Public Interest Technology Certificate

The UMass Amherst Public Interest Technology Certificate is available to all undergraduate students, regardless of their primary field of study. Students with this background, no matter their major, will be able to address problems in a more socially responsible way, empowering themselves and promoting the well-being of their communities. Our goal is to educate new generations of "Public Interest Technologists" –  individuals who consider advances in technology with the public interest and public good in mind.

Steps to Inquire and Enroll:

1. Set up an appointment with Program Director and Lead Advisor, Professor Charlie Schweik. You can do that by scheduling an appointment through Navigate. This initial meeting will be to your interests and to learn more about the certificate structure. We will also determine whether you might benefit from talking to one of the college-level PIT advisors associated with your major to get more advice on course selection. 
2. After that initial meeting, the student should look through the list of courses associated with the PIT Certificate (see link to course catalogs above) to devise a plan. This is a plan that may change over time depending on student interest changes and/or course availability. 
3. With a plan of courses identified, the student should complete the PIT Undergraduate Certificate Application Form and email it to Professor Schweik, with a subject line “PIT Certificate Application.”
4. Program Director Charlie Schweik will review and sign the form, then inform the student of their successful enrollment or respond back if there are any concerns about the application.

• One elective can be at any level (100-500), but the other two should be at the 200 level or higher, unless the student receives approval from their faculty advisor.
• No more than two courses can be taken from the same department.
• Also, the UMass registrar’s “double-dipping” rule applies (see registrar’s page): “No more than two courses used to fulfill the requirements of any one credential may be applied towards the fulfillment of another credential, wherein “credential” is defined as an academic degree program (major), minor, or certificate. One course may only be applied to two credentials.”
• Students must have a minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA for courses applied to the Certificate. All courses must be taken on a graded basis.

Pre-Approval Required

It is possible to count your study abroad or graded internship (minimum of 3 credits) as one, and only one, of your elective requirements. This requires prior approval and you must demonstrate sufficient PIT content in the experience.

Contact Program Director and Lead Advisor

Steps to Complete the Certificate:

1. Once the student is nearing graduation, the Program Director will email the student and ask them to fill out the Registrar’s Official Certificate Form, which is where they would show any changes they had versus what they had planned to take.
2. Once that form has been completed, the Program Director verifies its accuracy and that it meets the requirements and then forwards it to the Registrar. 

Key Deadlines:

February conferral – March 15th; May conferral – June 25th; September conferral – October 15th

Certificate Application 

PIT Undergraduate Certificate Application Form 

Completion of the Certificate

Registrar’s Official Certificate Form