Martin School to Offer Online Public Financial Management Programs

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 7, 2016) — There are exciting developments in the University of Kentucky's Martin School of Public Policy and Administration in the way of new academic offerings.

Beginning with the fall semester, the Martin School is offering an online, 12-credit-hour, four-course graduate level Certificate of Public Financial Management. The first two classes will be available in the fall and two more will be offered in the spring. Each class in the certificate program will be offered in an eight-week module. 

Two of the courses have been developed in partnership with the Von Allmen School of Accountancy, part of UK's Gatton College of Business and Economics, including a course taught by Urton Anderson, the director of the Von Allmen School.

"The Certificate of Public Financial Management is designed to provide 'in-place' staff of federal, state and local government or nonprofit organizational employees with an enhanced understanding of policies and processes needed for effective financial management of their department or organization," said Merl Hackbart, longtime professor who has served as the interim driector of the Martin School.

"Governmental accounting and auditing have a specific set of knowledge and skills which are different than those in corporate accounting," Anderson said. "Accounting programs have been able to provide only limited coverage to the governmental area. This program will offer governmental accounting professionals the opportunity to acquire this information in a structured and concise format so as to develop more efficiently and effectively their expertise."

Hackbart, who spearheaded the action to establish the new program, added, "The effective partnership forged by the Martin School and the Von Allmen School of Accountancy has made possible a unique program which establishes a niche serving an important national need — the enhancement of financial management processes and procedures of public and nonprofit organizations. The Certificate of Public Financial Management will help individuals enhance their knowledge and career advancement."

The Martin School will also soon launch a 36-hour Master of Public Financial Management (MPFM) program as a result of the Council on Postsecondary Education's recent unanimous vote to approve the degree. Also offered completely online, the MPFM will be the school's fourth degree program and will be distinct nationally because of its focus. The master's builds on the Martin School's national reputation which includes a ranking of fourth in the country in the area of public finance and budgeting by U.S. News & World Report.

The Martin School's new director, Ron Zimmer, said, "The programs leverage the nationally recognized strength in financial management of the Martin and Von Allmen Schools to train students here in the U.S. and internationally.”

Rhonda Trautman, the director of the new online programs being offered through the Martin School added, "These opportunities provide students from across the country and beyond a very affordable, flexible way to pursue graduate education while still receiving the same quality education as those students attending classes on campus.”

Anderson also cited the contributions of Jennifer Siebenthaler, a senior lecturer in the Von Allmen School who teaches governmental and nonprofit accounting for the Master of Science in Accounting (MSACC), as well as undergraduate accounting programs. Siebenthaler will be teaching the governmental accounting course for the online MPFM. 

The existing Martin School degree programs are the Master of Public Administration, the Master of Public Policy, and the Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration.

Another plus for the Certificate of Public Financial Management is that students who complete the 12 hours will be able to transfer that credit to the master's degree program.

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