NGO Education Survey

PPA 500 - Research Methods for Public Policy and Admin

Introduction to the design, logic, and ethics of research methods appropriate for the evaluation of policies and programs before, during, and after implementation. Graduate standing.

PPA 501 - Program Evaluation and Quantitative Methods

Overview of program evaluation and hands-on application to managerial decision making in public administration. Topics include program evaluation, data collection and measurement in public administration, descriptive statistics, measures of association and other bivariate statistics, index variable construction, regression analysis, and an overview of selected other methods applied to problems of public administration and policy.

PPA 530 - Civic Engagement

Focus on public engagement directed at the tools, theories, and processes relevant to public policy and administration. Introduction to the role citizens play in democracy, decision making, public administration, and public policy. Trends of engagement are explored alongside strategies useful to manage, encourage, and facilitate public participation in public policy and administration. Practice is emphasized.

PPA 540 - International Policy Toolkit

For any public servant working in the international arena, the difference between efficacy and failure often comes down to deep knowledge of politics and society in foreign countries. Put simply, knowing something about other countries and demonstrating intercultural competence is an essential prerequisite for all international policy practitioners. How do countries shift from one political regime to another? What role does civil society play in mass mobilizations and popular revolutions? What are the sources of ethnic conflict and how can ethnic groups with divergent interests find common ground? Why are some countries besieged by corruption? Who participates in insurgencies and why are some intrastate wars seemingly so intractable? What can or should the international community do about fragile and failed states? Do NGOs help other countries develop and prosper more than they hinder their progress? Under what conditions is democracy promotion advisable and efficacious? Focusing on the cultivation of practical knowledge, this course will provide a valuable toolkit for anyone interested in working for an intergovernmental organization, international non-governmental organization, or for the U.S. foreign policy-making apparatus.

PPA 541 - Principles & Processes of International Mgmt

Policy-making and policy-implementation processes of intergovernmental organizations and international non-governmental organizations.

PPA 542 - Policy Accountability--Non-Democratic Regimes

Theoretical knowledge and practical, real-world applications that navigate the complex political and economic terrain of non-democratic regimes.

PPA 543 - Evidence-Based Decision Making

A survey of evidence-based decision making, including tools, constraints, and opportunities for public servants.

PPA 544 - Ethics and Efficacy: Global Policymaking

Making policy across borders poses unique challenges in terms of both ethics and efficacy. By what right do international organizations and governments like the U.S. presume to make policies designed to change the lives of other people? Are there public policies that are suitable to all countries, cultures, and contexts? To what extent are Western governments and international organizations involved in a project of neo-colonialism? And how can international policy practitioners learn from the successes and failures of their predecessors? Answering these questions requires a mix of philosophical reflection and practical knowledge. In this course, students will consider the ethical problems that accompany efforts the transform the lives of people in other countries, generate strategies to make the practice of international policy more inclusive, cosmopolitan, and context-specific, and conduct in-depth case studies of international policy-making success and failure. The goal is to give students the expertise and awareness necessary for a successful career in international policy and management.

PPA 551 - Public Personnel Administration

Study of public sector human resource methods and practices. Focus on modern personnel systems, laws, and policies related to the management of human resources in the public sector.

PPA 552 - Public Budgeting and Finance

Overview of public budgeting concepts, tools, and techniques. Focus is placed on understanding and analyzing public budget proposals and modern techniques for public budgeting processes.

PPA 553 - Public Organization Theory

This online course serves as the introduction to the study of organization theory with an emphasis on public service organizations. Topics include management and leadership, external factors, organizational structures, hiring and emotive components of org. behavior, performance, motivation, culture, ethics, team building, managing change, and social equity. Case studies and other real-world applications will be explored throughout the semester.

PPA 559 - Nonprofit Management

Study the management of nonprofit organizations. Focus on understanding the role nonprofits plan in public service and strategies for creating and operating a nonprofit. Historical, theoretical, and legal issues of nonprofit organizations are explored.

PPA 587 - Internship

Supervised professional work experience related to public policy and administration.

PPA 665 - Public Policy Analysis

The practice of policy analysis and the tools used to conduct an analysis including: forecasting, cost benefit analysis, cost effectiveness analysis, and policy design.

PPA 670 - Capstone in Public Policy and Administration

Opportunity to reflect, integrate, and synthesize what has been learned in the MPPA program. Completing the capstone demonstrates mastery of the knowledge gained in the core curriculum, selected specialization, and internship experience.