This program includes
- Live, project-based training from experts
- Additional elective course
- Additional 1-on-1 mentoring outside of class
- Proprietary workbooks included
- Retake for free within 1 year
- Verified digital certificate of completion
- Learn at an accredited institution
- Small class sizes
Special Promotion: Attend the AI for Federal Recruitment & Staffing class for free as part of this certificate. Choose your date after you register for the program.
This certification program is a customized learning path designed in partnership with GSUSA to meet the immediate training needs of HR professionals working under the Federal Merit Hiring Plan, Presidential mandates, and OPM federal guidance. This certification equips HR specialists with the critical skills needed to support federal staffing, job analysis, qualification determinations, and pay setting processes.
With practical, applied learning, participants will be prepared to implement knowledge directly into their HR practices. This program builds upon recent classification training to provide a comprehensive foundation in federal HR policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with current government standards and best practices.
Courses in this Certificate Program
This is the recommended order, but some courses may be taken in a different order.
Unit 1 5 Days
Federal Staffing and Placement Course
Federal Staffing and Placement Course
This course equips HR practitioners with the expertise to manage federal staffing and placement processes effectively. Participants will gain a deep understanding of recruitment strategies, hiring procedures, and federal regulations to support their agency's workforce needs.
- The role of HR practitioners in federal staffing and placement.
- Recruitment methods, hiring procedures, and appointment authorities.
- Evaluating candidates' qualifications, knowledge, skills, and competencies.
- Applying merit promotion and in-service placement procedures.
- Understanding time-in-grade and time-after-competitive-appointment restrictions.
- Downsizing approaches, including reduction in force (RIF) principles and outplacement assistance.
- Informing applicants and employees about the civil service employment system.
Unit 2 2 Days
Job Analysis for Federal Hiring Course
Job Analysis for Federal Hiring Course
Gain the skills to create job-related selection practices that comply with federal regulations and result in higher-quality candidates. This course focuses on job analysis techniques, assessment tool development, and documentation to support hiring decisions.
- Conducting job analyses that meet OPM and UGESP regulatory requirements.
- Defining and differentiating knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies.
- Developing effective applicant assessment tools to improve candidate quality.
- Identifying and addressing issues in existing assessment tools.
- Creating documentation to justify rating criteria and support hiring decisions.
Unit 3 3 Days
Qualifications Analysis Course
Qualifications Analysis Course
This course provides HR professionals with the tools to assess applicant qualifications effectively for federal positions. Participants will learn to apply OPM's standards and analyze experience, education, and eligibility to make informed hiring decisions.
- The role of qualifications analysis in the federal staffing process.
- Evaluating general and specialized experience using OPM's Qualifications Standards.
- Crediting education and combining it with experience to determine minimum qualifications.
- Understanding selective placement factors and quality ranking factors.
- Applying legal and regulatory requirements for eligibility determinations.
- Assessing minimum qualifications and eligibility for federal job applicants.
Unit 4 3 Days
Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
This course equips federal HR professionals with the skills to implement and apply complex pay administration rules for General Schedule employees. Participants will learn to handle various personnel actions, including promotions, reassignments, and pay changes, while ensuring compliance with federal policies.
- Overview of the General Schedule system and pay-setting policies.
- Setting pay for new appointments, reinstatements, and transfers.
- Managing reassignments, promotions, and changes to lower grades.
- Applying grade and pay retention rules.
- Handling pay changes, severance pay, and movement between pay systems.
- Administering allowances, hiring incentives, and back pay.
Unit 5 3 Days
Federal Human Resources Management Course
Federal Human Resources Management Course
This course introduces participants to the principles and processes of federal human resources management (HRM) within the unique merit system environment. Through expert instruction, participants will explore key HRM functions and their interrelationships to effectively manage federal employees.
- Principles of federal HRM and their impact on decision-making.
- Compensation processes, including classification, pay, and benefits.
- Federal hiring processes and equal pay for equal work.
- Strategies to improve employee engagement and workforce satisfaction.
- Performance management, including employee development and appraisals.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), employee relations, and labor relations programs.
Attend the AI for Federal Recruitment & Staffing class for free as part of this certificate. Choose your date after you register for the program.
Bonus 4 Hours
AI for Federal Recruitment & Staffing Course
AI for Federal Recruitment & Staffing Course
Federal HR Specialists are being asked to do more hiring with fewer people, and generative AI is now part of the toolkit. This instructor-led half-day course shows staffing specialists how to use AI responsibly to draft job analyses, build crediting plans, write plain-language vacancy announcements, and generate structured interview question banks. You'll learn to apply each technique in real time with expert guidance while staying compliant with OPM guidance, merit system principles, and USA Staffing requirements.
- Explain how generative AI fits into the federal hiring lifecycle and where it does and does not belong under OPM and merit system guidance.
- Apply prompt-writing techniques to draft and refine a job analysis aligned to OPM competencies.
- Generate a crediting plan that maps competencies to assessment questions appropriate for USA Staffing.
- Produce a plain-language, Section 508-conscious vacancy announcement that reflects skills-based hiring principles.
- Build a structured, legally defensible interview question bank tied to identified competencies.
- Evaluate AI-generated outputs for bias, hallucination, PII exposure, and compliance with federal hiring law.
- Identify appropriate human-in-the-loop checkpoints throughout the AI-assisted hiring workflow.
Certificate Reviews
Our alumni consistently commend the expertise of our instructors and the real-world relevance of our programs. Their feedback highlights how Graduate School USA training has advanced their skills, supported their agencies’ missions, and fostered long-term professional growth.
SSA OIG Federal Merit Hiring Certificate is rated 4.7 stars by 759 students
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Vanessa Lapena Aug 27, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
Great class
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Brianna Lanee Barber Aug 27, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
I have learned things I never learned before even though I was on the job for 2 1/2 years.
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Leslie Aaron Allen Aug 27, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
A great class with a lot of good information.
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Tevin Broussard Aug 27, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
Thank you !
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Melissa Love Aug 27, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
Great class, highly recommend!
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Taylor Halfpenny Aug 27, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
Learned a ton of great information from this training. Really appreciated the instructor going over the answers together and making sure we understood the material.
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Brad F. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Instructor was great. Kay really helped those who were struggling to understand. We had a lot of newbies.
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Erica Wilbert Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
As a relatively new staffer, I learned a lot in this session.
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Kate S. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Overall, this training experience was exceptional. Thanks to an incredible knowledgeable instructor who truly went the extra mile to ensure student success.
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Michele P. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Great! Very thorough and took extra time to show us additional information
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Alexis T. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Will be using for future positions. Information was helpful. Great experience.
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Yolanda L. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Kay is so good and knowledgeable. She helped answer all my questions. I would definitely take another class from Kay.
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Angelica Germosen Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
She was very thorough and personable
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Itika Johnson Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
A lot of information but the instructor did not make it boring.
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Josephine O. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Great instructor, she tried to condense as much information as she could. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Great course, would love to take the course again.
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Samantha P. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Class content was great for all levels.
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Jennene L. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Great class and great instructor.
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Patrick D. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Awesome instructor would gladly use again.
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Nancy M. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Kay Rodgers is a very enthusiastic instructor. She demonstrates true concern for her students and how well they are grasping the concepts.
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Sharon Bennett Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
I am new as an HR Specialist for only 2 months. This training was very helpful with lots of examples.
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Erin A. Aug 26, 2026Qualifications Analysis Course
Kay did a great job helping us interpret the material and helping us apply it.
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Marlen R. Aug 25, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
Had a great experience with this class, totally recommend it. I have already told some of my coworkers to take the class. Thank you!
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Alyssa C. Aug 21, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
Rhonda was incredibly knowledgeable! She was great at breaking the material down to ensure that we had a good grasp of the content before moving on and was considerate to not group all of the challenging modules into one day! I appreciated her patience in re-explaining the steps to determine the different calculations we learned. She made the class fun and easy to follow along!
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Tammie M. Aug 21, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
Instructor was easy to understand and kept the class engaged
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Katie B. Aug 21, 2026Pay Setting: General Schedule Course
Ms. Rhonda was one of the best instructors ever. Very knowledgeable, engaging and easy to understand.
Showing 25 of 389 reviews
Tuition
Full Tuition
Price before discounts: $7,045Full tuition: $6,399
Due before the class starts
This program includes
- Live, project-based training from experts
- Additional elective course
- Additional 1-on-1 mentoring outside of class
- Proprietary workbooks included
- Retake for free within 1 year
- Verified digital certificate of completion
- Learn at an accredited institution
- Small class sizes
Learning Experience Highlights
Training from government‑experienced instructors
Receive instruction from subject‑matter experts who bring proven government experience.
Specialized for government & DoD
Courses that are regularly updated based on feedback and industry developments, ensuring versions are mapped to federal competencies.
The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
— 2025 student
Real-world solutions
Directly addressing the day-to-day challenges of federal employees.
125+ departments & agencies served
Your trusted training partner, equipping public service professionals with the skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and drive meaningful impact.
Interactive Training
Attend this certificate program live online or as self-paced training. Engage with expert instructors, ask questions, and get feedback on your exercises and projects.
Live Online Remote, from anywhere
Get the same interactivity and access to the instructor as in-person students. There are no extra fees and we’ll work with you to ensure your remote setup is perfect.
- Live, interactive class
- Experienced instructor teaching live online
- Remote setup assistance provided
Self-Paced Remote, from anywhere
Learn at your own pace with pre-recorded video lessons and hands-on exercises. Work through the material on your schedule with access to course content and resources.
- Learn on your own with access to an instructor for questions
- 24/7 access to premium course videos
- Hands-on exercises and projects
Expert Instructors
Our instructors are industry experts and experienced educators, driven to help you succeed.
Francis Connor
Instructor
Judy Mintze
Instructor
Rhonda Coachman-Steward
Instructor
Christina Pacunas
Instructor
Michele Proctor
Instructor
1-on-1 Mentoring Sessions Included
We want you to succeed in your career goals. In addition to of hands-on, interactive training, you’ll also receive ten 1-on-1 mentoring sessions where you can:
- Review your portfolio work with an expert
- Drill down on challenging concepts
- Polish your resume and LinkedIn profile
- Receive professional advice for applying to jobs
- Ensure you’re on track with your learning goals
Free Retake
Missed a session or need a refresher? We have you covered!
Free Retake
We offer a single free retake of any module or the whole program within a year.