Public Administration (PA)
PA 6003. Principles of Public Administration. This course is designed to develop an understanding of the field of public administration. This involves the exploration of a variety of topics in some depth, integrating them with the objective of forming an overall perspective of the conduct of the public’s interest. Topics will include decision theory, ethics, major figures and theories of public administration, bureaucratic theory, and overview of contemporary issues. Fall semester.
PA 6033. Rural Politics. Considers the impact of social, political, and economic trends on communities in ex-metropolitan America from the perspectives important to the leaders of public and non-profit entities and other stakeholders in those places. Spring semester.
PA 6043. Legal Issues in Public Administration. Provides descriptions, analyses, and critiques of the constitutional and administrative law framework for public and non-profit administration. Surveys federal and state legal constraints applicable to policy choices and program implementation, including, but not only, the requirements of due process of law and equal protection of the laws. Spring semester.
PA 6053. Public and Non-Profit Budgeting. Reviews theories of budgeting in the public and non-profit sectors (including the impact of macroeconomic fiscal policies). Examines budget tools (including a variety of automated budgeting systems) used to apply the theories to policy choices and to construct operating and capital budgets, to manage risk, and to assure accountability. Fall semester.
PA 6063. Public Policy. Course focuses on public policy issues, decision processes, resource allocation, and understanding the political and economic nature of public policy. Will cover in depth theories of the policy process, policy formulation, and execution. Specific attention will be paid to justifications for (or against) governmental interventions. Fall semester.
PA 6073. Research Methods. Emphasizes the application of social science and marketing methodologies to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of public and non-profit sector programs and policies. Covers topics such as the development of evaluation plans, the design and implementation of evaluation techniques like process, impact, cost-benefit, and cost-effectiveness measurements, and the management of evaluation projects. Spring semester.
PA 6083. Organizational Leadership. Surveys theories and types of leadership; provides analyses of techniques for creating motivation and cohesion in complex organizations, and describes design/administration of structures for successful decision-making. Fall semester.
PA 6133. Nonprofit Organizations. Introduction to theory and practice of nonprofit organizations within the United States. Course is designed to introduce students to the historical and theoretical foundations of the nonprofit sector. Current conditions in and challenges for the nonprofit are covered as well as an overview of ethical, legal, fiduciary responsibilities. Students will be introduced to social entrepreneurship and future trends of this sector. Summer
PA 6153. Public Personnel Administration. This course introduces students to the field of human resource management. It focuses on the knowledge and skills required by both personnel officers and those who manage personnel on a daily basis. Spring semester.
PA 6183. Special Topics I.
PA 6193. Special Topics II.
PA 6253. Social Activism & Public Administration. Cross-Referenced with SE 6253. This course provides graduate students with a detailed overview of principles and strategies associated with social activism as a function of policy development. Through an examination of the underlying theories of social paralysis, grassroots movements, the dynamics of resistance/advocacy, and the role of these in influencing policy, along with a review of principles of public administration, the student will examine how social movements in diverse cultural, political, and economic settings are critical to the conduct of public policy. Summer.
PA 6263. Program Evaluation. This course is designed to develop an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of the evaluation of public programs. Will cover governmental and nonprofit evaluation requirements. Course will focus on stakeholder analysis, formal research design, data collection procedures, process and impact evaluations. Spring semester.
PA 6273. Planning, Grant-Writing, & Implementation. Course will provide an overview of the context of program development and the process of planning programs. Students will develop an understanding of contextual factors by demonstrating how advocacy efforts are needed to ensure resources are available for the services an organization provides or for new program creation. Once well-grounded in these topics, students will move into the process of understanding their community and developing funding opportunities.
