{"id":2724,"date":"2025-02-24T11:20:18","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T19:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=2724"},"modified":"2025-02-24T11:20:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T19:20:18","slug":"online-rural-policy-graduate-certificate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-rural-policy-graduate-certificate\/","title":{"rendered":"Online rural policy graduate certificate develops a new generation of community leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Editor’s note:<\/strong> This article was originally published online<\/a> by Oregon State University’s College of Liberal Arts.<\/div>\n

Oregon State’s 20-credit online certificate program offers students the opportunity to understand the complexities involved with serving rural populations<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Rural communities are diverse, complicated, idealized, and disparaged; they are sometimes healthy and sometimes struggling. Whether they are isolated geographically or sit just outside sprawling urban boundaries, complex issues affecting rural livelihoods require passionate problem solvers who appreciate the resilience and vulnerabilities of these places.\u00a0Rural communities are a frequent topic of discussion, particularly during election years, but the discourse has rarely substantively addressed the systemic challenges facing residents in these communities.<\/p>\n

Rural policy is understood as those policies specifically targeted at small, nonmetropolitan areas. While some communities benefit from new investments that open up economic opportunities, others struggle with the loss of industry, out-migration of youth, and an increasing reliance on tourism. Such communities can benefit from trained policy professionals who are informed on the needs, advantages, options, and opportunities in rural places.<\/p>\n

Oregon State University\u2019s School of Public Policy employs OSU\u2019s long-standing reputation as a leader in research and connection with rural communities to offer a unique <\/span>online rural policy graduate certificate<\/a>, focused on addressing the socioeconomic and political challenges facing provincial populations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVery few universities around the country offer the possibility of focusing strictly on rural public policy, that\u2019s not a subset of agriculture policy,\u201d said Mark Edwards, professor of sociology and director of the rural policy graduate certificate program. \u201cThis program looks to help students understand rural populations\u2019 own sense of efficacy. These communities are often marginalized and have their own distinct socioeconomic challenges from urban population centers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now in its sixth year, the rural policy graduate certificate program is rooted in social science and open for anyone who has successfully completed their undergraduate studies. Students nationwide and in diverse careers gain valuable interdisciplinary insights into complex challenges facing rural places. The curriculum touches on topics such as rural economic development, housing policy, amenity migration, service delivery and more.<\/p>\n

“<\/span>With the certificate program, I could design the experience based on my personal and professional needs.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThese are extraordinary questions specific to rural communities, where a policy solution from an urban or suburban landscape would not have the same effect,\u201d explained Edwards. \u201cHow can public policy help young people find work, stimulate housing production, and administer SNAP programs? In addition to more contemporary problems, like how do these communities adapt to displacement or gentrification?\u201d<\/p>\n

A program ready for whenever you are<\/h3>\n

Amy Jester is a mid-career professional who was looking for a program to help provide a greater understanding of the federal policy landscape, as well as a class schedule that fit into her busy day. Jester is the director of policy at a regional community foundation in Northern California who works with local, state, federal and tribal partners to create policy changes to help her region thrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, from a historical perspective, the program gave me a better understanding of how federal policy has been shaped over time to divest from rural communities,\u201d explained Jester. \u201cThen, it helped me dig deeper into environmental law and policy and allow for me to develop my own point of view and critical analysis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jester also appreciated the ability to complete the 20 credits on her own time, able to pick up and pause classes depending on her workload and personal obligations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was looking for flexibility in the learning environment,\u201d explained Jester. \u201cWith my schedule, I couldn\u2019t make an in-person class work and could only really fit in one class a week. With the certificate program, I could design the experience based on my personal and professional needs. I also like the potential pathway into the master\u2019s of public policy (MPP) program<\/a>, in case I decide to continue in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

The transition from the rural policy graduate certificate program into the master\u2019s program is something that Keith Lindblom is taking advantage of. Lindblom, who works for a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit focused on policy, long wanted to work towards a master\u2019s degree. With some starts and stops along the way, he completed the certificate program and is now a master\u2019s student in the public policy program.<\/p>\n

“<\/span>Now, working at a policy-focused nonprofit, I can bring together my personal experience and education from the certificate program to benefit my organization\u2019s work on rural topics.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Initially enrolling in the certificate program to gain a better understanding of the complexities of rural policymaking, Lindblom\u2019s transition into the MPP program complements his rural policy studies and positions him to work more directly on rural policy issues.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up in a small South Dakota community, I understand rural places and the challenges they face,\u201d said Lindblom. \u201cNow, working at a policy-focused nonprofit, I can bring together my personal experience and education from the certificate program to benefit my organization\u2019s work on rural topics. If you don\u2019t have rural voices or perspectives involved in the process, you can\u2019t expect an outcome that addresses their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Understanding rural communities<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the College of Liberal Arts, scholars from the School of Public Policy examine the economic, sociological and political issues to offer comprehensive paths to potential solutions. Each scholar brings their individual expertise to the multidisciplinary rural policy graduate certificate program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program has been particularly enlightening,\u201d said Katey McIntosh, ’06. \u201cThe online aspect brings in students from all fields of policy with most people working simultaneously. Then, you have this multidisciplinary mix of instructors who bring their own knowledge. It\u2019s great to see the variation of how policy works across sectors, which makes the learning environment and conversations much better and more engaging.\u201d<\/p>\n

McIntosh, a rural education specialist in Texas, enjoyed how the instructors brought the impacts of good or bad policy down to a personal level, showcasing the need for effective data gathering and preliminary research.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom a social services standpoint,\u201d explained McIntosh, \u201cMark [Edwards] and the other instructors put so much effort into humanizing policy and what it looks like on the ground; it forever changed the way I look at policymaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

One class that stood out for Lindblom was Rural Sociology (SOC 575) with Professor Lori Cramer, which looked at the challenges and opportunities that are unique to rural communities. The course only reinforced to Lindblom the importance of incorporating various perspectives into policymaking to reduce divisiveness and design better-informed and more equitable solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who live in rural communities have a different sense of community and service than people from cities, and a heightened consciousness of what\u2019s going on immediately around them,\u201d explained Lindblom. \u201cFrom a policymaking perspective, it\u2019s important to understand rural communities in order to better serve their needs. The courses that are part of the certificate program highlighted these and other aspects of rural places that matter to policy design.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added McIntosh: \u201cThe program was well structured to allow for students to explore their interests. For me that was critically examining education systems and social service delivery in rural settings. How can we build structures that allow for a sense of agency, while also counteracting initial policy decisions that put people in disadvantaged circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Gather more information about Oregon State’s online rural policy graduate certificate program, and learn how you can develop an awareness of rural communities and their environments to create a productive impact in these spaces.<\/em><\/p>\n

Request information<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 5<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>Editor’s note: This article was originally published online by Oregon State University’s College of Liberal Arts. Oregon State’s 20-credit online certificate program offers students the opportunity to understand the complexities involved with serving rural populations Rural communities are diverse, complicated, idealized, and disparaged; they are sometimes healthy and sometimes struggling. Whether they are isolated geographically … Online rural policy graduate certificate develops a new generation of community leaders<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":2726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1,678,8],"tags":[75],"class_list":["post-2724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-faculty-and-programs","category-students","tag-college-of-liberal-arts"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/online-rural-policy-certificate-hero.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-HW","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1762,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/best-online-liberal-arts-colleges\/","url_meta":{"origin":2724,"position":0},"title":"Oregon State University ranked #1 for Best Online Liberal Arts Colleges","author":"Tyler Hansen","date":"January 12, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Oregon State is the best university in the nation when it comes to delivering a high-quality liberal arts education online, according to a newly published ranking. 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