The time to upgrade your evaluation skills

Do you know whether your organization is getting the results it expects? Can you demonstrate your effectiveness to others? Is there a better way to do things? Whether you work in the public, private or nonprofit sector, in Canada or internationally, the pressures to evaluate effectiveness have never been greater. And, so is the need for evaluators — in governments, international development agencies, consulting firms, business, and non-profits.

At the same time, the evaluators are becoming even more professional. Can you meet the requirements of a professional designation as an evaluator? Now is your opportunity to become more than an ‘accidental’ evaluator by taking the Graduate Diploma in Public Policy and Program Evaluation (DPE) from Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration. The accredited DPE provides advanced knowledge and skills in both the method and management of evaluation. The six course program is delivered in a concentrated, executive format so you can combine study with work and complete the DPE in fourteen months.

The place to learn the method and management of evaluation

The School’s faculty think, work and teach in a global way. They have outstanding research reputations in Canada and abroad, and collaborate with academics, practitioners, governments and universities in the United States, Europe, Russia, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. They will connect you to big ideas and real practice. Carleton’s DPE will also connect you to a global network of professionals interested in evaluation through the International Program for Development Education Training (www.ipdet.org). Every summer, 200 professionals from approximately 60 countries come to Carleton to study evaluation at IPDET, which is offered jointly with the Independent Evaluation Group of the World Bank. The DPE and IPDET work to mutual advantage. You can attend IPDET events where you can meet and form lasting international networks of colleagues. IPDET participants can earn academic credit in the DPE equivalent to three courses (with prior approval).

The value of a graduate credential in evaluation

As ‘evaluator’ becomes a professional designation, both in Canada and internationally, there will be growing demand for graduate credentials in evaluation. Many of the students in the DPE program already have a graduate degree, and are seeking professional designation.

Carleton’s DPE prepares students for roles as evaluators and as managers of evaluation—whether in government, non-profit organizations or business. You will learn not only the methodologies of evaluation but how to manage the evaluation process. You will better understand where evaluation fits in the broader contexts of public policy, strategic management and accountability and appreciate how to make more effective use of evaluation.

Carleton’s School of Public Policy and Administration has been an international leader in providing rigorous, innovative, multidisciplinary graduate education for more than fifty years. With a worldwide network of alumni, our graduates are a “Who’s Who” of the Government of Canada and occupy senior positions in many other jurisdictions and in the private and non-profit sectors.

An Executive Program

The six-course Graduate Diploma in Public Policy and Program Evaluation can be completed in 15 months while working full time: students normally start in the fall and conclude the following fall. The courses are offered in an executive format, but not at an executive cost.

Admission is very selective and students go through the program as a cohort with other professionals with shared interests. The class sizes are small, providing students with extensive opportunity for discussion and debate.

The six-course DPE consists of 4 required courses and 2 optional courses:

• Policy and Program Evaluation: an introduction to evaluation theory and practice
• Research Methods and Design I & II: qualitative and quantitative evaluation methodologies
• Evaluation Cases and Applications — a capstone course that integrates and applies the learning
• 2 optional courses from one of the following areas: additional evaluation methodology or management of evaluation or policy fields

 

Tuition Fees

An executive program without executive prices! Tuition fees are approximately $8500 for Canadian residents for the full program. Please note student fees and textbooks are not quoted in this price (all fees quoted are subject to annual review). Contact the School for current fees.

Admission Requirements

Students enter the program from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) with an average of B+ or better. The School also considers mid-career applicants who do not have undergraduate degrees, but who have demonstrated relevant professional excellence over a number of years.

Applications and Deadlines

Applications are completed online and supporting documents will be uploaded.  Please visit https://gsapplications.carleton.ca/ to complete the application and to see what documents are required and the deadline to submit your application.

Application requirements

Your application should include:

• One copy of all transcripts (uploaded);
• Two Reference Forms for Admission to Graduate Studies;
• Resumé or general biographical information; and;
• Record of Landing documentation (if applicable).

Contact us

If you have more questions about the program, or need more information, please contact the Graduate Programs Administrator, Nicole Enouy.