PUAD - Public Administration

A study of the institutions and processes of policy making with special consideration of the national executive branch. Emphasizes the political environment of the policy making process and various policy areas. (Cross-listed as POLS 5401.)

This course provides students an examination of environmental politics and policy in the United States and the government's involvement in global environmental issues. Using historical and current case topics. students will gain a greater understanding of challenges facing public administrators in managing environmental concerns for future generations. The policy development of environmental policy is analyzed with respect to the identification of needs, planning, adoption, implementation, and evaluation. It seeks to give students a firm understanding of both the theoretical foundations of and the practical constraints in developing and implementing environmental policy.

A study of labor-management relations in the public sector.

A study of the principles and practice of planning at the sub-state level. Topics such as land-use and functional planning, and political, legal, and social influences on the process of planning will be emphasized.

A study abroad course that compares law, governmental institutions and processes, political developments, and criminal justice systems. Time is also spent visiting historical and cultural locations. (Cross-listed as POLS 5509.) This course is repeatable for credit.

An examination of theoretical perspectives on individual behaviors within public organizations. The focus is upon rational choice-based theories, but sociologically-based perspectives are also considered. Practical applications of theory are stressed.

This course explores the theory, policy and management of NGOs/Civil Society engagement in local, national and global policy processes. It examines the challenges they encounter, their relationships with other stakeholders (states, inter-governmental organizations, private foundations, private sector and benficiaries), the internal organizational challenges as well as the changing contexts in which NGOs operate. It also explores the emerging important role of NGO's/Civil society in the global and local society such as relief/rehabilitation, development, governance and peace building.

This course engages students in systematic research and study designed to improve the quality of grant writing and program evaluation within local governments, nonprofits, educational settings, and criminal justice and public service agencies.

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of budgeting and accounting for public, health, and not-for-profit organizations.

This course explores the meaning and nature of governance in the highly globalized world of the 21st century. It focuses on the role of an ever expanding international public sector and an even faster growing international governance processes.

An intensive investigation simulation based investigation of U.S. national security policy-making processes and structures and the crucial but often tense relationship between the United States and other major powers and international institutions, as each actor strives to promote security in a globalizing age plagued by terrorism and other major security threats. Special emphasis is placed on the role the United States has played in forging and shaping the current world order, including the United Nations and NATO, and the challenges that lie ahead in making the world safe for promoting democracy and ensuring human security. This course requires students to analyze central issues in American foreign policy as they relate to multilateral efforts to deal with critical global issues.

The course explores the nature, implications and management of public-private partnerships in international development administration and global governance. It examines the challenges they encounter, the relationships among the various stakeholders (states, inter-governmental organizations, private foundations, private sector and beneficiaries), the internal organizational challenges as well as the changing contexts in which public-private partnerships operate. It also explores their emerging important role in global relations and development.

An analysis of government organization, management, and administration with primary focus upon the American national administrative structure. Emphasis is placed upon institutional, behavioral, and political factors of contemporary public bureaucracies. MPA students are encouraged to take this course in their first term of enrollment.

This course will provide a foundation for developing critical thinking, research and writing skills applicable to the study of Public Administration. Various methodological approaches including qualitative and quantitative methodologies relevant to the field will be introduced. Basic research methodology and writing in the field will be highlighted.

A study of contemporary practices and issues in the management of public employment. Major emphasis is given to merit system development, career systems, motivation, performance evaluation, and traditional personnel functions.

An examination of law in society and its influence upon public sector operations. Applications of substantive areas of the law such as regulatory processes, administrative adjudication, and due process are addressed.

A study of the public fiscal and budgetary decision-making institutions and operations. Sources of revenue, methods of expenditure, allocations of resources and their impact on the economy are given special emphases.

An integrative, skills-oriented course for policy analysis and policy making. The policy development process is analyzed with respect to the identification of needs, planning, adoption, implementation, and evaluation.

This course is a study of applied leadership and organizational behavior, especially as it is exercised in the public sector. The course looks at the subject from several historical, biographical, philosophical, contemporary and scholarly perspectives.

Applied systematic analysis for public managers. Stresses analytical approaches to problem definition and the application of statistical techniques to hypothesis testing. Data analysis using computer software is integrated throughout the course.

Research Methods II introduces the philosophy, scope, and methods of public sector research. It includes an overview of quantitative and qualitative methods and research design.

A study of the major historical systems of moral philosophy, such as Natural Law, Natural Right, Utilitarianism, Kantianism, Nihilism, and Existentialism. Focuses on applying ethical systems to policy and administrative questions.

This course will provide a foundation for contemporary managers to lead and manage a diverse 21st century workforce. This course covers concepts of diversity in public management and how they influence workplace behaviors. The course will focus on cultural and gender assumptions, stereotypes and belief systems. Demographic changes within the U.S. will also be covered as an important factor of leading and working within the public sector. The course will also cover the concepts of a representative bureaucracy and how the legal and political systems have supported inclusion within the public sector workplace.

A study of intergovernmental structures and issues in public administration throughout the federal system with special emphasis on the state and sub-state levels. Grants and grantsmanship are addressed.

A comparison of administrative structures and processes in the political systems of the first, second, and third worlds. Emphasizes the effects of administrative decision-making upon the international political system.

Capstone course required of all in-service students in the non-thesis option during the final term of course work. Student will assess, orally and in writing, the relationships among public administration education, career development, and current job performance.

Prerequisite: PUAD 6606. The Capstone Project offers each student the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the theory and practice of public administration by applying the knowledge and skills gained in the MPA program to aproject of the student's choice.

Independent reading and reports arranged by the instructor according to the individual student’s preparation, background, and needs. This course is repeatable for credit.

A detailed study of topics such as regulation, alternative service delivery systems, and public administration in the future. Topics to be covered will vary and will be announced prior to registration. This course is repeatable for credit.

An individually designed course sequence involving field experience and work in a government agency. This course is repeatable for credit.

Prerequisite: Permission of MPA Coordinator. First course in three-course thesis option. Student prepares detailed prospectus of the research topic, including bibliography, methodology, substantive goals, realistic schedule, and other details deemed necessary by thesis supervisor.

Prerequisite: PUAD 6971 and permission of MPA Coordinator. Second course in three-course thesis option. Student will prepare chapters of thesis for submission to Thesis Supervisor and Second Reader.

Prerequisite: PUAD 6972 and permission of MPA Coordinator. Final step in the thesis option. Student will prepare final version of the thesis and defend before a faculty panel.