This course is a survey of the study and the field of public administration. In addition to the introduction to concepts and foundations of the field of public administration, students are given an opportunity to analyze the historical milestones of public administration as a profession. The course covers the ethos of public service and foundational theories related to the practice of the administrative sciences. The course content addresses two major dimensions: professionalism in public service and effective public management in the context of individual and societal values. Students are also introduced to critical thinking and schools of thought essential in understanding relationships between democratic institutions and governance across societal sectors.
The primary objectives of this course are to help the students gain skills in research methods and the quantitative analysis of data. This course introduces students to the basic concepts, tools, techniques and uses of applied quantitative and qualitative research relative to public administration. Topics discussed include: research design, data gathering, statistical analysis and the methods of formal preparation and presentation of reports. This course also covers advanced topics in applied research including the various steps in the creation of a research design. The course includes laboratory assignments that cover univariate and bivariate analysis as well as multiple regressions. A survey of advanced statistical methods is also provided. Students will get hands-on experience using SPSS.
This advanced course applies quantitative methods to the evaluation of public policy program implementation. This course provides students with up-to-date tools for program evaluation and offers an opportunity to examine key concepts, methods, and approaches in the field of evaluation research. Students learn the theoretical and methodological diversity inherent in current evaluation practices across a number of substantive areas (e.g., social services, education, and business). The comprehensive range of activities involved in designing, implementing, and assessing the utility of social programs is the primary focus of the course.
Practical training in program evaluation is provided as students learn techniques in all phases of designing and implementing a program evaluation. Included in the training is the development of a model, conducting the study, analyzing the results, and writing the evaluation report. Students are expected to fully design an evaluation plan capable of implementation in a real-life setting of public management. Students successfully completing this course should be able to understand an evaluation study in great detail and form a well-grounded judgment about its value.
This course is designed to give students a good understanding of the nature and role of budgeting in the public sector. The course covers budgeting at the federal, state, and local levels and analyzes budget preparation, revenues and expenditures, the role of the executive, and the legislation and appropriations. The technical and political context of budgeting is analyzed giving students insights into government priorities and values that governments must also fulfill beyond the numbers reflected in budgets. Students analyze how budgets reflect the choices resulting from the political processes that ultimately become issues in the electoral process. The course explains what is budgeting but also the managerial role and challenges in developing and implementing budgets. How public management decisions are influenced and influence the American culture, and technology and public management are examined and analyzed.
This course will evaluate and analyze the critical attributes of leaders. Students will synthesize the concepts of political decision-making and leadership to adapt these for specific circumstances and devise recommendations for leaders at all levels of an organization which will reflect best practices in addressing common issues found in political decision-making. The course is designed to examine the leadership role as a part of each step within the organizational design and to show the competencies needed for each level of the organizational career ladder.
This course examines various principles and issues regarding the management of human resources in the public sector. This course includes a discussion of effective techniques for hiring, motivating, training, compensating, and evaluating public servants. Relevant issues such as the value of diversity in the workplace, the role of labor unions, and the ethical predicaments involving public servants will be analyzed. Other topics covered include job discrimination and employee conflict resolution.
