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Department of Political Science & International Affairs
Master of Public Administration
Course Descriptions

CM 7100. Introduction to Conflict Management. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
This course presents an overview of the emerging movement toward alternative forms of conflict resolution and of conflict management as an interdisciplinary field. Readings are drawn from a broad range of academic disciplines, including law, economics, social psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, as well as dispute resolution. Students are introduced to conflict resolution theories, dispute resolution processes, conflict management system design, and application of conflict management to the public policy environment.

GEOG 7100. Geographic Information Systems for Administrators. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
This course is designed for administrators (not GIS managers) who wish to integrate a geographic information system into the operations of their local agency. Students will be introduces to basic GIs technology, but course emphasis is placed on conceptualizing and understanding how GIs can aid daily operations in administrative capacity. Guest lectures and specific case studies, including planning and zoning, transportation, utilities, emergency services, taxation, and waste management, will be examined in class. Students at a minimum should be comfortable working in a Windows environment, have some experience working with databases, and be accomplished Internet users (ftp, browsing, etc.). No previous exposure to GIs or mapping is necessary.

PAD 6200. Fundamentals of Public Administration and Public Service. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
Covers the public policy making process, civil service and administrative agencies, and policy implementation, with brief introductory forays into motivation, leadership, decision making, finance and budgeting, and personnel. Contrasts between public and business administration will be included.

PAD 6250. Research Methods and Computer Applications. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
Develops familiarity with methods of research and analysis useful to public service practitioners. Survey and research design, statistical methods such as descriptive and inferential statistics, including multiple regression, will be covered. Involves intense hands-on computer work using statistical software.

PAD 6300. Public Organization Theory. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
Offers conceptual and practical perspectives for understanding and managing organizations. A spectrum of theories of organization will be examined. The concepts and issues to be discussed include mechanical and organismic aspects of organizations, organizational culture and politics, organizational psychodynamics, and recent theories of organizing. The implications of the theories for a reflective practice will be the focus of class discussions.

PAD 6350. Public Service Budgeting. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
Techniques of financial management, chiefly in local agencies, covering the origins and types of modern budgeting, from line-item, program and performance, to zero-based budgeting. Attention will be paid to both the politics of the budgetary process and the financial and accounting principles involved, with a strong emphasis on hands-on exercises.

PAD 6450. Governmental Relations. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
Examines the interaction between the federal, state, and local levels of government in the United States and their interaction with nonprofit and other private sector organizations. Special attention is given to the constitutional and fiscal relationships between these levels of government.

PAD 6500. Policy Analysis. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: PAD 6250.
Deals with the theoretical issues and practical techniques of policy analysis. Focus will be on problem definition, alternative and criteria formulation, and decision making phases of prospective policy analysis. Students will learn to conduct simple analyses for policy decisions. Policy-analytic report writing and other forms of policy communication will also be emphasized.

PAD 6600. Program Evaluation. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: PAD 6250.
This course is designed to introduce the basic methods of policy and program evaluation. These evaluation methods are used in needs assessments, monitoring social programs, and assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of their impacts. Quantitative approaches, such as experimental, quasi-experimental, and reflexive designs and the social, political, and ethical context of evaluation studies will be discussed.

PAD 6700. Human Resource Management in Public Administration. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
This course addresses theories and principles of managing people in public and nonprofit organizations. Issues that will be addressed are the application of human resources concepts and processes, the legal and political influences impacting human resource management, and the distinctive role of human resource management in public and nonprofit organizations.

PAD 7100. Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
Provides students with a comprehensive overview of the historical development of community service and nonprofit organizations. Particular emphasis will be given to distinguishing the nature of nonprofit organizations from business and traditional government organizations. Also, the course will emphasize the unique philosophy of nonprofits, especially the notions of charity-philanthropy, community caring, and volunteerism.

PAD 7120. Health Policy. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: PAD 6200.
Provides an overview of current health policy in the U.S. and government's role in it and how these have evolved in historical perspective. The organization, financing, and delivery of health care will be examined as well as issues such as access and the roles of various health care providers.

PAD 7130. Regional Politics and Policy. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
This course is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts in politics of local and regional governance. The history of the city and country administration in the U.S., power relations in urban areas, and the legal/structural bases of urban policymaking will be discussed in the class. The history and structure of American cities will be compared with those of European cities and the global implications of urban problems will be discussed.

PAD 7150. Contemporary Public Issues. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
Covers a spectrum of issues which may range from local matters such as education, housing, and urban planning to broader concerns such as health care and economic policy as well as environmental conditions. For each issue cross-national comparisons will be explored and alternative policy solutions will be developed and discussed.

PAD 7180. Nonprofit Governance and Administration. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
This course will cover how to build successful boards for responsible governance, community impact, and mission advancement; how to recruit, train, and manage staff and volunteers; how to develop resources and raise funds from institutional and well as individual contributors. It will also emphasize special ethical dimensions of nonprofit governance and administration.

PAD 7230. Local Government & City Management. 3-0-3
Prerequisite: Admission to graduate study.
This course will cover the common practices and problems of local government administrators and city managers, with special attention to the complex environment of, and interrelations in, the metropolitan and regional setting. It will explore the relationship between politics and administration and between city and county managers and their multiple constituencies.

PAD 7250. Leadership and Ethics in Public Service. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: PAD 6200.
To increase the ability of individuals to deal with public and social problems in all areas of public service, this course concentrates on understanding and developing leadership roles and ethical practices. Emphasis will be on leadership in the context of teamwork, participatory decision making and employee empowerment, and on the development of organizational cultures that promote individual initiative and leadership.

PAD 7430. Regional and Local Planning. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: PAD 6200.
This course covers the theory, history, and the technical and legal bases of regional/metropolitan and local planning. The topics to be discussed are the history of planning in the U.S. and European countries, the legal bases and politics of planning, the tools of land-use planning, community development, transportation planning, economic development and growth management, and environmental and energy planning. Particular emphasis will be on the legal and technical aspects of planning in cities, counties, and metropolitan regions. The implications of citizen participation in planning for democracy and political processes will also be discussed.

PAD 7455. Administrative Law. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: PAD 6200.
Administrative law provides students with a broad ranging analysis of how public administrators must handle constitutional and legal restraints placed on them by legislators, executives and the judiciary. The course provides an overview of those constraints then discusses in depth United States Supreme Court cases in which the law and constitution are applied to administrative actions.

PAD 7470. Issues in Criminal Justice Administration. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: PAD 6200.
This course explores societal issues and trends which influence the administration of justice. These include liability issues; labor law applicability to a 24 hour/7 day a week operation; privatization; and diversity. It will address particular attention to the creation and impact of public policy.

PAD 7900. Special Topics. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Consent of the program director. (Repeatable).
Addresses topical issues in public or community services administration that are of special concern to students, faculty, and to the community.

PAD 7950. Directed Study. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Consent of the program director. (Repeatable.)
Concentrated independent readings and investigations of special topics of interest to individual students. Readings, research, papers, and other projects will be determined jointly by the student and the instructor.

PAD 7985. Internship in Public Service. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Approval of program director.
Culminating exercise required of all pre-service students; students must have permission of the graduate director prior to registering for this course or alternatively for PAD 7995. Students shall work for a minimum of 300 hours on site during the term (approximately 10 contact hours per week). Objectives for the internship, field placements, readings, and research topics will be determined jointly by the student and supervising faculty. Requires preparation of a final written paper that summarizes how internship objectives were met and culminates in an oral presentation that demonstrates how the candidate's internship has developed him/her as a public service professional. Emphasis will be placed on actual issues and problems faced by practicing administrators.

PAD 7995. Public Service Practicum. 3-0-3.
Prerequisite: Approval of program director.
Culminating exercise required of all pre-service students; students must have permission of the graduate director prior to registering for this course or alternatively for PAD 7985. With the guidance of the program director, the student will select a suitable topic and develop a proposal to guide completion of a fieldwork/research project during the semester. Requires preparation of a written paper that summarizes the results of project and culminates in oral presentations that demonstrate how the candidate's work as a professional in public service will serve him/her and the community. Emphasis will be on actual issues and problems faced by practicing administrators.

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