The AMCTO Diploma in Municipal Administration Program (DMA) provides essential and integrated knowledge of the processes and administration of local government in the areas of systemic organization and management, legal framework and interpretation, finance, and human resources management.
The DMA offers an academic curriculum that provides program graduates with an academic certification. Although a maximum timeline of eight years is provided to complete the elements of the DMA, students have graduated within five years by following the below suggested timelines. For full details, please refer to the DMA Terms of Reference linked below.
The four elements of the DMA are as follows:
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The four units of the Municipal Administration Program (MAP) - to be completed in two years (maximum three year timeline);
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The two units of the Municipal Accounting & Finance Program (MAFP) - to be completed in one year (maximum two year timeline);
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The four units of the Municipal Law Program (MLP) - to be completed in two years (maximum three year timeline);
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The Employment Law & Human Resources Program (HR) with a research report - to be completed within the same year as one of the above elements (maximum three year timeline).
Each year, AMCTO presents awards for academic excellence to program graduates who have attained the highest cumulative mark throughout the four core courses (MAP, MAFP, MLP and HR) of this diploma. Graduates of this diploma are authorized by the Association to use the credentials, "Dipl.M.A.".