NGO Education Survey

PPA 500 - Foundations of Public Policy and Administration

Political foundations of the discipline; political fundamentals of public organizations, policy formulation and implementation, and management processes; governance in the public interest; and ethics in government and politics.

PPA 509 - Seminar in Strategic Planning for Public Managers

Introduction to the theories and practice of strategic planning in public organizations. The course is designed to promote an understanding of the theories and approaches to strategic planning and help the student to acquire practical skills involved in strategic planning.

PPA 510 - Urban Environmental Governance

An examination of the challenges of environmental protection and resource management confronting urban governments. An emphasis is placed on comparative and historical perspectives.

PPA 512 - Urban Executive Management

Examines problems confronting today’s urban administrator and offers techniques for solving a variety of pressing problems. Subjects include managing in a local government setting issues such as public policy, planning, financial resources, personnel, and labor relations.

PPA 515 - Administrative Report Writing

Preparation of written documents required of public administrators.

PPA 517 - Analytical Skills Development

Designed to develop or improve the skills needed to perform analytical work in the public sector. Emphasis is on the methods of analysis and evaluation used in public service organizations. Communication of results will also be covered.

PPA 518 - Microeconomics and Public Policy

Covers key principles of microeconomics such as supply, demand, and market processes. Provides extensive coverage of topics that concern public section decisions, such as public goods, externalities, welfare analysis, and cost-benefit analysis.

PPA 521 - Microcomputer Management for Public Administrators

Focuses on the design, development, and management of microcomputer systems and applications in public organizations. Course elements: analysis of critical concepts and issues relating to management of computer systems, and hands-on computer laboratory experience for design, and use of applications.

PPA 523 - Urban Information Systems for Public Management

Overview of significant information technologies impacting government management: World-Wide Web and G.I.S. (Geographic Information Systems.) Introduces students to the construction and use of Web pages. Includes an introduction to GIS in public organizations. Extensive use of computers.

PPA 525 - Non-Profit Management

Examination of principal characteristics, scope, and functional management areas (i.e., governance, fund development, board development, volunteer and staff management, intersectoral relations; budgeting) in American nonprofit organizations, with particular attention to the important roles of nonprofits in the delivery of health and human services.

PPA 533 - Race, Inequality and Public Policy

Examines the multiple sources of ethnic, racial, gender, and class inequalities in the United States and how public policies have attempted to address these issues.

PPA 535 - Intergovernmental Relations

Presents concepts and issues of U.S. intergovernmental relations. Topics include history of the field, intergovernmental finances, state and federal legislative processes, legislative advocacy, interorganizational management, and current issues.

PPA 540 - Grants Administration and Management

Study of the various types of financial and technical assistance to local public and quasi-public agencies; the strategies for locating and obtaining grant programs support; and the development of effective project systems for externally funded projects.

PPA 542 - Emergency Planning and Management

Planning and management processes and issues involved in large-scale emergencies; the nature of natural and technological risk and emergency, with attention to public sector roles in contingency planning and response.

PPA 546 - The Urban Crisis and the Public Administrator

Survey of the history of urbanization, the literature of urban power relations and decision-making, and the dynamics of race relations in the urban environment. Major focus on extensive interface with urban agency representatives.

PPA 554 - Public Works Facilities and Urban Policy

Provides a study of public infrastructure essential to urban communities. Focus given to water, wastewater, transportation, solid waste, public facilities, and schools.

PPA 555 - Government Budgeting and Finance

Open to PPA graduate students only. Presents the major concepts and skills associated with budget preparation for all levels of government. Topics include: budget processes and formats, basic principles of government accounting, revenue, and capital budgeting.

PPA 560 - Public Financial Management

Focuses on financial planning, implementation and management control, financial reporting, and financial analysis used in public service organizations.

PPA 567 - Basic Governmental (Fund) Accounting

Provides an introduction to unique characteristics of governmental accounting. Aspects of recording and reporting of financial transactions in public service organizations. Governmental auditing and financial condition analysis.

PPA 570 - Negotiating Dynamics: Strategies and Skills

Examination of negotiating strategies and skills based on tested use of power and psychological principles in negotiations. Different strategies and skills examined for negotiating under varying levels of cooperation and conflict.

PPA 571 - Leadership Skills and Strategies in the Public Sector

Leaders in urban governments, community based and nonprofit organizations are challenged to move their bureaucracies toward solutions to complex problems. Examines administrative leadership, current approaches to organizational excellence and their applicability in a variety of administrative settings.

PPA 575 - Public Sector Employer-Employee Relations

Analysis of prevailing practice and techniques of collective bargaining and its continuing impact on the economic, political, and organization structure in the public sector.

PPA 577 - Public Sector Human Resources Management

Historical development of civil service/merit system; laws which affect operations of personnel system; analysis of the various components of a personnel system; impact of labor negotiations; role of personnel system as a change agent.

PPA 581 - Government/Community Relations

Investigation of relationship between governments and community based organizations, with particular attention to strategies for diagnosing problems and opportunities and prescribing courses of action in public policy where governments and nonprofits converge.

PPA 585 - Public Policy and Administration Internship

Provides exposure to and understanding of the governmental environment. Students seeking the MPA degree who do not have managerial experience in government are required to participate in the internship program.

PPA 590 - Selected Topics in Public Policy and Administration

Investigation of a special problem as defined by the instructor that is of current interest to the field of public policy and administration.

PPA 597 - Directed Studies

Independent study in public policy and administration.

PPA 610 - Seminar in Urban Affairs

An interdisciplinary course gives students opportunity to develop expanded awareness of the interrelationships between various urban problems in the urban systemic environment.

PPA 660 - Seminar in Organization Theory and Behavior

Examination of theories of organizations and behavior of members therein. Among the subtopics: generalist management, bureaucracy, organization structure and design, systems theory, motivation, leadership, decision-making, group and team dynamics, power and conflict, culture, organization change and development.

PPA 670 - Policy Issue Analysis

Introduces theories and approaches to policy analysis. The core of the course follows the policy analysis cycle and includes: problem recognition, problem definition, development of alternative solutions, analysis of alternatives, selection of policy options, policy implementation and evaluation.

PPA 696 - Research Methods in Public Administration

Covers the techniques of public sector research. Topics include research design, survey research, and statistical analysis.

PPA 697 - Directed Research

Required capstone project. Individual research of a public issue. Supervision of a full-time faculty member required.