NGO Education Survey

PLSC 510 - Public Administration Concepts 

This course introduces students to the intellectual origins of modern public administration and the concepts and theories of organization.

PLSC 515 - Public and Nonprofit Personnel Administration

Examines contemporary administration practices in managing personnel in the public and nonprofit sectors, particularly as related to the local level of government. Areas of emphasis include the collective bargaining process, discipline practices, grievance handling and arbitration preparation, affirmative action requirement, and validation of evaluation and promoting practices.

PLSC 540 - Public and Nonprofit Budgeting

This course examines varying approaches to public and nonprofit sector budgeting, the organizational and political contexts of budgeting decisions, and critical steps in preparing public and nonprofit budgets

PLSC 578 - Research Methods in Public Administration

Introduces research in the context of public and nonprofit administration. Focuses on research design - identifying questions, finding and citing sources, writing literature reviews, sampling, collecting data, hypothesis testing, statistical tests and statistical significance. Part one of a two-course sequence.

PLSC 630 - Public Policy Analysis and Formulation

Focuses on the role of bureaucrats in public policy making. Examines both national and local policy making, and follows the process from agenda setting through evaluation.

PLSC 635 - Strategic Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors

An advanced graduate-level course dealing with strategic management, strategic, planning, decision-making and resource allocation techniques, and impact analysis and program evaluation.

PLSC 695 - Capstone Seminar in Public Administration

Capstone class in public administration, requiring students to work in teams to use the skills developed in the program to solve problems included in several case studies.

Capacity Building for Long-Term Sustainability

This course covers the importance of continuous improvement and emerging trends in the nonprofit sector. It focuses on organizational development, program development, collaboration and community engagement, leadership development, and evaluation of effectiveness. Students will also learn the best practices in each of these areas.

Effective Program Development

This course addresses mission-driven program design and outcomes. It covers the importance of needs assessment, asset identification, research-based findings of needs, inclusive program strategies, program implementation strategies, logistics, marketing, and evaluation strategies. In addition, the need for allocation of program-related resources (staffing, space, and funding) is also addressed. The course is arranged into four primary areas.

Foundations of the Nonprofit Sector

This course provides a grounding in the historical and philosophical foundations of the nonprofit sector in American society. This course is designed to help you understand the evolution and purpose of the nonprofit sector, its distinctiveness, its structure, its capacities and limitations. We will also look at challenges faced by the sector moving forward.

Getting the Most out of Budgeting and Financial Management

This course provides an overview of several important components of budgeting and financial management. It covers the overall basics needed to understand the financial strength of an organization, revenue and expenditure projections, and how to use financial data to guide decision-making within nonprofit organizations. Specifically, we will cover the importance of budgeting, estimating revenues, estimating expenditures, cash management, data collection, audits and integrated systems.

Leading and Managing Nonprofit Organizations

This course discusses the management complexities associated with the nonprofit sector. It covers the importance of being mission-driven, the internal and external environment of nonprofit organizations, governance and board structure, and how to build an effective governing and executive-board relationship.

New Directions in Fundraising

This course offers a comprehensive understanding of what fundraising is and is not. It explores the elements of the fundraising process and teaches how these may be applied to various methods of fundraising. The course focuses on donor motivation and how to write an appealing case for a support document in a way that appeals to the needs, wants and mission of an organization. Finally, it reviews the components, costs and relative merits of each of the six fundraising methods commonly used in today’s nonprofit organizations.

PLSC 525 Administrative Law

The administrative/regulatory process in the legal context; the delegation doctrine, judicial review of the procedures and substance of administrative action.

PLSC 565 State-Local Government Relations

Local governments constantly interact with other governments as they seek to adopt and implement policies. This course examines the various relationships crucial to successful public administration, with particular attention on interactions between local and state governments.

PLSC 580 Local Development Policy

This course covers methods of assessing a community’s social and economic characteristics, along with strategies for promoting local business development, sustainable use of resources, and quality of life.

PLSC 588 Practicum in Public Affairs

Extends classroom learning through administrative experience with public sector agencies. Includes written assignments and a seminar designed to help students relate their field experience to public administration concepts.

PLSC 605 Leadership and Management

“Leadership and Management” explores the intricacies and complexities of the dual role of today’s public and nonprofit leaders. Today’s public service leaders are expected to be competent managers and must provide vision and guidance in their leadership roles. In this course, students learn critical management and leadership competencies through theory and practice, focusing on providing the knowledge and skills necessary to lead and manage organizations in the 21st century.

PLSC 625 Local Government Management

Administration and political problems encountered in the management of local governments, focusing on case studies in city-manager style cities.

PLSC 645 Intergovernmental and Nonprofit Collaborations

Examination of the programs and methods for coordinating public policies among the federal, state, and local levels of government, as well as collaboration between governments and nonprofit organizations. Emphasis will be placed on agencies operating at the local level.

Quantitative Methods in Public Administration

Provides a comprehensive treatment of a range of quantitative techniques for public and nonprofit administration, including a rigorous examination of multiple regression analysis. This course helps students develop competencies for designing their own quantitative research and for analyzing quantitative work done by others. Part two of a two-course sequence.

Strategies to Promote Your Organization

This course takes a marketing perspective prioritizing the needs, wants, and values of the people. The course covers how most people get their information, the challenges that face nonprofits in today’s under-funded and over-crowded philanthropic marketplace, and explores networking, social media, public relations disasters, and how we manage public relations risk in today’s highly competitive environment.

Tapping the Reservoir of People

This course explores the workforce of nonprofit organizations including the key elements of human resource management. The course covers the nonprofit workforce, human resource management, volunteers and their role in nonprofit organizations, and volunteer engagement and management.