This 18-course (54 credit) program consists of:
3.00
This introductory graduate-level course provides an overview of public administration and service and serves as a basis for further advanced studies in the MPA program. This course covers the structure, functions, and process of public service organizations at various levels, including governments and nonprofit organizations. Students explore historical trends, ethical considerations, and political rationale for the present operations of public service.
3.00
This course introduces the fundamentals of budgeting, financial management, and revenue systems. Course goals include: A heightened awareness of the democratic ideals and values that must inform budgeting and financial management decisions, including a commitment to ethics, transparency and accountability; an understanding of the budget process and the distinctive features of budgetary decisions making; an understanding of the critical linkage between budgeting and financial management systems and the capacity of an organization to achieve its strategic goals; the ability to use the budget and financial reports as planning and management tools; knowledge of the basic principles of taxation as well as the structures and functions of federal, state, and local revenue systems. The course emphasizes knowledge and skills essential to the full range of public service careers.
PAD 712
3.00
Pre-requisite: PAD 712 Quantitative analysis introduces basic statistical techniques used to analyze and draw conclusions from citizen and client surveys; program and policy evaluations; and performance and operations data. These techniques include chi square, lambda, gamma, correlations, and analysis of variance, t test correlations, and multivariate regression. Knowledge of these statistical techniques empowers managers by giving them the ability to evaluate the work of consultants, access the policy and management of literature, and analyze data using the analytical tools available in commonly uses statistical software, such as Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
3.00
This course will explore complex issues in public and non-profit human resource management (HRM) by examining policies and practices that support and enhance the value and contribution of individuals in these organizations.
3.00
Students explore small groups and organization operations, practices, behaviors, and structures. They develop techniques for maximizing efficiency and/or effectiveness; evaluations analysis; concepts and applications of Classicists; leadership; organizational development, and result-oriented management; as well as elements of reorganization, innovation and change.
3.00
Leadership is a critical ingredient of successful communities and organizations. This course develops a diagnostic framework as well as strategies and tactics to mobilized adaptive work, engage multiple government, no-profit, and business stakeholders, and build awareness and momentum for actions at all levels of government and community and in ones organization. It introduces the catalytic model of leadership and applies it to the ethical handling of societal and organizational problems. Students leadership competencies are reviewed and improved. This course is designed for people from diverse backgrounds with varied experienced in the leadership role.
3.00
Students review the basis for administrative practice. They learn legal interpretation of statutes, regulations, and proposed legislation that impact public administration and public policy.
Restricted to students that have completed 30 credits.
3.00
Prerequisite: Students must have completed 30 credit hours. Students will integrate the substance of previous courses in order to develop a capacity for strategic management based on a personal perspective of the role of the professional manager in the policy making process. This holistic perspective is expressed in an extensive research paper that describes the leadership role of the professional manager and defines a basis for ethical action. The course features the review of research articles, the discussion of case studies, and a consideration of future trends in public and non-profit management.
MBA Public Management
Select any two (2) PAD 800 or 900 level elective courses
Students must complete 30 credits hours in the Institute for Public Service; PAD and GVT electives are not interchangeable
Students with no professional public management experience must take PAD 859 Public Service Internship. (This will count as an elective.) Students who take GVT 723 do not need to take PAD 859 and can take an additional MPA elective.
Five (5) Required Political Science/Government Courses
3.00
This internship option is recommended for students seeking careers in professional politics or international relations. Typically, an internship will involve supervised work at a professional level in a political campaign, on a legislative staff, in an international non-governmental organization, or in a legislative relations for a governmental agency or private organization. Internship placement must be approved by the students advisor, and will typically require at least 20 hours of work per week for the duration of a semester and the completion of a research paper based on the internship experience. The research paper must be approved by a departmental committee.
3.00
Core course for the Professional Politics Concentration. Students will read and discuss current research on legislative politics and organization, including committees, interest groups and lobbying, legislative voting and decision making, and other topics. Students will conduct their own research and present it to the seminar. Prerequisites: Open to graduate students only; at least one previous course in legislatures or interest groups, or consent of the instructor.
At least one course in elections, voting behavior, or political parties.
3.00
Core course for the Professional Politics Concentration. Students will read and discuss current research on campaigns and elections, voting behavior, and political parties, and will conduct their own research and present it to the seminar.
3.00
Core course for the Professional Politics Concentration. The purpose of campaigns is to win, while the purpose of elections is to maintain democracy. This course will focus on the tension between these two goals, on the assumption that a healthy democracy needs a well-developed ethical sense among political professionals. The course will combine consideration of fundamental ethical principles with class discussion of hard cases. Each student will be asked to study a case and present it to the class.
Open to graduate students only; previous course in political science research methods or comparable course in another discipline or instructors consent.
3.00
Core course for the MS in Political Science, Professional Politics track. The aim of the course is to give students the ability to conduct their own research and to understand and use the research of others, with a emphasis on relevant topics such as voting behavior, elections, polling, legislatures, and public policy. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be covered including, archival research, legislative documents, election data, and multivariate analysis.
Open to graduate students only; previous course in political science research methods or comparable course in another discipline or instructors consent.
3.00
Core course for Spring admits of the MS in Political Science, Professional Politics and International Relations Tracks. The aim of this course is to give students the ability to conduct their own research and to understand and use the research of others, with an emphasis on topics relevant to professional politics: elections, legislatures, and public policy. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be covered, including archival research, legislative documents, election data, and multivariate analysis.
OR
3.00
This internship option is recommended for students seeking careers in professional politics or international relations. Typically, an internship will involve supervised work at a professional level in a political campaign, on a legislative staff, in an international non-governmental organization, or in a legislative relations for a governmental agency or private organization. Internship placement must be approved by the students advisor, and will typically require at least 20 hours of work per week for the duration of a semester and the completion of a research paper based on the internship experience. The research paper must be approved by a departmental committee.
OPEN TO GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY
3.00
Core course for the concentration in North American Politics. This course will examine the key concepts of an approaches to world politics. Special attention will be given the application of these concepts and approaches to the relations among the nation-states of North America.
3.00
This course introduces students to the study of international political economy (IPE). It addresses the interactive relationship between politics and economics in the historical and contemporary international system by exploring the effect of political factors on international economic relations as well as the impact of economic factors on domestic and international politics.
3.00
This course will focus on three main areas: a) United Nations and NGOs; b) Current Relevant Issues, and c) Regions, examining current issues and debates in each area. The courses is team-taught by full-time faculty specializing in each area.
Open to graduate students only; previous course in political science research methods or comparable course in another discipline or instructors consent.
3.00
Core course for the MS in Political Science, International Relations track. The aim of the course is to give students the ability to conduct their own research and to understand and use the research of others, with an emphasis on topics relevant to the field of international relations. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be covered, including archival research and the use documents and data from a variety of sources.
Open to graduate students only; previous course in political science research methods or comparable course in another discipline or instructors consent.
3.00
Core course for Spring admits of the MS in Political Science, Professional Politics and International Relations Tracks. The aim of this course is to give students the ability to conduct their own research and to understand and use the research of others, with an emphasis on topics relevant to professional politics: elections, legislatures, and public policy. Both qualitative and quantitative methods will be covered, including archival research, legislative documents, election data, and multivariate analysis.
Select any three Government courses (9 credits)
