NGO Education Survey
Cornell University
Contact Information:
Mark Milstein
Clinical Professor of Management & Director of Center
Cornell University
Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy
142 Sage Hall
Ithaca
New York 14853
United States
Northern America
Americas
https://publicpolicy.cornell.edu/studying-at-brooks/masters-programs/cipa/
PADM 1449 - Systems Thinking and Mapping for Public Policy
At its core, systems thinking attempts to better align how we think things work with how the real world actually works. The real world works in systems—complex networks of many interacting variables. Often nonlinear, complex, and unpredictable, real-world systems seldom correspond with our desire for simplistic, hierarchical, and linear explanations. Systems thinking is the field of study that attempts to better understand how to think better about real-world systems, and the complex problems we face. The complex systems and “wicked problems” that are characteristic of the public, nonprofit and private sectors pose conceptual challenges when our mental models are out of alignment with the complexities, nonlinearities, unintended consequences, and multi-perspectival issues that leaders, managers, and policy makers face. Students need to develop deep understanding as well as useful proficiency with systems thinking to solve both everyday and wicked problems effectively. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate a deep understanding of systems thinking and its application to everyday and wicked problems. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate proficiency with systems thinking modeling techniques. Outcome 3: Students will integrate concepts learned in class through Challenges to gain personal mastery, develop professionally, contribute to the field, and solve a wicked problem, analyze a complex system, or serve an unmet need using systems thinking and modeling.
PADM 1472 - Information Technology for Public Service
This course will equip you with an understanding of the technical, organizational, managerial, social, and policy-related issues surrounding information and communications technologies in public and nonprofit sectors, and help you develop the knowledge for analyzing and leveraging technology in diverse settings. The course integrates 1. key managerial topics, such as technology acquisition, global sourcing, project management, risk governance, and digital strategies; 2. essential technical topics, such as the foundation of digital computers, history and architecture of the Internet, and the net neutrality policy; 3. emerging technology trends and new models of organizing, such as AI, blockchain, and digital platforms; 4. case studies from markets worldwide; 5. analytical frameworks for problem-solving and decision-making in real-life scenarios. The course is designed for students both with and without technical background. Outcome 1: Articulate the key elements of IT systems and IT development and governance process. Outcome 2: Analyze and manage the value and risk of a diverse portfolio of IT projects and programs. Outcome 3: Apply analytical frameworks to develop strategies and solutions for complex real-life cases. Outcome 4: Assess and leverage emerging technology trends to reshape global policies and public sectors.
PADM 1734 - Disasters
This course addresses key topics in disaster prevention and recovery. To understand disasters, students will learn about climate change, as well as the fields of vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation. The focus of the course is on developing an understanding of problems and trends in disaster policy/planning/management, discussing challenges, and thinking through likely outcomes of innovative policy interventions. Students will discuss lessons learned from academic research and professional practice to ensure more effective management of natural and manmade disasters. Outcome 1: Students will describe key trends in disasters, disaster prevention, and disaster recovery. Outcome 2: Students will describe how climate change contributes to disasters. Outcome 3: Students will identify what makes communities vulnerable, and how to build their resilience to facilitate recovery. Outcome 4: Students will evaluate the roles that different institutions are playing in the disaster prevention and recovery spheres. Outcome 5: Students will draft an original research paper comparing policy, planning, management, and recovery around two distinct disasters and draw comparisons between each.
PADM 3172 - Environmental Justice and Policy
PADM 3730 - Comparative Environmental Policy
This course focuses on environmental legislation such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and others as a foundation for US environmental policy. Internationally, focus on Environmental Policy in multiple countries and comparative to US environmental policy. Over the course we will discuss how environmental policy directly impacts community, public health, natural ecological systems, concepts of justice, and socioeconomics. We will explore these major environmental policies in the US as a basis of comparison and then apply those mechanism domestically or internationally to address climate change and improve other environment conditions. Students who seek to work in the US will build an analytic skill set to be competitive for jobs in environmental consulting, government, public policy, public health, non-profits, and advocacy groups. Outcome 1: Students will debate major environmental policy on the international stage (UN) and key policies in other countries. Outcome 2: Students will analyze the challenges and opportunities in implementing effective climate change mitigation alternatives and cumulative impacts to proposed projects and policies. Outcome 3: Students will propose strategies for overcoming obstacles to effective environmental regulation.
PADM 4717 - Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions
The course utilizes discussions, presentations, research papers, and simulations to explore the policy, financial, and business implications, opportunities, and risks, of climate change, specifically the energy transition to a low-carbon economy. We will explore potential public policies in the context of their business impacts, effectiveness, and political viability. How does different policy design encourage distinct long-term pathways within a highly capital-intensive industry? What industries are most impacted by a transition to a lower carbon economy? How do incentives and structures influence business actors toward a smoother transition, or toward wasted capital expenditures, and stranded assets? Are financial markets pricing in an energy transition? What is the role of financial and market regulators in ensuring long-term “beneficial” capital allocation? With an industry in decline, what are the business strategy options for management of a fossil fuel producer? What are the policy, financial, and business implications for clean energy firms, electric vehicle manufacturers, and the metals and mining industry? Additional readings, research, and presentations are required of Master’s students. Outcome 1: Students will describe potential impacts of the energy transition and related public policy interactions on business outcomes. Outcome 2: Students will explain why market actors’ incentives and other structural impediments can impede an effective and smooth transition and may also result in stranded assets and destruction of shareholder value. Outcome 3: Students will examine financial and strategic approaches in assessing transition risk, and investor and management decisions-making in a carbon-constrained global economy. Outcome 4: Students will explain the catalysts driving the speed and magnitude of the energy transition.
PADM 4858 - Business and Inequality
Through discussions, presentations, and research papers, we will examine increasing US inequality, and the interaction of business’s role and impacts, alongside potential policy prescriptions (UBI, tax policy, job guarantees, etc.). Topics will also include potential sources of inequality. Areas explored include: Can public policy blunt inequality without unduly harming markets? What are the responsibilities of private sector companies to society, and what are their incentives? How does inequality affect business (through customers, workers – human capital), how does business exacerbate and exploit inequality? Does inequality reduce economic growth and productivity (due to rent-seeking activities, reduced opportunity)? Does corporate influence on the political system reinforce inequality? Is labor disadvantaged by social safety net structures, such as policies tying benefits to work requirements? Does inequality destabilize financial markets and fuel speculation ((e.g., 1920’s margin investing, GameStop, etc.)? Additional readings and in-depth research paper required of Master’s students. Outcome 1: Students will investigate inequality’s potential sources, magnitude, and changes over time. Outcome 2: Students will articulate business’s role within society as it pertains to inequality. Outcome 3: Students will explain how short-term and/or individual financial incentives can erode long-term economic/societal outcomes. Outcome 4: Students will describe when business interests are mutually aligned with inequality reductions and when they deviate.
PADM 5000 - Special Studies
PADM 5009 - Career Management for Public Affairs
This course prepares MPA students to enter the job market with the expertise and experience to launch a successful career as well as obtain professional skills necessary to be leaders in the field of public affairs workplace. Topics covered in this course include the importance of self-assessment, the independent job search, networking, and best practices in resume/cover letter writing and interviewing. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding of current employment opportunities across public, private, and nonprofit sectors public affairs. Outcome 2: Students will draft a results-oriented professional resume/CV and cover letter appropriate for pursuing career opportunities in the field of public affairs. Outcome 3: Students will effectively use networking tools to research and explore career opportunities based upon career goals. Outcome 4: Students will utilize best practices in behavioral based interviewing and effectively demonstrate these practices in a mock interview setting. Outcome 5: Students will develop a professional LinkedIn profile that demonstrates best practices in online brand management.
PADM 5012 - Professional Development for Public Affairs
This course prepares MPA students to enter the job market with the expertise and experience to launch a successful career as well as obtain professional skills necessary to be leaders in the field of public affairs. Topics covered in this course include the role of change management, leading people, results-driven leadership, business acumen, and coalition-building in successful public affairs practice. Outcome 1: Demonstrate an understanding of how public managers facilitate strategic change, both inside and outside of their organizations. Outcome 2: Demonstrate an understanding of how public managers lead people in meeting their organization’s mission. Outcome 3: Demonstrate an understanding of how public managers effectively meet organizational goals and ensure accountability to their clients/beneficiaries. Outcome 4: Demonstrate an understanding of how public managers strategically allocate human, financial, and technological resources. Outcome 5: Demonstrate an understanding of how public managers build coalitions inside and outside of their organizations.
PADM 5019 - Data-Driven Organizations, Policy, and Decision-Making
In this class, we will use data-related case studies to understand the common problems organizations and policymakers face, how they use data to benefit their organization and key components that are driving the policy conversation. We will also get broad exposure to the related concepts behind data products and teams including data engineering, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and data visualization. Outcome 1: Students will embed a data-driven strategic approach into their organization or product. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate understanding of the types of data in different types of organizations and products, the challenges faced with data quality, leadership, and team building. Outcome 3: Students will anticipate use cases for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data engineering pertinent to their organization or policy. Outcome 4: Students will articulate the key ethical concerns with data security, data privacy, and artificial intelligence implementation and usage.
PADM 5110 - Public Administration
This course prepares students to work within government departments and agencies, state and local authorities, and nonprofit public benefit corporations; and with private firms working in the public interest at the interface with governments and public benefit corporations. While the emphasis is on local and mid-size organizations, some material will address international and domestic national level organizations. As a first-year graduate program course it prepares students to conduct research on public organizations leadership and management and to be effective in public careers. It also prepares upper-level undergraduate students for internships and entry into public-sector careers.
PADM 5113 - Public Administration: A Strategic Planning Perspective
This graduate-level survey course addressing issues in public administration is designed for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students pursuing careers in government agencies, state and local authorities, and nonprofit organizations; and with private firms working in the public interest at the interface with government agencies. A central theme of the course is strategic planning-how leaders of mission-driven organizations can purposefully meet their organization’s objectives in divisive political environments. The objectives of the course are to provide students with frameworks for analyzing various public management challenges from a strategic planning perspective, as well as a better understanding of the rationale and execution of strategic planning in public service. Concepts are paired with case studies from international, federal, state, and local mission-driven organizations to encourage learning through application. Outcome 1: Analyze public and nonprofit management challenges using strategic planning and political analysis frameworks. Outcome 2: Discuss strategic planning concerns relevant to their organization. Outcome 3: Draft and present an original strategic planning analysis of their organization.
PADM 5114 - Systems Leadership
This course will provide MPA students with a graduate-level overview of key principles and techniques in applying systems thinking to organizational leadership, change and design in public and nonprofit contexts. Of particular note is the opportunity for students to present their original research at a public symposium/conference at the end of the semester. Outcome 1: Practice the four functions of Systems Leadership (VMCL) and use them to design an adaptive learning organization. Outcome 2: Multidiscipline, comprehend, direct, innovate, think, work group, communicate, scholarship, research.
PADM 5118 - Diversity in Leadership: Experience, Perspective and Relatability in Public Affairs
This course addresses the role of leaders and leadership in public and non-profit institutions’ organizational change. A focus of the course is on how leaders can facilitate diversity, equity, and inclusion in their organizations, how they can leverage diversity for performance improvement, and how they can negotiate identity-based conflict among staff. Outcome 1: Students will describe what leadership means and consider specific leadership approaches in the context of public affairs practice. Outcome 2: Students will examine theories of leadership in the context of public organizations in order to understand the relevance of these theories to institutions and how leaders adapt to their roles in organizations. Outcome 3: Students will draft three substantial deliverables on leadership–a leadership case study, an organizational case study analysis, and a leadership and problem solving paper.
PADM 5119 - Leadership for Public Service
This course for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students addresses the role of leaders and leadership in public organizations (i.e., government entities). The course will be especially valuable for students considering or already engaged in government careers at the local, state, and national level, as well as with private firms that interact with the public sector. Outcome 1: Students will articulate various leadership approaches and theories in a public affairs context. Outcome 2: Students will articulate leadership dynamics in public organizations and the environments in which they operate. Outcome 3: Students will discuss leadership models and theories in the context of public organizations to examine their relevance to those institutions and, most important, how leaders must adapt their roles to public organizations.
PADM 5122 - Negotiations Skills
Public affairs is a field that is heavily shaped by conflict, as well as opportunities for collaboration. Learning how to negotiate conflict and collaboration is therefore essential for successful professional practice. In this course, you will learn how to improve your negotiations skills through applied tools, best practices, and case studies. Students will also have the opportunity to practice their negotiations through live, active negotiation exercises with peers. Outcome 1: Students will identify and manage their own emotions to improve their ability to negotiate efficiently. Outcome 2: Students will predict and manage the other party’s emotions to help them reach their negotiations goals. Outcome 3: Students will build rapport and trust with their negotiation partner to maximize the flow of information and increase the chances of reaching an integrative solution.
PADM 5128 - Rethinking Development
Debates on theories and practice of international development suggest that there have been serious challenges in ensuring aid effectiveness. Substantial investments made by ‘donor’ countries often fail to yield the intended development results. At the heart of such debates are varying, contested notions and frameworks to achieve ‘development’ and ‘progress’. This short course attempts to familiarize students with how different actors perceive development and how that impacts development programming in local contexts. The course will assess the prevalent paradigms of development, from the United Nations system to the bilateral and multilateral frameworks and from international NGOs to the religious charities. Class participants will learn about the challenges faced and constraints reproduced by the international development bureaucracies. Each week, students would be expected to read and discuss the suggested readings, cite country contexts and address an applied development question. For final project, students will be given the option to apply course readings, discussions to a policy issue that they will complete with independent research and online inquires with development practitioners. Outcome 1: Students will articulate how different actors perceive development and how that impacts development programming in local contexts. Outcome 2: Students will assess the prevalent paradigms of development, from the United Nations system to the bilateral and multilateral frameworks and from international NGOs to the religious charities. Outcome 3: Class participants will evaluate the challenges faced and constraints reproduced by the international development bureaucracies.
PADM 5130 - Legal Aspects of Public Agency Decision-Making
This course introduces the application of legal concepts to decision-making processes conducted by governmental agencies, particularly at the federal level. It explores how constitutional law, statutory law, and judge-made law shape agency decisions. Attention is given, for example, to roles agencies play in American government, differences between rule-making proceedings and adjudications, rights of parties to obtain judicial review of agency decisions, how judges review factual and legal determinations by agency officials, and the rights of parties appearing before agencies. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate understanding of the legal foundations of public agency authority. Outcome 2: Students will apply course material highlighting general legal problems in the administrative state. Outcome 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to comprehend, analyze, and compare different approaches to combating legal and ethical issues faced by public agencies. Outcome 4: Students will draw from multiple sources of law to predict the legal outcomes of contemporary regulatory controversies. Outcome 5: Students will demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast different approaches to regulatory enforcement and the source of legal authority required for each. Outcome 6: Students will demonstrate the ability to spot legal and ethical issues, propose and analyze potential solutions, and provide the legal basis for their proposed policy.
PADM 5133 - Law and Public Agency Decisions
As technology improves and global infrastructure grows in complexity and reach, government bureaucracies struggle to keep pace. Agencies must adopt and execute new policies while conforming their actions to the rules of law. Administrative decisions affect our daily lives in countless ways, including food safety, weather forecasting, internet speed and availability, and trash collection to name a few. This course takes a comparative approach, examining different countries’ methods for addressing the legal aspects of public administrative agencies with regard to their purpose, operation, rule-making, and ethics. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate understanding of the legal source of public agency authority. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast different approaches to regulatory enforcement and the source of legal authority required for each. Outcome 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to spot legal and ethical issues, propose and analyze potential solutions, and provide the legal basis for their proposed policy.
PADM 5147 - Executive Presence for Public Affairs
A vital skill in business and in life is being able to connect with other people by making your case and communicating genuine emotion, even in the most intimidating circumstances. In this course, you will learn through a cyclical pattern. You’ll be instructed on a specific skill set, then asked to record and present yourself performing an activity or scripted behavior. You’ll practice analyzing your performance, repeating and refining your work in exercises specially designed by Cornell Theatre Professor David M. Feldshuh. Outcome 1: Analyze and understand your own strengths and weaknesses as a presenter. Outcome 2: Connect and affect listeners when you transfer information, share emotion, or persuade for your purpose. Outcome 3: Observe and appreciate the performance techniques used by others in the world around you, and recognize how these insights can contribute to your own presentation presence. Outcome 4: Deal with performance anxiety, mannerisms, and other distractions that limit your effectiveness in presentation. Outcome 5: Create a self-training process using self-recorded video, self-analysis, focused exercises, and rubric assessment to continue improvement long after the course is completed. Outcome 6: Use practice and repetition to learn a new skill set: “Executive Presence.”
PADM 5172 - Environmental Justice and Policy
PADM 5173 - Market Regulation
This graduate-level survey course addresses issues in market regulation and public policy. It reviews and applies tools acquired in prior economics and PADM classes to examine several important policy problems. This class will refine students’ ability to use economics and statistics to illuminate the causes and consequences of several policy interventions. It will illustrate how those tools can help formalize and organize complex concepts and thus reveal both intended and unintended effects of various policies. We examine several specific policies and their effects. Those include racial discrimination and deregulation in trucking, unintended effects of the Endangered Species Act, the move from a military draft to an All-Volunteer Military, and real-time, network-wide pricing of roads, among others. A broader goal is facility in reading relevant economic literature. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings/cases/case memos with colleagues. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate enhanced understanding of the motivation and rationale for various types of government intervention in the marketplace. Outcome 2: Students will articulate a standard set of rationales for government intervention, as well as the importance of history and the details of institutional arrangements to thoroughly understand that intervention. Outcome 3: Students will be better able to read peer-reviewed academic literature in public policy, as well as formally analyze new policy proposals.
PADM 5174 - Navigating Public-Private Partnerships
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are increasingly being used as strategies to address significant public policy challenges, particularly in the developing world. This summer Executive Master of Public Administration residential intensive course will examine how governments are partnering with for-profit and nonprofit organizations, shaping public policy, redefining traditional methods of public administration, and solving some of the world’s most intractable problems. The course addresses the multiple contexts in which public-private partnerships have been utilized, including transportation, infrastructure, education, smart cities, and public health. Here, we will look at whether multi-stakeholder partnerships are an effective means to relieve financial burdens on states and communities, when it is most appropriate for public entities to utilize private sector expertise, and when shared risk makes fiscal sense for both the public and private sectors. Discussions will also emphasize management challenges within multi-stakeholder partnerships and their impact on performance in the delivery of public services. Outcome 1: Students will determine and identify contexts in which Public and Private partnerships in collaborative governance regimes are most likely to achieve their intended goals. Outcome 2: Students will examine how governments are partnering with for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and shaping public policy, redefining traditional methods of public administration. Outcome 3: Students will analyze the benefits, challenges, and risks when entering into strategic shared-value PPPs involving the public, for-profit, and non-profit sectors.
PADM 5210 - Intermediate Microeconomics for Public Affairs
The primary learning goals of this course are (1) to understand the core concepts of microeconomics and (2) to develop analytical/problem-solving skills. This course differs from typical intermediate-level microeconomic courses in that there will be more emphasis on the role of policy and the public sector in the economy, although understanding the role and effectiveness of markets will remain central. This course is not a substitute for a full-semester comprehensive course in public economics but is a good foundation for that field-level course. Outcome 1: Understand the basic principles of microeconomics. Outcome 2: Develop analytical/problem solving skills using tools of microeconomic analysis.
PADM 5213 - Microeconomics for Public Affairs
The primary learning goals of this course are (1) to understand the core concepts of microeconomics and (2) to develop analytical/problem-solving skills. This course differs from typical intermediate-level microeconomic courses in that there will be more emphasis on the role of policy and the public sector in the economy, although understanding the role and effectiveness of markets will remain central. Outcome 1: Students will apply the basic principles of microeconomics to public policy challenges. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate analytical/problem solving skills using tools of microeconomic analysis.
PADM 5220 - Public Finance: Economics of the Public Sector
This course covers topics in public economics, macroeconomics, and political economy. The course will use the tools of economics to consider when and how the government should intervene in the economy, and how different levels of government might intervene differently. We will also devote some coverage to fiscal and monetary policy tools, basics of the business cycle, and determinants of economic growth. Both theory and applications will be covered. Outcome 1: Explain and identify conditions justifying government intervention in markets. Outcome 2: Analyze the theoretical impact of possible interventions using indifference curves, budget constraints, and supply and demand functions. Outcome 3: Evaluate the economic costs and benefits associated with major government programs, including social insurance and tax policy. Outcome 4: Apply the theoretical tools of economic analysis to evaluate the substantive impact of existing government policies, both in the US and internationally. Outcome 5: Explain the role of government in providing macroeconomic stability and determining economic growth.
PADM 5310 - Applied Multivariate Statistics in Public Affairs
This class is an applied introduction to multivariate statistical inference that is aimed at graduate students with little prior statistical experience, and satisfies the Quantitative Methods and Analytics requirement in the MPA Program. We will begin with a brief introduction to basic statistical concepts and probability theory before introducing the linear regression model. We then review several tools for diagnosing violations of statistical assumptions, including how to deal with outliers, missing data, omitted variables, and weighting. We will next consider situations in which linear regression will yield biased estimates of the population parameters of interest, with particular attention paid to measurement error, selection on unobservables, and omitted variables. The course will end with an introduction to extensions of the linear regression model, including models for binary and categorical outcomes. While statistical modeling is the focus of the course, we proceed with the assumption that models are only as good as the theoretical and substantive knowledge behind them. Thus, in covering the technical material, we will spend considerable time discussing the link between substantive knowledge and statistical practice. The course is designed primarily for professional masters students. Outcome 1: Conduct statistical analysis using the multiple regression tool Outcome 2: Diagnosis and understand the limitations to the multiple regression tool Outcome 3: Interpret results from a linear model Outcome 4: Critically assess statistical models displayed in scholarly research articles Outcome 5: Produce a data and research project using multivariate tools
PADM 5313 - Managerial Statistics for Public Affairs
An introduction to statistical methods commonly used in managerial decision making. Topics to be covered include the descriptive analysis of data, inferential methods (estimation and hypothesis testing), regression and correlation analysis, as well as quality control methods. The course will involve a research project designed to give experience in collecting and interpreting data. Outcome 1: Demonstrate analytical and functional competency in basic statistical skills. Outcome 2: Demonstrate a working knowledge of ethics as it relates to statistical analysis and communication. Outcome 3: Demonstrate the ability to solve practical problems. Outcome 4: Develop skills to be critical consumers of business and policy research.
PADM 5320 - Public Systems Modeling
This course serves as an introduction to the art of model building, especially related to public sector planning and management issues. The course also introduces the quantitative approach for identifying, evaluating and estimating the physical, economic, environmental, and social impacts of alternative decisions planners and managers are asked to make. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate proficiency with quantitative modeling techniques, including simulation, optimization, and linear/dynamic programming. Outcome 2: Students will identify, evaluate, and estimate the physical, economic, environmental, and social aspects of alternative decisions planners and managers are asked to make. Outcome 3: Students will integrate concepts learned in class through a team project.
PADM 5340 - Introduction to Evaluation
This graduate-level course provides an introduction to basic evaluation concepts and main types of evaluation approach, as well as the norms, values and inherent tensions of professional evaluation practice. Emphasis is on cultivating evaluative thinking, understanding the strengths of qualitative and quantitative methods for evaluation, and carefully weighing tradeoffs between rigor, feasibility and use of results. Using small case scenarios and exercises, students will learn to answer the question: what is the right evaluation approach for this situation? Includes practice with measure development, data collection, analysis and reporting.
PADM 5342 - Evaluation of International Programs
The course examines results-based management of the programs and projects of international organizations, public and not-for-profit, with an emphasis on the evaluation aspect. To do this, it examines how results-based management concepts and evaluation theory can be applied at the international level, takes the student through the process of planning an evaluation, examines the main analytical techniques that are usually employed and, as a final step, undertakes critical examinations of evaluations of specific projects and programs made by the main organizations at the international level. Outcome 1: Students will examine how results-based management concepts and evaluation theory can be applied at the international level. Outcome 2: Students will explore the process of planning an evaluation. Outcome 3: Students will examine the main analytical techniques that are usually employed. Outcome 4: Students will undertake critical examinations of evaluations of specific projects and programs made by the main organizations at the international level.
PADM 5343 - Program Evaluation
This course is a general introduction to evaluation research for assessing social programs and interventions. The course uses an evolutionary and systems thinking perspective on evaluation. Students will learn essential concepts in program evaluation that will enable them to design a high-quality evaluation plan for a program or intervention. The basic steps involved in creating any evaluation plan are explained, including: 1) Preparation (entering the system, developing a memorandum of understanding, identifying internal stakeholders, creating working group(s), and assessing evaluation capacity); 2) Program Model Development (stakeholder analysis, program review, program boundary analysis, program lifecycle analysis, logic modeling, program pathway models, setting evaluation scope, identifying relevant prior research); and 3) Evaluation Plan Creation (evaluation purpose, evaluation questions/hypotheses, measurement, sampling, design, data management and analysis, reporting and utilization). Outcome 1: Students will be able to describe evolutionary and systems thinking principles. Outcome 2: Students will be able to describe how to prepare for an evaluation planning effort. Outcome 3: Students will be able to describe the basic components of an evaluation plan, including evaluation questions, sampling, measurement, design and analysis. Outcome 4: Students will be able to produce a high-quality program model report that could be used to plan an evaluation.
PADM 5345 - Evaluation of International Programs and Projects
This course examines results-based management of the programs and projects of international organizations, with an emphasis on evaluation. The course covers how results-based management concepts can be applied at the international level, the process of planning an evaluation, the main analytical techniques that are usually employed and, as a final step, undertakes evaluations of specific projects and programs made by the main organizations at the international level.
PADM 5382 - Bridging the Gap: Connecting Research and Policy in the New York State Legislature
The overarching goal of this course is to offer students the chance to engage in bridging research and state policy, with a particular focus on two-generation (2gen) approaches to supporting family and child well-being. The semester will culminate in a full-day event in Albany, which will include presentations by Cornell students and faculty and one-on-one meetings with legislators, legislative staff, and staff from the Governor’s office. Outcome 1: Students will be able to convey the relevance of research and evidence for politics, government, and civic life. Outcome 2: Students will be able to identify and interpret existing and upcoming state legislation and policy priorities. Outcome 3: Students will be able to effectively collaborate with team members. Outcome 4: Students will be able to effectively communicate with state legislators and staff, and present issues and findings to diverse audiences.
PADM 5383 - Translational Research for Executives
The goal of this course is to provide students with an overview of the challenges and benefits of bridging research, practice, and policy. More specifically, the course focuses on the process of expanding, strengthening, and speeding the connections between cutting-edge research and the design, evaluation, and implementation of policies and practices that enhance human development, health, and well-being. Outcome 1: Students will be able to explain the many dimensions of the study of bridging research, practice, and policy. Outcome 2: Students will be able to describe research considerations and methods used when developing research partnerships. Outcome 3: Students will be able to effectively communicate and present research findings to a variety of audiences.
PADM 5410 - Nonprofit Management and Finance
Provides students with a practitoner’s focus on financial, managerial, and leadership issues in the non-profit sector, both domestic and international, including universities, hospitals, environmental groups, arts organizations, government agencies, and foundations. The course will include an overview of non-profit financial statements, financial ratios, debt issuance, bond ratings, endowment management, budgeting, venture philanthropy, auditing and ethics, tax issues, organizational governance, leadership, strategy, mergers and alliances, and executive compensation. The course includes such guest speakers as the founder of a major Indian non-profit organization, the head of credit ratings at Moody’s, the leader of a social services agency, and others. The course has a mid-term and final exam along with three 5-page papers on completing a bond rating for a university, balancing a budget for a hospital, and recommending merger partners for a struggling non-profit. Outcome 1: Students will apply tools for evaluating financial statements in the nonprofit sector. Outcome 2: Students will evaluate debt financing as a financial management strategy, including how debt financing impacts financial flexibility, financing techniques, bond ratings, and coverage ratios. Outcome 3: Students will apply tools for evaluating alternative investments (particularly in the context of endowments). Outcome 4: Students will evaluate frameworks for nonprofit management, including frameworks for risk management, auditing, conflict of interest, organizational governance, and partnership/alliance-building. Outcome 5: Students will analyze Form 990s, and evaluate how these documents inform nonprofit tax and compliance issues. Outcome 6: Students will draft three short, analytical papers on interpreting financial ratios for a college, analyzing a budget for a hospital, and recommending a merger of several nonprofits.
PADM 5411 - [Technological Change at Work]
PADM 5413 - Strategic Nonprofit Management
Designed for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students, this course provides a practitioner’s focus on financial, managerial, and leadership issues in the non-profit sector, including universities, hospitals, environmental groups, government agencies, and foundations. The course will include an overview of non-profit financial statements, financial ratios, debt issuance, endowment management, credit analysis, tax issues, organizational governance issues, mergers & alliances, and industry-sector trends. Outcome 1: Students will apply tools for evaluating financial statements in the nonprofit sector. Outcome 2: Students will evaluate debt financing as a financial management strategy, including how debt financing impacts financial flexibility, financing techniques, bond ratings, and coverage ratios. Outcome 3: Students will evaluate frameworks for nonprofit management, including frameworks for risk management, auditing, conflict of interest, organizational governance, and partnership/alliance-building. Outcome 4: Students will draft three short, analytical papers on interpreting financial ratios for a college, analyzing a budget for a hospital, and recommending a merger of several nonprofits.
PADM 5414 - Project Management
This hands-on, graduate-level course is designed to prepare leaders how to best manage public sector projects including but not limited to government agencies, nonprofits, consulting firms, and think tanks. The goal of this course is to build project management strategies including fundamental processes as well as invest in innovative trends and new approaches to plan, manage, and implement projects. The class also includes skill building to effectively manage teams which includes leadership, equity, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. As a graduate-level course, students are expected have thoroughly read all assigned materials prior to class and to be well-prepared to participate meaningfully throughout the semester. This course is highly engaged, and students will be working on teams collaborating throughout the semester to practice these skills. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate how to plan, schedule, manage, and control projects including timelines, budgets, and all aspects of project implementation. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate effective management strategies and leadership skills including conflict resolution, forming project teams, and managing performance.
PADM 5415 - Project Management for Executives
This Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) course is designed to prepare leaders on how to best manage public sector projects including but not limited to government agencies, nonprofits, consulting firms, and think tanks. The goal of this course is to build project management strategies including fundamental processes, innovative trends, and approaches to plan, manage, and implement projects. The course also invests in skill building to effectively manage teams which includes equity, critical thinking, and conflict resolution. This course is highly engaging, and students will be working on teams collaborating to build these skills. Outcome 1: Students will develop and apply fundamental project management strategies as well as innovative trends and new approaches to project management. Outcome 2: Students will build a management toolkit for effective project implementation. Outcome 3: Students will apply leadership skill sets including conflict resolution, equity, inclusivity, project teams, and managing performance.
PADM 5418 - Strategic Stakeholder Engagement
This graduate-level survey course addresses the key concepts and tools of stakeholder identification, mapping, analysis and engagement strategies in working toward sustainable, positive development. With a particular focus on extractive industries in developing and emerging economies, the course is designed for students pursuing careers in sustainability in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors. Outcome 1: Students will describe principles of stakeholder identification, mapping, analysis, and engagement strategies. Outcome 2: Students will apply stakeholder engagement tools used by major international organizations to real-world cases. Outcome 3: Students will analyze and develop a strategic deliverable around a hypothetical stakeholder engagement scenario drawn from the instructor’s practice.
PADM 5423 - Financial Accounting for Executives
In this course, you will construct and interpret accounts of revenue, accounts receivable, inventory, assets, long-term debt, and equity. You will have the opportunity to examine the rules for financial statements and learn how the field of financial accounting has evolved over time to meet the needs of businesses, particularly those in the healthcare industry. This understanding of core financial accounting principles will enable you to independently analyze an organization’s financial standing and viability as well as understand when organizations are using gaps in accounting rules to their financial advantage. Outcome 1: Students will construct and interpret accounts of revenue, accounts receivable, inventory, assets, long-term debt, and equity. Outcome 2: Students will examine the rules for financial statements and learn how the field of financial accounting has evolved over time to meet the needs of businesses, particularly those in the healthcare industry. Outcome 3: Students will be able to converse confidently in the language of finance and present a company’s financial performance to internal stakeholders as well as investors, creditors, suppliers, and customers.
PADM 5424 - Public Budgeting and Finance
This course will contribute to the success of future public and nonprofit leaders by introducing them to a critical aspect of public service management….budgeting and finance. The class covers the terminology, components, practices, documents, and methods of public budgeting and finance at all levels of government and in the non-profit world. Outcome 1: Students will articulate the basics of budget terminology and structure; prepare basic budgets and link to organizational objectives; Practice using budget documents to do basic analysis and learn the basics of communicating results effectively. Outcome 2: Students will master the basics of income statements and balance sheets and how to use financial and performance ratios to help evaluate them to acquire an understanding of the budget approval process with specific examples.
PADM 5426 - Public Budgeting, Finance and Analysis
This course will contribute to the success of future public and nonprofit leaders by introducing them to a critical aspect of public service management, budgeting and finance. The course covers the terminology, components, practices, documents, and methods of public budgeting and finance at all levels of government and in the non-profit world. Outcome 1: Students will apply budget terminology and analyze budget structure in a public affairs context. Outcome 2: Students will prepare and estimate public and nonprofit sector budgets. Outcome 3: Students will interpret and use budget information in policy analysis. Outcome 4: Students will analyze employment and performance measures in budgets. Outcome 5: Students will debate strategies for gaining advantage in the competition for budget resources.
PADM 5430 - Public and Nonprofit Marketing: Executive Approaches
In this course students will learn how to develop marketing strategies and messages for nonprofit organizations and how to apply these strategies to the promotion of public policy. Students will understand how traditional marketing techniques can be very useful for increasing charitable donations, gaining support for a public issue, recruiting volunteers, and achieving an organizational mission. The course will cover how to develop key elements of strategic marketing campaigns, including SWOT analysis, SMART goals and objectives, message construction, and creative stories for digital media. We will be exploring cases of mission-driven organizations and entities including government; health and human services; social, economic, and racial justice; education; and the environment. Outcome 1: Students will examine the basics of branding, framing, and re-branding in the not-for-profit space, including the long-term effects of good/bad messaging on an organization. Outcome 2: Students will differentiate between a variety of tools, approaches and methods for traditional and digital media, strategies to employ them, and metrics for measurement. Outcome 3: Students will develop an effective, research-based marketing strategy for nonprofit organizations or public policy. Outcome 4: Students will apply the skills and knowledge gained throughout the course to recognize, analyze, and draft effective stories and messages that aptly portray an organization’s core mission and vision.
PADM 5431 - Fundraising, Grantmaking, and Lobbying
This course is designed for graduate students considering a career in the non-profit sector. It will provide an overview of philanthropy, specific giving vehicles (annual fund, major gifts, capital gifts, deferred gifts, etc.), capital campaigns, grant writing, working with private foundations and community foundations, and crowdfunding techniques. At the completion of the course students will have a strong working knowledge of key principles and techniques of fundraising and a familiarity with gift vehicles and instruments. Outcome 1: Knowledge of the philanthropic field. Outcome 2: Understanding of key fundraising instruments and how to apply them in different situations. Outcome 3: How to structure and mount a comprehensive capital campaign. Outcome 4: Knowledge of basic principles and techniques used in grant writing. Outcome 5: Familiarity with the workings of private foundations.
PADM 5432 - Public and Nonprofit Marketing
This course covers the foundations of nonprofit and public policy marketing. In this course students will learn how to develop marketing strategies and messages for nonprofit organizations and how to apply these strategies to the promotion of public policy. Students will understand how traditional marketing techniques and theories of engagement, information processing, and behavior change, can be very useful for increasing charitable donations, gaining support for a public issue, recruiting volunteers, and achieving an organizational mission. The course will cover how to develop key elements of strategic marketing campaigns, including SWOT analysis, SMART goals and objectives, message construction, and creative stories for digital media. We will be exploring cases of mission-driven organizations and entities including government; health and human services; social, economic, and racial justice; education; and the environment. Outcome 1: Students will examine the basics of branding, framing, and re-branding in the not-for-profit space, including the long-term effects of good/bad messaging on an organization. Outcome 2: Students will differentiate between a variety of tools, approaches and methods for traditional and digital media, strategies to employ them, and metrics for measurement. Outcome 3: Students will develop an effective, research-based marketing strategy for nonprofit organizations or public policy. Outcome 4: Students will apply the skills and knowledge gained throughout the course to recognize, analyze, and draft effectives stories and messages that aptly portray an organization’s core mission and vision.
PADM 5433 - Managing Change in Public Affairs
This graduate-level course addressing change management processes in public administration is designed for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students pursuing careers in government agencies, state and local authorities, and nonprofit organizations; and with private firms working in the public interest at the interface with government agencies. A central theme of the course is planning and understanding how to implement change processes within public institutions to ensure they welcome change and remain vibrant learning organizations at the service of their constituents. The objectives of the course are to provide students with analytical tools to properly implement change management processes in government institutions where organizational change is rarely encouraged or practiced. Concepts are paired with a case study for the class as well as empower students to develop a controlled case study of their own to encourage learning through application. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be well-prepared to discuss readings/cases/case memos with colleagues. Outcome 1: Students will change management opportunities and challenges for public institutions. Outcome 2: Students will use analytical tools for designing and implementing change processes. Outcome 3: Students will plan and manage change in their own organizations.
PADM 5434 - Fundraising
This course will provide an overview of philanthropy, specific giving vehicles (annual fund, major gifts, capital gifts, deferred gifts, etc.), capital campaigns, grant writing, working with private foundations and community foundations, and crowdfunding techniques. At the completion of the course students will have a strong working knowledge of key principles and techniques of fundraising and a familiarity with gift vehicles and instruments. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the philanthropic field. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate understanding of key fundraising instruments and how to apply them in different situations. Outcome 3: Students will demonstrate how to structure and mount a comprehensive capital campaign. Outcome 4: Students will apply basic principles and techniques used in grant writing.
PADM 5441 - Effective Writing for Public Policy
The course explores policy writing in its various forms, including: memos, briefs, position papers, op-eds, legislative testimony, formal letters, email, press releases, and social media. This course will feature lectures, interactive discussion, written deliverables, workshops, and guest speakers. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be prepared to discuss readings in class. Outcome 1: Identify and assess targeted audience for writing in the context public policymaking and develop effective written communication. Outcome 2: Generate evidence for a written argument. Outcome 3: Draft a variety of written communication pieces that demonstrate mastery of the various genres of writing associated with public policy. Outcome 4: Demonstrate peer review techniques, such as editing and critiquing writing by peers.
PADM 5442 - Effective Policy Writing for Public Affairs
The course explores policy writing in its various forms, including: memos, briefs, position papers, op-eds, legislative testimony, formal letters, email, press releases, and social media. While this course is designed for Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students. This course will feature lectures, interactive discussion, written deliverables, workshops, and guest speakers. As a graduate-level course, students are expected to have thoroughly read all materials prior to class and be prepared to discuss readings in class. Outcome 1: Identify and assess targeted audience for writing in the context public policymaking and develop effective written communication. Outcome 2: Generate evidence for a written argument. Outcome 3: Draft a variety of written communication pieces that demonstrate mastery of the various genres of writing associated with public policy. Outcome 4: Demonstrate peer review techniques, such as editing and critiquing writing by peers. Outcome 5: Add additional rows if you need to document additional outcomes.
PADM 5443 - Systems Thinking for Executives I
This course serves as an introduction to systems thinking methods and technical tools that are foundational to all other advanced Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) coursework. This course focuses on answering three essential questions: (1) Why does systems thinking exist (i.e., its promise and popularity)? (2) What is systems thinking? (3) How do we do systems thinking? We also explore two subsequent questions: (4) How do we apply systems thinking to personal mastery and professional development? (5) How do we apply systems thinking to the social and policy challenges we face? Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate a deep understanding of systems thinking and its application to public sector planning and management issues. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate proficiency with systems thinking modeling techniques. Outcome 3: Students will be able to tackle complex problems from multiple perspectives that can get in the way of policy analysis, planning, evaluation, leadership, and management.
PADM 5444 - Systems Thinking for Executives II
This course explores the functional elements required to design, develop, lead, and manage a complex adaptive organization (CAO) through the lens of Systems Thinking. Students will explore the essential importance of organizational learning and development of culture through shared mental models in order to perform a thorough analysis of mission-critical systems that yield capacity for carrying out coordinated daily tasks that subsequently achieve the vision of the organization. Outcome 1: Students will use the Systems Leadership Framework (VMCL) to design, align, and lead an adaptive learning organization, and Diagnose Plan, Command, Control, and Utilize (PCCU) organizational design thinking errors and differentiate PCCU from VMCL. Outcome 2: Students will use checks to analyze the implicit Mission of an existing organization using the underlying simple rules of a Complex Adaptive System (CAS), analyze system behavior to identify system structure failures (aka, “system structure determines behavior,” or SSDB), and map an organization’s Capacity Systems for organizational understanding (CapMap). Outcome 3: Students will demonstrate fractal use of VMCL across levels of scale in organizations (individual, team, department, and whole organization).
PADM 5449 - Systems Thinking in Public Affairs
This course serves as an introduction to systems thinking methods and technical tools in the field of public affairs. Students will develop skills that allow them to understand how to improve their analysis of complex, unpredictable, real-world systems. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate deep understanding of systems thinking and its application to public sector planning and management issues. Outcome 2: Students will be able to tackle complex problems from multiple perspectives based on both a deeper understanding of complex systems as well as the cognitive biases that get in the way of policy analysis, planning, evaluation, leadership, and management. Outcome 3: Students will gain a general understanding of systems thinking as a field and the many tools and technologies available to solve problems or analyze complex systems. Outcome 4: Students will demonstrate proficiency in applying systems thinking modeling techniques. Outcome 5: Students will integrate concepts learned in class through a team project to solve a wicked problem, analyze a complex systems, or serve an unmet need using systems thinking and modeling. Project presentations will be the highlight of an annual MPA Systems Thinking conference/symposium and will be evaluated by an expert panel of judges.
PADM 5450 - International Public and NGO Management
This course develops from a general discussion of the differences between management of international public and NGO organizations and similar organizations at the national level or below, through an examination of the management process in the context of results-based management, which is the dominant approach taken in both public and non-governmental organizations. It then examines the application of analysis methods to specific organizations. The goal is to provide students with the tools to be intelligent consumers of international services, effective participants in their governance and, at an introductory level, how to evaluate them.
PADM 5453 - International Public Management
This course develops from a general discussion of the differences between management of international public and NGO organizations and similar organizations at the national level or below, through an examination of the management process in the context of results-based management, which is the dominant approach taken in both public and non-governmental organizations. It then examines the application of analysis methods to specific organizations. The goal is to provide students with the tools to be intelligent consumers of international services, effective participants in their governance and, at an introductory level, how to evaluate them. Outcome 1: Students will apply tools for using results-based management to plan the work of international public and NGO organizations. Outcome 2: Students will articulate how the international public sector works and how it is different from national public sectors. Outcome 3: Students will draft a paper analyzing the strategy of an international public or NGO institution in terms of RBM and participate in the design of a new organization.
PADM 5455 - Comparative Public Administration
The purpose of this seminar is to provide graduate students with an introduction to the scholarly development of comparative public administration, as well as criteria for comparison in public leadership, accountability/transparency, political participation, and the interaction of culture, politics, and public management. Outcome 1: Students will describe criteria for comparison in public administration and apply global benchmarking frameworks for evaluating public administration and urban policy. Outcome 2: Students will discuss problems with engaging in comparative field research on public administration (case selection, cultural factors, etc.), and apply remedies in their own research designs. Outcome 3: Students will develop an original scholarly analysis of one or more aspects of urban policy agenda.
PADM 5456 - Comparative Public Administration: The Case of Dubai, United Arab Emirates
This is an experiential learning seminar to provide graduate students with a hand-on case of comparative public administration with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The course provides students with a survey of the criteria for comparison in governance, economic development and innovation, environmental policy, culture, politics, and public management. Emphasis will be placed on the development of the UAE government including education system, economic development, and energy and water infrastructure systems. The seminar will culminate in a one-week field workshop in Dubai, UAE, during which students will meet with government and business leaders and also have the opportunity to participate in the World Government Summit conference and competition. Participation in the field workshop is required of all students enrolled in the course. Outcome 1: Students will articulate key trends in governance in UAE and Middle East. Outcome 2: Students will articulate the roles that different institutions are playing in UAE. Outcome 3: Students will identify and analyze the key political, financial, educational, and technical questions that need to be resolved in public affairs in Dubai. Outcome 4: Students will research and develop innovative policy solutions for future government in Dubai.
PADM 5458 - Comparative Public Administration for Executives
The purpose of this experiential learning seminar is to provide graduate students with an introduction to the scholarly development of comparative public administration, as well as criteria for comparison in public leadership, accountability/transparency, political participation, and the interaction of culture, politics, and public management. Emphasis will be placed on the integration of new public management and digital-era governance principles, as well as contemporary strategies for paradiplomacy and urban competitiveness. This course requires a program fee of $2000 to participate. Outcome 1: Students will debate opportunities and challenges associated with comparative research in public administration. Outcome 2: Students will discuss public administration initiatives with senior officials in San Jose, Costa Rica, and engage in site visits to these initiatives. Outcome 3: Students will apply comparative best practices in public administration to their own academic/professional activities.
PADM 5472 - Leveraging Information Technology for Public and Nonprofit Management
Information and communications technologies are fundamentally transforming public and nonprofit sectors. This course combines 1) managerial topics: technology acquisition, outsourcing, project management, risk governance, digital strategies; 2) emerging technologies: social media, artificial intelligence, cloud, analytics, big data; 3) real-life cases from global markets; 4) analytical and problem-solving frameworks. This course doesn’t require technical background. Outcome 1: Articulate the key elements of information systems and their development and governance process. Outcome 2: Analyze and manage the value and risk of a diverse portfolio of technology projects and programs. Outcome 3: Apply analytical frameworks in the course to develop solutions and strategies for real-life cases. Outcome 4: Assess emerging technologies and use them to transform global public and nonprofit sectors.
PADM 5473 - Public Interest Technology
This course will equip you with an understanding of the technical, strategic, organizational, managerial, and social issues surrounding technologies in public and related sectors, and help you develop the knowledge for analyzing and managing technologies in diverse settings. The course integrates 1. key managerial topics, such as technology acquisition, global sourcing, project management, risk governance, and technology enabled strategies; 2. emerging technology trends driving today’s global economy; 3. case studies from economies worldwide; 4. analytical frameworks for problem-solving and decision-making in real-life scenarios. The course is designed for students both with and without a technical background. Outcome 1: Articulate the key elements of technology systems and the development and governance process. Outcome 2: Analyze and manage the value and risks of a diverse portfolio of technology projects and programs. Outcome 3: Apply the analytical frameworks in the course to develop solutions and strategies for real-life cases. Outcome 4: Assess emerging technology trends and leverage them to transform global public and private sectors.
PADM 5570 - Corporate Responsibility
This graduate-level course provides an overview of the area of corporate responsibility, with particular emphasis on the finance industry. The focus will be on understanding how a growing recognition of the challenge of sustainability affects corporate behavior. Through a combination of classroom presentations, discussion of assigned reading and case studies, and independent research, students will learn about the most important themes at the intersection of business and sustainability, including environmental and social risk management, sustainability initiatives and self-regulation in the corporate sector, stakeholder engagement and management, and the growth of sustainable business, including environmental finance and impact investing. Outcome 1: Students will understand the key trends in the broad field of corporate sustainability and the risks and opportunities that result from a growing public awareness of the environmental and social impacts of corporate activity. Outcome 2: Students will recognize sustainability risks associated with particular corporate activities and will be able to propose actions that mitigate those risks. Outcome 3: Students will be able to critically examine the interactions between corporate entities and their peers, regulators, the public, and their other stakeholders, and to recognize opportunities for improving the outcomes of those interactions. Outcome 4: Students will be able to identify ways in which the tools of finance can be leveraged to better manage natural resources and attain particular social objectives.
PADM 5573 - Corporate Responsibility and Public Affairs
In this course, led by Professor of Practice, John Tobin-de la Puente and facilitated by CIPA Lecturer Andrew Siwo, you will critically examine the sustainability-based interactions between corporate entities, their peers, regulators, the public, and other stakeholders in order to identify opportunities for improving the outcomes of these interactions. To do this, you will examine how corporate structure affects business practices and how different industries are affected by the sustainability movement. You will then identify how these factors influence a company’s motivation to act more sustainably. Next, you will appraise the complex relationships between corporations and their stakeholders and consider the balancing act today’s corporate leaders face as they uphold their corporate fiduciary duties and navigate ever-changing sustainability demands. Last, you will assess the impacts of business activities on the environment and pinpoint a company’s positive and negative sustainability efforts. Outcome 1: Students will analyze corporate structure and its relationship to sustainability motivation. Outcome 2: Students will examine the relationships of corporations with their direct and indirect stakeholders. Outcome 3: Students will evaluate a company in detail to analyze/understand sustainability practices.
PADM 5579 - Environmental Finance and Impact Investing Practicum
This engaged learning course will allow students to work as a team on one of the leading questions in the area of environmental finance and impact investing today, while developing skills in external client relationship management and project execution. In connection with this practicum course, students will synthesize current knowledge about metrics for assessing environmental and social impacts in impact investing, and will be expected to propose a framework that builds on this knowledge and improves the ability of investors to ascertain impact in the conservation finance space. Outcome 1: Students will assess social and environmental returns of investments with a sustainability focus. Outcome 2: Students will complete a substantial EFII project deliverable for a public affairs client organization. Outcome 3: Students will engage in fieldwork to collect data for completing client deliverable.
PADM 5612 - Intergovernmental Relations
Public and private sector professionals interacting with government agencies need a working understanding of the jurisdictional boundaries of government, the interplay between federal, state, and local government, and the rise of nonprofits, regionalism, and public/private partnerships. This course is designed to enhance upper level undergraduate and graduate students’ ability to navigate the complex and ever-evolving US system of government, the delivery of funding and services, and the implementation of statutes and regulations. This course will provide students with first-hand accounts and analysis of governmental functions and roles, from local boards to state and federal government. Outcome 1: Students will analyze and describe key points of decision-making, policymaking, and funding within the United States intergovernmental system. Outcome 2: Students will describe the role of intergovernmental actors (elected officials, managers, staff) in policy implementation in the United States. Outcome 3: Students will conduct research, draft original papers, and present findings on a public policy space affected by intergovernmental relations (healthcare, transportation, education, land use, environment, etc.).
PADM 5613 - The Politics of Policymaking
Public affairs professionals require a working understanding of political systems in order to accurately interpret policy proposals and anticipate potential policy changes. This course is designed to offer students a view into the challenges, processes, and political dynamics inherent in contemporary policy-making in the United States. This course focuses on political aspects of policy making that increasingly dictate policy outcomes. Students will gain a familiarity with political concepts covered in the course, providing tools to help separate consequential policy proposals and political actions from political antics. The course will examine the U.S. political system, how the major political parties have evolved and operate today, and how partisan politics impacts governing at federal, state, and local levels. The course will address how various interest groups influence politics and policy-making through campaigns, public engagement, lobbying, and activism. Outcome 1: Students will identify and evaluate key points of influence and key players in the legislative process. Outcome 2: Students will think analytically about policy-making and critique legislative proposals in terms of timing, history, constituencies, politics, potential impacts, and likelihood of success. Outcome 3: Students will articulate the policy making process from point of view of elected officials, staff, and external interest groups. Outcome 4: Students will apply policy-making theory to analyze recent legislative actions and to forecast pending outcomes.
PADM 5615 - Sustainable Finance: Southeast Asia and Global Perspectives
PADM 5619 - Politics, Policy, and Political Management
This course will focus on the political aspects of policy making that increasingly influence policy outcomes. Students pursuing careers in public administration, legislative affairs, and intergovernmental relations will gain a familiarity with concepts and tools for developing political advocacy strategies within the administrative process. Outcome 1: Students will identify and evaluate points of influence and players in the policy-making process. Outcome 2: Students will apply tools for thinking logically and analytically about policymaking, breaking policy issues down in components concerning timing, background, constituencies, political, and potential impact. Outcome 3: Students will analyze the process from the point of view of an elected official. Outcome 4: Students will draft briefs evaluating the relationships and political interplay of federal, state, and local government in the implementation of public policy.
PADM 5634 - Corruption, Governance, and Development
This interdisciplinary graduate-level survey course addresses issues related to the nature and extent of corruption and fraud, waste, and abuse in the public sector, and in private/nonprofit sector organizations interfacing with the public sector. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate what corruption and fraud are, as well as the pervasiveness of both phenomena in the field of public affairs. Outcome 2: Students will analyze the political, economic, and social consequences of corruption and fraud in public affairs. Outcome 3: Students will explain best practices in identifying and preventing corruption, fraud, waste, and abuse in public affairs. Outcome 4: Students will draft an original research paper documenting lessons learned from a major case of corruption, fraud, waste, and/or abuse.
PADM 5657 - Alternative Paradigms, Practices and Challenges in International Development
This course will focus on international development strategies, the historical failures of aid and how rethinking the role of development processes can result in better outcomes for the global south. Students pursuing careers in public administration, international development, and public policy will acquire knowledge and skills to review, design, implement and evaluate development projects and programs.
PADM 5658 - Fixing the Future: Policy Solutions for Development Dilemmas
This course will address dilemmas or contradictions impeding progress toward achieving sustainable and equitable development goals. Discussions will revolve around six “wicked” development dilemmas and will provide students with the tools required to develop options for governments seeking to avoid systemic problems on their paths toward sustainability. These development dilemmas include the value vs. wealth proposition, eliminating poverty in the context of resource intensity, cleaner production, governance with common values, the role of government in sustainability, and the capacity of intergovernmental systems. Outcome 1: Use system thinking by visualizing the larger dynamics of the system while keeping in mind human tendencies and behaviors. In this course, combine the analytical tools of systems thinking with human-behavior centered problem solving to make sense of complex human systems and challenge their engrained biases. Outcome 2: Use creative thinking tools to expand their perspectives and think “as if the box never existed” to envision the emergence of a new human paradox Outcome 3: Structure open discussions around difficult issues specially those related challenges inherent in global efforts to achieving a more sustainable and equitable future. Outcome 4: Articulate the future policy environments that will support future sustainability efforts.
PADM 5659 - Cross-Cultural Communication
When you’re at work, you probably interact with employees, clients, and leaders from different backgrounds and cultures. Your Social Style® plays a role in how you communicate and behave in the workplace and how others, in turn, interact with you. This course will prepare you to communicate effectively, efficiently, and empathetically with people of different cultural backgrounds no matter your Social Style®. In this course, you will examine the four Social Styles® so you can communicate appropriately and effectively in a cross-cultural environment. You will practice becoming more aware of how your Social Style® is interpreted by others and how that impacts your interactions with others at work. You will also develop strategies for overcoming blind spots in order to mitigate the risk of ineffective communication in cross-cultural settings. Finally, you will discover the ways you can adapt your Social Style® for effective communication without compromising your core values. Outcome 1: Evaluate how your Social Style® is interpreted by others. Outcome 2: Become aware of your social blind spots in the cross-cultural work environment. Outcome 3: Adapt for effective communication.
PADM 5717 - Energy Transition: Policy, Financial, and Business Interactions
The course utilizes discussions, presentations, research papers, and simulations to explore the policy, financial, and business implications, opportunities, and risks, of climate change, specifically the energy transition to a low-carbon economy. We will explore potential public policies in the context of their business impacts, effectiveness, and political viability. How does different policy design encourage distinct long-term pathways within a highly capital-intensive industry? What industries are most impacted by a transition to a lower carbon economy? How do incentives and structures influence business actors toward a smoother transition, or toward wasted capital expenditures, and stranded assets? Are financial markets pricing in an energy transition? What is the role of financial and market regulators in ensuring long-term “beneficial” capital allocation? With an industry in decline, what are the business strategy options for management of a fossil fuel producer? What are the policy, financial, and business implications for clean energy firms, electric vehicle manufacturers, and the metals and mining industry? Additional readings, research, and presentations are required of Master’s students. Outcome 1: Students will describe potential impacts of the energy transition and related public policy interactions on business outcomes. Outcome 2: Students will explain why market actors’ incentives and other structural impediments can impede an effective and smooth transition and may also result in stranded assets and destruction of shareholder value. Outcome 3: Students will examine financial and strategic approaches in assessing transition risk, and investor and management decisions-making in a carbon-constrained global economy. Outcome 4: Students will explain the catalysts driving the speed and magnitude of the energy transition.
PADM 5730 - Comparative Environmental Policy
This course focuses on environmental legislation such as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and others as a foundation for US environmental policy. Internationally, focus on Environmental Policy in multiple countries and comparative to US environmental policy. Over the course we will discuss how environmental policy directly impacts community, public health, natural ecological systems, concepts of justice, and socioeconomics. We will explore these major environmental policies in the US as a basis of comparison and then apply those mechanism domestically or internationally to address climate change and improve other environment conditions. Students who seek to work in the US will build an analytic skill set to be competitive for jobs in environmental consulting, government, public policy, public health, non-profits, and advocacy groups. Outcome 1: Students will Analyze major United States environmental policy including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA) and others. Outcome 2: Students will debate major environmental policy on international stage (UN) and also key policies in other countries. Outcome 3: Students will analyze the challenges & opportunities in implementing effective mitigation, alternatives, & cumulative impacts to proposed projects & policies. Outcome 4: Students will analyze the process of environmental policy, regulation, and rulemaking. Outcome 5: Students will propose strategies for overcoming obstacles to effective environmental regulations.
PADM 5733 - Vulnerability and Resilience Planning
This is an Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) course designed to prepare leaders and develop an understanding of problems and trends in disaster policy, recovery, planning, and management. These concepts can translate to manage for the unexpected and equitably invest in building community capacity. This course focuses on the challenges leaders face working with vulnerable communities and how to build capacity and resilience. Students will learn about climate change, as well as the fields of vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation. The class will think through likely outcomes of innovative policy interventions and discuss risk and pathways for evaluative decisions about hazards. What is a disaster, and how do disasters impact communities, governments, and organizations? What makes people vulnerable, and how to build their resilience to facilitate recovery and adaptation? How does climate change contribute to disasters? Outcome 1: Students will describe key themes in disaster prevention, planning, recovery, adaptation, and climate-related disasters. Outcome 2: Students will identify what makes communities vulnerable, and how to build their resilience to facilitate recovery. Outcome 3: Students will evaluate policy interventions, identify risks/hazards, and tools for decision-making. Outcome 4: Students will identify obstacles leaders face in disaster planning, including key political, financial, and technical concerns.
PADM 5734 - Disasters, Vulnerability, and Resilience
This hands-on graduate-level course addresses key topics and themes using vulnerability assessment and resilience planning. The focus is on developing innovative policy solutions to prepare for, adapt to, and mitigate natural and manmade disasters. The goal is to invest in building resilience and adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities. This course is for anyone who will be in a leadership role who wants to build a toolkit to manage and prepare for a range of crises including natural, manmade, social, and resource-related disasters. Students will discuss the lessons learned from academic research, government reports, case studies, and past experiences to develop effective management strategy.
PADM 5755 - Infrastructure Financing
This course is designed for graduate students considering a career in the public sector in budgeting and debt management, a career in planning, implementing and operating public infrastructure (including transportation, water and sewer, power, education, etc.) or a career in capital markets. At the completion of the course students will have a strong working knowledge of key principles and techniques of public finance and a familiarity with finance instruments. Outcome 1: Student will apply key finance tools (discounted cash flow, NPV, IRR, amortization, cost of capital) to public finance problems (with emphasis on infrastructure finance). Outcome 2: Student will describe how capital markets and credit analysis/ratings affect public sector financial decisions. Outcome 3: Student will analyze public income and balance sheet statements. Outcome 4: Student will discuss the role of bond markets in shaping public finance. Outcome 5: Student will develop an original position paper on a topic in public finance.
PADM 5758 - Managing Large-Scale Investment Projects
Large, multi-billion dollar “mega” transportation projects can fundamentally change how we move people and goods, but they are tough to deliver – requiring decades to develop, complex capital structures, sophisticated technology solutions, highly technical engineering, advanced construction methods, consensus across diverse stakeholders, and overcoming difficult environmental and legal challenges. This course explores strategies for bringing these types of projects to fruition. Outcome 1: Students will analyze the full scope of activities and risks associated with developing and delivering major infrastructure projects. Outcome 2: Students will apply planning skills to advance a project from the development phase to successful delivery, including effective scoping, community and stakeholder engagement, procurement, funding, workforce and delivery. Outcome 3: Students will identify ways to incorporate key project elements in the initial scope of the project that address the long-term impacts of climate change and accelerate implementation. Outcome 4: Students will strategize around leveraging various public and private sector stakeholders.
PADM 5833 - [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion]
Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are hot-button topics, but what do they really mean? Inclusion, the ideal state, happens when people feel like they are an insider; they experience a feeling of belonging within their organization, yet they are very much themselves and their uniqueness is highly valued. The management of diversity and inclusion has evolved from a focus on compliance to a strategic-level effort with a demonstrated positive impact on an organization’s performance. Organizations that strive for both diversity and inclusion are achieving intended business results because diversity and inclusion provide a competitive advantage. Outcome 1: Students will examine diversity and its dimensions, distinguish between diversity and inclusion, and define equity. Outcome 2: Students will examine methods of fostering inclusion in work groups. Outcome 3: Students will assess the three sources of inclusion in a workplace (organizational, work group, and immediate supervisor).
PADM 5848 - The Fight Against Unemployment: Advocacy and Policy
Unemployment is damaging to individuals, families, and society. Governments around the world have attempted to mitigate these harms, in some countries through generous out-of-work benefits, targeted retraining services for job seekers, and disincentives for employers to lay workers off in the first place. But why is unemployment so persistent in capitalist societies? What does it mean for an individual to be unemployed? What can the US learn from other countries to better combat unemployment and reduce its socially damaging effects? Students will work with community partners to assist the unemployed or conduct policy-relevant research.
PADM 5855 - International Human Rights
The course looks at the origins and operation of the international human rights system developed primarily through the United Nations. It looks at the history of the way in which human rights are defined, how their content is agreed by governments and how they are enforced through international bodies and the work of non-governmental organizations. After a general introduction to the concept of human rights, and a review of the history of their formulation, subsequent sessions will look at specific groups of human rights, including some now being defined, and how they are dealt with. Outcome 1: Students will describe, in detail, taking context into account, how the international human rights system works. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate how, through NGOs and governments, they can influence the drafting of human rights treaties and their enforcement through supervisory committees. Outcome 3: Students will analyze, in internationally-acceptable ways, the relationship between human rights and other development issues, policies and programs. Outcome 4: Students will draft critical analyses of human rights institutions in terms of institutional structure and management that can be used by practitioners and international managers.
PADM 5856 - International Human Rights Law and Policy
We will address major challenges in international human rights law, policy and practice. Specific topics include children’s rights, the rights of refugees and migrants, freedom from torture, the death penalty, modern slavery, and the right to sustainable development. We will also discuss the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and corporations with respect to human rights, as well as the impact of actions (and inactions) by states and institutions in the “Global North” on the realization of human rights in states in the “Global South.” Outcome 1: Students will apply an understanding of the legal framework and sources of law (treaties, customary international law, UN institutions and machinery) governing international human rights law and policy, as well as a strong introduction to the substance of many internationally recognized human rights. Outcome 2: Students will debate how international human rights principles and mechanisms are created and how they work in practice, with an emphasis on political factors and empirical evaluation of the efficacy of various mechanisms. Outcome 3: Students will apply legal reasoning tools necessary to analyze U.S. legal sources (statutes, regulations, judicial and administrative opinions and guidance) as they relate to international human rights obligations of the U.S. Outcome 4: Students will utilize legal reasoning and argumentation skills necessary to conduct oral arguments on behalf of fictional clients in leading U.S. Supreme Court cases regarding human rights.
PADM 5857 - Introduction to R Programming
This course is an introductory overview of the R programming language as it is applied to social science research, specifically data management and descriptive statistics. Through the fourteen (14) modules of this course, you will learn essential skills for getting started with the open-source R programming language in the context of social science research and policy analysis. These technical skills will be taught through accessible applications of real world data to pressing social policy issues like inequality, COVID-19, and criminal justice. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate how to navigate RStudio, write code that follows R syntax and style conventions, and diagnose and correct code if it has error. Outcome 2: Students will demonstrate understanding of what basic data structures are and how they map onto ideas like variables and data sets from social science research, compute descriptive statistics, with or without grouping, and manipulate and visualize data using the tidyverse libraries. Outcome 3: Students will estimate and make predictions from descriptive linear regression models.
PADM 5858 - Business and Inequality
Through discussions, presentations, and research papers, we will examine increasing US inequality, and the interaction of business’s role and impacts, alongside potential policy prescriptions (UBI, tax policy, job guarantees, etc.). Topics will also include potential sources of inequality. Areas explored include: Can public policy blunt inequality without unduly harming markets? What are the responsibilities of private sector companies to society, and what are their incentives? How does inequality affect business (through customers, workers – human capital), how does business exacerbate and exploit inequality? Does inequality reduce economic growth and productivity (due to rent-seeking activities, reduced opportunity)? Does corporate influence on the political system reinforce inequality? Is labor disadvantaged by social safety net structures, such as policies tying benefits to work requirements? Does inequality destabilize financial markets and fuel speculation (e.g., 1920’s margin investing, GameStop, etc.)? Additional readings and in-depth research paper required of Master’s students. Outcome 1: Students will investigate inequality’s potential sources, magnitude, and changes over time. Outcome 2: Students will articulate business’s role within society as it pertains to inequality. Outcome 3: Students will explain how short-term and/or individual financial incentives can erode long-term economic/societal outcomes. Outcome 4: Students will describe when business interests are mutually aligned with inequality reductions and when they deviate.
PADM 5859 - Human Rights Obligations
Even organizations with the best intentions could negatively impact human rights. Has your organization conducted due diligence of its operations to identify potential human rights concerns? Does your organization have a business and human rights policy? This course will help you explore the human rights problems your organization could face. You will examine the various rules, laws, and guidelines that apply to your specific organization or industry, both in the United States and abroad. You will learn how a commitment to respect human rights can benefit your workforce as well as your organization. You will then discover the steps to conducting human right due diligence and developing and implementing a human rights policy to ensure your organization can meet its human rights responsibilities as it accomplishes its objectives. Outcome 1: Students will anticipate the types of human rights issues that could affect their organization. Outcome 2: Students will recognize the international human rights framework and explore the potential negative human rights impacts of organizational activities. Outcome 3: Students will assess the legal and regulatory landscapes to understand how practitioners determine which human rights rules, guidelines, and standards are most relevant for their organization. Outcome 4: Students will articulate how to develop achievable plan to ensure that their organization, business unit, or functional area complies with all applicable human rights standards.
PADM 5900 - Consulting for Nonprofit and Government Organizations
This class teaches practical skills that will enable students to work with clients in the local community, learn about organizational structure and culture, and gain real-world experience as they complete a public-service project. Students receive instruction on topics such as organizational development, program evaluation, project management, professional communication, and strategic planning. A significant portion of the course will focus on project management.
PADM 5910 - MPA Domestic Capstone
Provides 2nd year MPA students with opportunities to practice skills they’ve learned in their coursework and professional experiences to address policy or management problems for real-world clients in government or nonprofit agencies in the US. MPA students may use the reports produced in this course to meet the MPA professional writing requirement.
PADM 5920 - Public Affairs Externships
Combines a professional public affairs externship in a metropolitan area with academic study to provide experience and understanding of the planner’s role in formulating and implementing plans and policies. Externships are available in international organizations, federal, state, and local government agencies, legislative offices, and comparable settings include development of research, analysis, and other technical skills. Weekly seminars draw on student field experiences, assigned readings, and guest speakers to examine current issues of federal, urban, and regional policy from the perspective of public affairs practice.
PADM 5930 - Writing Professional Reports for Public Affairs
This 7 week seminar course will focus on writing for policy and professional audiences in public affairs. This course is directed toward second-year students in the MPA program who plan to complete a professional report to meet the MPA degree writing requirement. Students will define their research project for a client organization, and develop the professional report proposal, project management workplan, and literature review for their professional report. Outcome 1: Students will demonstrate research project and proposal development in relation to client organizations, including determining project scope, purposes, objectives, and procedures and alignment with the mission and need of a client organization. Outcome 2: Students will develop a prospectus and a literature review for a professional report of relevance to a client organization, as well as demonstrate skills necessary to communicate with a broad audience. Outcome 3: Students will present research findings to non-academic audiences through oral and written presentations.
PADM 5949 - Systems Thinking, Mapping, and Leadership Practicum I
This engaged learning course will connect students to real-world problems in systems thinking, mapping, and leadership. Students will learn about how to apply a range of cutting-edge tools in systems thinking to a complex problem presented by a public affairs client organization (topics change annually). Note that this course requires a one-week field component held over winter break that represents .5 credit of the overall course grade. Outcome 1: Students will apply quantitative and qualitative mixed research methods to an on-the-ground experience utilizing a SysEval tool and the Knowledge Methods Matrix (KMM). Outcome 2: Students will apply systems thinking (ST-DSRP) modeling and leadership concepts to observing, understanding, and analyzing a complex systemic problem set. Outcome 3: Students will work with a team to develop and propose a comprehensive 10 year plan for policy and action recommendations to be submitted to local stakeholders and authorities. Outcome 4: Students will work with a team to deliver a professional conference presentation (recorded) and publish the results of fieldwork in a journal. Fellows have been accepted to present their findings at the 2020 Cornell Systems Thinking Symposium in April 18-20, 2020 and publish their findings in the Cornell Policy Review.
PADM 5950 - MPA International Capstone
Provides 2nd year MPA students with opportunities to practice skills they’ve learned in their coursework and professional experiences to address policy or management problems for real-world clients in government or nonprofit agencies worldwide. MPA students may use the reports produced in this course to meet the MPA professional writing requirement.
PADM 5951 - Systems Thinking, Mapping, and Leadership Practicum II
This course is a real-world immersion experience into the kind of work Fellows will undertake. Dealing with wicked and non-trivial problems in large and complex systems where the “client” may or may not be ambiguous, the work may or may not be “contracted” and the product may or may not be “welcomed.” Deliverables for the course include a single, team-based Professional Report and a Professional Presentation. These products will summarize the results of the STML Fellows research and propose a framework for clients to understand and act upon the problem using systems thinking and leadership methods. The report relies heavily on a review of the literature on the topic, Fellows’ discussions and interviews with experts in the field, and their own original analysis. Outcome 1: Students will apply quantitative and qualitative mixed research methods to an on-the-ground experience utilizing the Knowledge Methods Matrix (KMM); students will apply systems thinking (ST-DSRP) concepts to observing, understanding, and analyzing a complex systemic problem set; students will apply systems mapping (SM) process to observing, understanding, and analyzing a complex systemic problem set. Outcome 2: Students will apply systems leadership (VMCL) functions to observing, understanding, and analyzing a complex systemic problem set, as well as to increase functionality of the group workflows and dynamics. Outcome 3: Students will work with a team to develop a new analytical tool for policy makers (clients); and work with a team to deliver a professional conference presentation (recorded) and publish the results of fieldwork in a journal.
PADM 5953 - Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) Capstone
Field Studies are the Capstone for Brooks School Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) students. The course is designed to act as an integrative experience combining the competencies and knowledge gained during the student’s time in the EMPA Program and the experiences gained in employment. The field study allows students to work on a long-term project within their organization that has been identified as relevant to the coursework and important to the organization.
PADM 5978 - Environmental Finance and Impact Investing Practicum Pre-Sessional
This experiential learning course will provide the opportunity for students to work as a team on some of the leading questions in the area of sustainable finance and impact investing today, while developing skills in client relationship management and project execution. Students will work with experts at South Pole, a leading sustainable finance firm based in Zurich, Switzerland, to develop and propose a financial product intended to deliver both economic as well as environmental and social returns. Specifically, the student team will be charged with conceptualizing and proposing a fund focused on investments in companies and projects in the area of sustainable tourism. The fall pre-sessional will provide students with foundational knowledge required to participate in EFII fieldwork over winter break and in PADM 5979 during the spring semester. Note that this is a multi-semester course, and both PADM 5978 and PADM 5979 are required to satisfy the MPA Program’s EFII Certificate Practicum requirement. Outcome 1: Define how the tools of finance can be used to address societal challenges such as ensuring the long-term sustainability of ecosystems. Outcome 2: Identify opportunities to leverage the power of the investment markets to achieve environmental and social outcomes, by unlocking cash flows inherent to preserved or sustainably-managed ecosystems. Outcome 3: Critically examine investment propositions in the impact investing space and identify the non-economic returns they deliver. Outcome 4: Collaborate with an external client to deliver a product that is responsive to the client’s needs and meets its expectations. Outcome 5: Conceptualize, articulate, and propose a financial product that delivers both economic and environmental and social returns to investors.
PADM 5979 - [Environmental Finance and Impact Investing Practicum]
This experiential learning course will provide the opportunity for students to work as a team on some of the leading questions in the area of sustainable finance and impact investing today, while developing skills in client relationship management and project execution. Students will work with experts at South Pole, a leading sustainable finance firm based in Zurich, Switzerland, to develop and propose a financial product intended to deliver both economic as well as environmental and social returns. Specifically, the student team will be charged with conceptualizing and proposing a fund focused on investments in companies and projects in the area of sustainable tourism. Outcome 1: Define how the tools of finance can be used to address societal challenges such as ensuring the long-term sustainability of ecosystems. Outcome 2: Identify opportunities to leverage the power of the investment markets to achieve environmental and social outcomes, by unlocking cash flows inherent to preserved or sustainably-managed ecosystems. Outcome 3: Critically examine investment propositions in the impact investing space and identify the non-economic returns they deliver. Outcome 4: Collaborate with an external client to deliver a product that is responsive to the client’s needs and meets its expectations. Outcome 5: Conceptualize, articulate, and propose a financial product that delivers both economic and environmental and social returns to investors.
Program Information:
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Degree and Certificate Information
Degrees
College or Department: Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy
Degree: Master of Public Administration
Contact Information:2201 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 Emailmpa@cornell.edu
Degree: Executive Master of Public Administration