Dr. Adrienne Adams
Professor and Program Director
Dr. Adrienne Adams is a Professor of Psychology at MSU. She holds a Ph.D. in community psychology. Over the past 15 years, she has evaluated local, state, and national domestic violence and sexual assault victim service programs. She uses participatory evaluation methods to build evaluation capacity and foster organizational learning.
Program Overview
How do we know which programs and policies are successful in improving society and which are not? How can we use assessments to help make programs and policies work better? Program evaluation specialists use applied research methods and other tools to determine how people can improve programs and policies, and which programs and policies are effective in addressing important social problems. Students in this MSU online graduate certificate program are preparing for or working in a career requiring program evaluation methods and practice skills.
The MSU Program Evaluation courses are taught by seasoned evaluators who work in diverse settings and bring real-world experience to the classroom. They are leaders in the field who serve on evaluation association boards, author books and articles on evaluation theory and practice, and/or facilitate trainings for evaluation audiences.
Program Outcomes
The Michigan State University Graduate Certificate in Program Evaluation is a 12-credit program that provides a strong foundation in evaluation theory and practice skills. To earn the certificate, students must complete the following courses:
- Foundations of Evaluation
- Practice Evaluation Design OR Qualitative and Mixed Evaluation Methods
- Any two of the following not completed to fulfill requirement 1 or 2 above:
- Evaluation Design
- Qualitative and Mixed Evaluation Methods
- Evaluation Data Collection Methods
- Statistics for Evaluators I
- Statistics for Evaluators II
- Communicating and Reporting
- Evaluation Management
Career Outlook
Graduates of this online certificate program possess the skills to develop evaluation proposals and contracts; design rigorous and culturally competent evaluations; collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative evaluation data; communicate findings to diverse audiences; and/or work successfully with stakeholders throughout the process of conducting an evaluation. The program evaluation certificate adds an important credential to graduate's resumes. It helps them stand out in the job market or excel in their current position in diverse settings such as foundations, human service agencies, school systems, hospitals, Inspector Generals offices, and independent evaluation firms.
A Top-Ranked Education
- 29th among Best Public Universities in America — U.S. News & World Report, 2026
- Veteran-Friendly 'Gold Status' 10 Years in a Row — Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, 2025
Tuition & Fees per credit
| In-State Tuition | Out-of-State Tuition | Flat Fees |
| $930 | $930 | $325 Books & Materials (estimate) |
Cost of Attendance
The university reserves the right to make changes in the types, structures, rates for fees, and tuition. Every effort will be made to give as much advance notice as possible. In addition to tuition and fees, there are other expenses associated with your Cost of Attendance. A breakdown of a graduate student budget can be found on the "Estimate Your Cost of Attendance" page.