NGO Education Survey

PAdm 701: Public and Nonprofit Governance

Designed to help students develop an understanding of: a) the governmental and political complexities within which public administration operates; b) the nonprofit sector – including its major public-benefits subcomponents – and its role in the public administration environment; and c) challenges facing both public and non-governmental actors. Students should develop a working awareness of the significant concepts and components of the governance, politics, and institutions, that enables them to analyze forces of change in this challenging environment.

PAdm 702: Research Methods in Public Administration

This course uses a combination of lecture, class discussion, examinations and applied projects to demonstrate the principles associated with the scientific research process. Course content emphasizes survey research and program evaluation techniques. Students are required to design a survey instrument and defend the content of the instrument focusing on validity and reliability. The final examination in the class features the development of a research proposal for a program evaluation. The final examination requires student to understand and apply the major research principles that they have learned during the semester. Sampling theory is emphasized in the class to prepare the students for statistical analysis (Public Administration 802).

PAdm 710: Public Sector Organizational Theory and Behavior

Reviews the scope of the field of public administration, including a survey of key concepts and schools of thought underlying the field, and examines issues shaping the future development of the field.

PAdm 725: Public Management of Human Resources

The focus of the course is management of a vital resource: people. It assumes familiarity with the structure and function of local, state and federal government. The course engages students in an examination of human resource management involving paid staff, volunteers, board members and elected officials.

PAdm 765: Public Sector Economics

An analysis of fiscal institutions and decision making in the public sector of the American economy, budget planning and execution, taxation, debt, and fiscal policy.

PAdm 802: Quantitative Methods for Public Sector Professionals

The data used in the class is taken from an applied research project associated with the Center for Urban Studies and the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs. A multistage learning regiment culminating in written exercises is used to reinforce learning. First, students learn how to calculate and interpret statistics including discussion of important assumptions. Second, a series of oral exercises are used to introduce students to statistics and SPSS procedures used to produce statistics. Third, students read and orally discuss selected readings and how they relate to policy concerns and the empirical evidence. Fourth, students are required to write papers tying readings to empirical evidence. Fifth, each paper requires an executive summary that succinctly presents policy concerns and findings. The content of the papers (3) include: discussion of important issues or problems as defined by selected readings; discussion of the empirical evidence and associated findings including ties to literature based expectations; discussion of policy implications; an executive summary of issues and findings; an appendix with hand calculations and a conceptual explanation of selected statistics.

PAdm 865: Public and Nonprofit Financial Management

Analyzes state and local government expenditure and revenue system; introduces state and local financial administration.

PAdm 895: Public Decision Making

The course focuses on decision making by public managers through the case study method; reviews models of public decision making; explores public management from the perspective of public purposes, politics, organizational results, and ethics.