Course Descriptions
Required Core Courses (18 hrs)
PAFF 6301 — Graduate Seminar in Public Administration
This course is the introduction to the study of public administration. Students are introduced to basic concepts and foundational theories relating to bureaucratic analysis, organizational theory and behavior; functions of public management such as personnel administration, budget decision making, government regulations and administrative law. In addition students are introduced to the necessary Critical Thinking techniques and intellectual standards of thought that will be essential in the rest of the course work in the program.
PAFF 6302 — Scope & Methods
The primary objectives of this course are to help the students to 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 regression. A survey of advanced statistical methods is also provided. Students will get hands on experience using SPSS.
PAFF 6303 — Policy Implementation/Program Evaluation
Policy Implementation and Program Evaluation is an advanced course with the application of quantitative methods to the evaluation of public policies and programs regarding their implementation. The main objective of this course is to provide the students with up-to-date tools of program evaluation. This course will examine key concepts, methods, and approaches in the field of evaluation research. Students will be exposed to 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 will be a 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. Complemented with appropriate technical background or help, they should be able to design an evaluation study best suited for the program and the practical constraints at hand.
PAFF 6304 — Budgeting and Finance
Public Budgeting and Finance is an advanced course with the applications of applying budgeting and finance systems to organizations. This course will focus on the implementation of public budgeting and finance systems in major organizations and the student will determine if the budgeting systems were implemented correctly. Students successfully completing this course will become knowledgeable in several aspects of public budgeting and finance systems.
PAFF 6305 — Political Leadership: Decision?Making/Management
This course defines leadership and identifies critical attributes that make for good leadership. It also examines the role of public institutions in promoting leadership. The examination covers various leadership styles and the theories of leadership attributed to them.
PAFF 6306 — Public Personnel Administration
This course examines various principles and issues regarding public personnel. Included in this course is a discussion of effective techniques for hiring, motivating, training, compensating, and evaluating employees. Other topics covered include job discrimination, collective bargaining, and employee conflict resolution.
Electives (12 - 15 hrs)
PAFF 6310 — Public Service Ethics
This course provides students with the tools and techniques for ethical analysis of public policies. This class is designed to enhance understanding about the ethical debate that surrounds most public policies and to deepen the awareness of the ethical standards in public administration or public services, in general. Starting with the foundations of ethical study, this course introduces: the major ethical philosophies; the application of these principles to decision making for a better understanding of the “values” that underpin or prescribe public policies; and the codes and standards of ethics in public administration. This course applies the standards of thought found in the critical thinking materials and techniques.
PAFF 6311 — Intergovernmental Relations
This course analyzes the political, administrative and fiscal relationships among governments in the American political system, the constitutional and theoretical basis for federalism, the national-state-local government relations and regional arrangements.
PAFF 6312 — State and Local Government
This course addresses basic principles, structure and internal management of state and local governments and a wide variety of issues they face in the day-to-day administration. Topics addressed include authority, communication, productivity, planning, morale, and change.
PAFF 6314 — Formulation of Public Policy
This course covers various processes used by public policy analysts in understanding the nature of the problem to be analyzed, structuring the research strategy, gathering data and other information, formulating the answer to the problem, and writing the memo or report. Innovative techniques for accomplishing the above steps are covered including cost benefit analysis, problem definition techniques, and different types of commonly encountered policy analysis situations. (The case method is used in this course.)
PAFF 6315 — Management of Governmental Information Systems
This course analyzes computer software applications including word processing, spreadsheet, database management, graphics, desktop publishing, and statistical analysis software. Also covered in this course are important changes in data management through new technologies and how public organizations budget for and manage their IT departments.
PAFF 6317 — Grant Writing & Fund Development
This course is a survey of the field of grant writing and fund development for nonprofit organizations. This class reviews the various types of funding nonprofit organizations depend on, including state and local revenues, foundation grants, federal government grant-in-aid programs as well as explores other approaches to fund development.
PAFF 6319 — Public Finance Administration
This course examines basic principles of financial management with a focus on governmental operations. The following topics are covered in depth: budget as a financial instrument, cash and debt management, capital budgeting, risk management and pensions, purchasing, and basic public sector accounting principles and procedures.
Exit Options
Capstone (3 hrs)
PAFF 6362 — Past, Present and Future
The Capstone Course will be offered every other module. Students must have completed at least 50% of their credit hours which includes all of the Core Courses to be eligible. It is recommended to take the capstone course once students complete PAFF 6302.