Master of Public Administration-Capstone Option

This course covers the major administrative theories that drive macro-level public behavior. It will begin with a consideration of the broad significance of the study of public organizations for individuals in modern society. It will then examine how theorists and practitioners have sought to develop more formal perspectives on public management. It will examine those ideas that are of greatest relevance to the construction of an integrated theory of public organizations. The progression of the course follows the evolution of administrative theory from the pioneering work of Weber, Taylor and Woodrow Wilson to current theories regarding the “New Public Management.”

The study and practice of public administration is explored in its political context. The student is introduced to the environment within which public administration functions and the dynamics of behavior within large organizations. How choices are made among competing policies, factors affecting the implementation of policy, and the role of policy evaluation in shaping policy choices are examined. Managing large scale bureaucratic organizations is analyzed including the role of leadership, the management of personnel and finances, and the role of communication in inter- and intra-organizational relations.

This course examines the way government policies emerge from the political process and are implemented through participating institutions. In this class students will investigate how good analysis can contribute to informed policy-making and review the factors that go into developing effective implementation strategies. In addition, today’s need for enhanced public accountability and the challenging problems of measuring program performance are examined.

This course examines a range of management issues and strategies within the context of managing public organizations. The core focus is on an enhanced understanding of the theoretical and practical approaches to public management, an examination of enduring and day-to-day dilemmas faced by competent public managers, and the application of relevant theories to public management within the United States.

This course critically examines the complex and ongoing role of courts in the public policy process. With renewed emphasis on economic stability, financial and non-financial regulation, decentralization, downsizing and re-engineering, there is an increasing awareness that public policy, and the administrative law system that manages it, are subject to intense political and cultural pressures. The attempt to address social concerns with new laws and regulations has created increased pressure on the administrative law process in the courts and legislative chambers. This course examines the sources, influences, operation and consequences of law and public policy formation, and analyzes public policy initiatives from political and legal aspects as to their intentions, achievable aims, and intended and unintended outcomes.

RECOMMENDED AS FIRST PROGRAM COURSE. REQUIRED AS ONE OF FIRST THREE PROGRAM COURSES. This course presents the research methods commonly used by all social scientists. Consequently, the course will prepare the student to understand material and issues associated with but not limited to the logic of the scientific method, research design, and statistical analysis of data. The course is intended to provide a foundation from which the student may use the knowledge and practices acquired throughout the rest of their graduate program in their selected field of study.

This course focuses on financial issues in the public sector. It is designed as an overview of key elements in public budgeting, public finance, and public financial management. Various government activities with respect to government spending and taxation are analyzed by applying basic principles and quantitative models of finance. Decisions about public spending, raising revenue, borrowing, and managing public debt are studied extensively in this course.

This course is designed to develop fundamental skills essential for students to evaluate public programs. Knowledge of the policy process and research methods is brought together in the ethical assessment of program needs, processes, and outcomes.

This course is an analysis and provides research on legislatures, legislators, and the legislative process at national, state, and local levels. It focuses on legislative structures, decision making, and behavior among nations, U.S. states, and local governments.

The course covers a combination of theories and applications that will provide the student with basic tools required to understand, navigate, and communicate with the three administrative elements of the federal government. The emphasis of the course is based on a study of composing, legislating, implementing, and enforcing public policy set against a background of both historical and current elements.

This course focuses on legislative structure and decision-making. Through reading, studying, and reflecting upon legislatures, legislators, and legislative processes, students will examine the U.S. legislative structure and conduct an analysis of comparative legislative behavior.

This is an introductory course that focuses on the concepts and methods of managing an organization. The overall course objective is to identify, apply, and evaluate techniques for structuring and resolving managerial problems in public and private organizations. The main educational tool used in the course is the analysis and class discussion of case studies. Readings and lectures are used to supplement the case analyses. Topics include: culture and change; managing globally and ethically; strategic planning and implementation; organization structure; human resource management; groups, teams and motivation; leadership; and operational management.

This course will provide a framework for understanding individual and group behaviors within dynamic organizations. Topics to be covered will be human behavior principles in individual, groups/teams, and organizational settings. The main emphasis of this course will be on developing effective administrative/managerial skills in improving employee performance.

This course consists of a collection of classic and contemporary readings in Organizational Development covering a broad range of topics including interpersonal relations, motivation, decision making and group behavior in organizations. Included are experiential exercises that give students an opportunity to practice their skills and cases that allow students to draw on their own experiences to apply the concepts and theories in managerial situations. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of the leader.

This course examines the variables involved in crisis planning, communication and management. To do so, we must consider the organization’s vulnerabilities, the environment in which it thrives, the stakeholders who can influence its operation and the strategies best suited to maintaining or enhancing its reputation. The media plays a crucial role in crisis management and we will discuss this factor throughout the course. We will consider how the media acts as a catalyst as well as intermediary in this process. Some of the questions that will arise will be: Is the relationship inherently antagonistic? Should it be? By the conclusion of the course, participants should have developed a deeper understanding of the range of crises facing organizations, an enhanced appreciation of communication tactics that can be brought to bear in such situations and a greater familiarity with the historical antecedents of current crises.

The capstone seminar option includes a thesis, or a major research project or paper in lieu of the final comprehensive examination, which has no credit hours. Those who elect this option may reduce their electives by three semester hours to accommodate the seminar option credit. This option is desirable for those students who wish to focus on specific subject matter of an interdisciplinary nature or who would like to continue their education at a higher level. Students electing this option must use this as one of the graduate electives.