strategic investment in advancing your career by earning a credential from a highly ranked policy school, while obtaining critical knowledge on some of the most pressing international issues. This certificate can also be applied to a master’s degree, offering students exceptional flexibility.
Banner code: PP-CERG-GLEP
The Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering (MS-CYSE) provides students with highly technical knowledge and skills, cyber security expertise, and a comprehensive systems engineering perspective.
The program provides theory and practice on the design, planning, and management of systems and procedures for protecting critical physical and cyber infrastructure from external threats, including terrorism. Students gain a strong foundation in software, hardware, networking, and cryptography, while also developing skills in systems engineering methods for safeguarding critical infrastructure against evolving threats. Coursework spans areas such as information assurance, vulnerability and threat assessment, contingency and redundancy planning, disaster response, and homeland security policy.
Banner Code: EC-MS-CYSE
The Master of Science in Computer Engineering (MS) prepares engineers to lead the design, analysis, and management of modern computing systems, deeply understand interactions between software and hardware, and be responsible for safety-critical and performance-critical features of the entire products.
Offered 100% online through the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University, this graduate program develops expertise in how to design new generations of computers, as well as embedded computing systems, such as those found in smartphones, cars, appliances, computer networks, smart factories, and the internet-of-things
The program covers the entire digital integrated circuit design process targeting Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), using various optimization criteria, such as speed, cost, power, energy, reliability, and security.
It also encompasses the complete software development process targeting microcontrollers, microprocessors, multi-cores, and Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). It teaches students how to efficiently partition the system into software and hardware components, and develop high-performance interfaces between these two parts. Project-oriented courses and labs expose students to modern computer-aided design tools for hardware and software design. The students master the art of writing comprehensive technical reports and giving successful oral presentations.
Banner code: EC-MS-CPE
The Responsible Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate prepares professionals to design, deploy, and manage AI‑enabled systems responsibly by integrating technical foundations, systems engineering, and ethical governance.
Offered 100% online through the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University, this graduate certificate focuses on AI system architecture, safety and risk assessment, testing and evaluation, and ethical, legal, and regulatory considerations. Designed for engineers, technologists, and policy professionals, the program equips students to ensure reliable, accountable, and safe AI performance across high‑impact domains such as autonomous systems, healthcare, finance, education, and public policy.
The graduate certificate in Responsible AI provides students with the fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI), how AI systems are architected, the principles of systems engineering as they relate to AI systems, theories of AI safety and risk, how to test and evaluate such systems to meet risk thresholds, and how to identify ethical, legal and regulatory issues that arise in such systems. Students will be prepared to develop and manage complex systems with embedded AI, including identifying unique requirements for systems with embedded AI, testing and certifying these systems, and defining and maintaining safe levels of performance for deployed AI. Graduates will also be able to develop acquisition plans for complex systems with embedded AI and develop AI maintenance programs including auditing. Areas of application include safety-critical physical systems like self-driving cars, air taxis and health applications, as well as software-based systems like financial and banking systems, and those that support education and research.
Banner Code: EC-CERG-RSAI
