NGO Education Survey

MPA 200 - Administration and Society

How administration acts and is acted upon by institutional forces and values; role of history, cultural, ethical, political, social, and economic values and institutions; an emphasis on: bureaucracy, economy and democracy, centralization vs. decentralization, professionalism and society; alternatives to bureaucracy.

MPA 201 - Quantitative Applications for Public Administration

Exploring different methods of data analysis for understanding how public decisions are made and public policies are evaluated. Data collection; measurement; sampling; data analysis, including regression, are explored with practical applications.

MPA 210 - Organizational Theory in Public Administration

A study of the key issues involved in the management of public organizations. This examination of organizational behavior and theories of complex organizations includes the following: Leadership styles; communication; organizational change; hierachy and organizational structure; and organizational culture.

MPA 215 - State and Local Government

State and local government will prepare students to understand the history of these governmental units and how they interact with the Federal government. Legislatures, executives, courts and city, and county councils are studied, particularly in terms of their emphasis on public policy.

MPA 230 - Public Budgeting

This course examines the budget process, the use of economic analysis in evaluating taxation and expenditure issues, and the development and analysis of budget proposals. The course also includes discussion of burdens and effectiveness of different taxes and considers potential reforms to the budgeting process.

MPA 240 - Seminar in Public Management

An inquiry into contemporary issues facing public managers. Topics that can be covered include: Accountability; performance management; development of information technology; e-government; public management reforms; implications of privatization/contracting out; and public governance.

MPA 241 - Resource Management

Administration of fiscal and human resources. Emphasis on resource acquisition, allocation, and development strategies; budgeting skills, debt, and financial management. Human asset management, labor relations, position classification and analysis, quality of work life and employment equity issues.

MPA 245 - Human Resources Management

This course explores the development of the merit system in government; hiring and termination; career development; human resource planning; management-labor relations; equal opportunity; affirmative action; workplace diversity; and the legal dimension of the public personnel system.

MPA 250 - Ethics and Public Administration

The moral dimensions of public administrative decision-making. The nature of public and private morality; psychological and ethical egoism; relativism; utilitarianism and deontological theories; rights and goods in the public service context; sensitive applications of rules in public agencies.

MPA 260 - Public Policy Administration

A study of policy initiation, formulation, and implementation and a public manager’s role in them; management processes and functions in the policy process; policy justification and advocacy, policy analysis, and implementation evaluation.

MPA 280T - Topics in Public Administration

Selected topics meeting student needs and interests that are not met in other university courses.

MPA 287 - Internship in Public Administration

Supervised work experience for a realistic exposure to an organizational-bureaucratic environment for students in the M.P.A. program who lack significant work experience in a public or nonprofit organization. CR/NC grading only.

MPA 289T - Practitioner Seminar

Prerequisite: Some seminars may have course prerequisites Selected topics in the administration of public programs and agencies examined from the prospective and experience of practitioners.

MPA 290 - Independent Study

See Academic Placement –Independent Study. Approved for RP grading.

MPA 299 - Thesis

Preparation, completion, and submission of an acceptable thesis for the Master’s degree. Approved for RP grading.

MPA 299C - Thesis Continuation

For continuous enrollment while completing the thesis. May enroll twice with department approval. Additional enrollments must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.