NM EDGE Certification Programs and Requirements

NM EDGE Core Certifications

NM EDGE offers three core certification programs based on course guidelines from the National Certified Public Manager® Consortium (CPM). 

The certification programs are:

  1. NM Certified Public Official
  2. NM Certified Public Supervisor
  3. NM Certified Public Manager®

These certifications share many common classes and are designed to be earned in sequence. Many students who earn their NM Certified Public Official Certification go on to earn NM Certified Public Supervisor and NM Certified Public Manager® certifications as well.

Click here to learn more about the National Certified Public Manager® Consortium (CPM).


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NM Certified Public Official

The NM Certified Public Official program requires 18 classes which are chosen from a selected list of NM CPM-approved courses. The certification also requires a mini-essay demonstrating the application of the competencies learned through participating in the classes.


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NM Certified Public Supervisor

The NM Certified Public Supervisor program requires completion of 30 classes selected from an approved list. This certification also requires completion of a six-hour culminating assessment where the student demonstrates the application of competencies learned through participating in the NM CPM classes.


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NM Certified Public Manager®

The NM Certified Public Manager® program requires 60 NM CPM-approved classes, 18 hours of assessments (six three-hour classes), plus a supervised capstone project.


County College Certifications

With the purpose of encouraging "better government through education", County College began in 2002 as a dream of the late Sam Montoya, the former executive director of the New Mexico Association of Counties, who asked NMSU's College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences' Cooperative Extension Service to work with them to develop an educational program for New Mexico's county officials and employees. These original certifications remain a strong presence within the NM EDGE program.   


Public Sector Specialization Certifications

In addition to our CPM and County College certifications, NM EDGE offers a wide-range of specialized public sector certifications as well.