PACE, election, MPA, doug carr,
May 19, 2025
Oakland University has developed a new, non-degree certification program through Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) to provide high-quality instruction to Michigan’s current local election officials and to those interested in pursuing a career in election administration.
The program is now enrolling students for the Fall 2025 semester and more information can be found on OU’s website. This new certification program will elevate best practices in election administration, ensure election officials have the knowledge and skills to administer elections, and create an academic environment to generate creative solutions to real-world problems.
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| Douglas Carr, Ph.D. associate professor of political science and head of this new certification program |
“We know the important role that the current Michigan Clerks and election staff members play in our elections, so we created a program that is affordable and accessible to anyone who is already in the field and wants to bolster their skills,” said Douglas Carr, Ph.D. associate professor of political science, director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, and head of this new certification program. “At the same time, we also want to attract and train those who wish to gain employment in election administration roles for our future elections.”
No prior degree is required to participate in this certification program.
Courses in the Election Administrator Certification program include:
- Election overview: The law and regulatory basics
- Election planning
- Voter registration and management
- Election Administration: High profile processes
- Election technology and election security
- Communications in elections
- Leadership resilience and wellness
- Election administration internship/project
An advisory board of election administration experts—including Jonathan Brater, Director of Elections for the Michigan Department of State; Adam Wit, Past President of the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks and Clerk of the Charter Township of Harrison; Tina Barton, Co-Chair of the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, former Rochester Hills City Clerk, and former U.S. Election Assistance Commission Senior Program Advisor; Chris Thomas, former Director of Elections, Michigan Department of State; and Noah Praetz, President and Co-Founder of The Elections Group—provides guidance on course topics and program structure, including scheduling courses to avoid busy election periods.
Each course will be taught by professionals with relevant expertise and appropriate academic credentials and run for seven weeks. All courses are delivered live entirely online, allowing students to participate from anywhere. The curriculum is tailored to Michigan’s needs but is open to participants nationwide. There are eight courses in the certification program and the cost per course is approximately $500.
At the end of the program, students will be equipped to interpret and apply federal and state election laws, manage the full range of election operations, analyze legal cases and precedents affecting election administration and voter rights, and address challenges related to election technology, security, and public communication. Graduates will also be prepared to implement best practices that promote integrity, transparency, and public trust in the electoral process.
About Oakland University
Oakland University is a doctoral, Carnegie Classification R2 “High Research Activity” university located in Oakland and Macomb counties, Michigan. The main campus is located on 1,443 acres of scenic land in the Southeast Michigan cities of Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills. Oakland University offers bachelor's degrees, graduate degrees and certificate programs and is organized into the College of Arts and Sciences with a School of Music, Theatre and Dance, the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine and the Schools of Business Administration, Education and Human Services, Engineering and Computer Science, Health Sciences, Nursing, and Honors College. The rich campus atmosphere is complete with residence halls, Greek life, Division I athletics, and more than 300 student groups that lend to the total college experience. Learn more at mikeahjennings.com.