Graduate Course Descriptions

The following are course descriptions for SPNA's graduate offerings.

PA 520 Foundations of Public Management. An exploration of administrative management functions, structures and methods and their intersection with organizational behavior. An introduction to key management systems and processes, an examination of ecological influences on them, and an overview of the behavioral and ethical dimensions of management. Primary focus will be on agencies and issues in the public sector. Three credits.

PA 531 Accounting for Public Managers. A study of fund accounting principles used in government and non-profit institutions. Course specifically offered for students who have had no prior accounting. Three credits.

PA 535 Grant Writing. Instruction in finding grant sources, writing grants, developing grant budgets and evaluating grant proposals. As part of this course, students will be expected to write and submit at least one actual grant proposal. Three credits.

PA 550--555 Public Administration Workshops. Advanced-level workshops directed toward public sector professionals focusing on specific public sector problems and policies. Format and scheduling are flexible and may include weekend sessions. Topics will vary and prerequisites may be established. One to three credits.

PA 560--565 Special Topics Workshops. Advanced-level workshops directed toward generic, topical problems affecting public affairs. Format and scheduling are flexible and may include weekend sessions. Topics will vary and prerequisites may be established. One credit.

PA 610 Economic Analysis for Public Administrators. Explores the principles and theories of economics as they apply to the public sector, with a focus on the public aspects of economic analysis. The primary purpose of the course is to improve the students' understanding of how basic economic analysis and reasoning can be applied by public administrators. Prerequisite: Admission to the M.P.A. program or permit. Three credits.

PA 611 Research Methods. An advanced survey of the most important and frequently used methods and techniques of research and analysis used by administrators and planners. Course also will familiarize students with the use of computers for such research and analysis. Emphasizes the application of research and analysis in public administration. Prerequisites: Admission to the M.P.A. program or permit. Appropriate background in statistics, computer science, and research methods. Three credits.

PA 612 Human Resources in Organizations. An accelerated survey of policies and issues in human resource management in public and nonprofit contexts. Focus is on human values, behavior, ethics, and human interactions in organizations. Three credits.

PA 614 Organization Theory. Explores the various theories of organizations. Focus is on the process of structural development and the impact each structure has on individuals and groups. Three credits.

PA 615 Public Financial Administration. Practices and problems of public fiscal management with special attention to budgetary concepts and analytical techniques: the budget as an instrument of planning and control; organizing to insure fiscal accountability; the public economy; financial decision-making; planning, programming, and budgeting systems; and allocation of scarce government resources in government and nonprofit agencies and programs. Prerequisite: 520 or equivalent. Three credits.

PA 616 Public Policy Analysis. An exploration of theories advanced to explain policy formation; examination of how needs are identified, communicated to policy-makers, evaluated and converted into formal policy, and implemented by administrative actions. Emphasis is on policy analysis in the public sector. Prerequisite: 520, 611, 614, 615, and at least nine credits in a concentration. Three credits.

PA 619 Public Management Seminar. Examines the structure and dynamics of organizations; problems of financing, staffing, and program implementation; administrative reform and reorganization; qualitative and quantitative methods for managerial decision-making; goal-directed processes and effective planning. Uses a case study approach emphasizing management problems. Prerequisite: Completion of other required courses. Three credits.

PA 620 Metropolitan Politics and Administration. Examines theories and practice of metro politan politics and administration, including studies of intergovernmental relations, suburbia and the multicentered metropolis, economic development and managing metropolitan services. Structures of politics and power both formal and informal are investigated. Prerequisite: 520 or permission. Three credits.

PA 621 Administrative and Regulatory Law. An intensive study of administrative and regulatory law as it relates to the public sector. Requirements for, and limits on, the exercise of power by elected and appointed officials and liability of public managers are covered. Prerequisite: 520 or permission. Three credits.

PA 623 Labor Management in the Public Sector. Acquaints students with the origins and status of public sector labor relations and collective bargaining and their importance for effective management in rapidly changing environments. The growth of unionism in the public sector and the extent of state bargaining legislation makes the course particularly relevant for those in leadership positions. Three credits.

PA 630 Health Administration and Service. Overview of the current management, organization, and delivery of U.S. health care. Current management and organization theories are compared in relation to the health care system. Major system components are defined and studied. Included are discussions of staffing, dealing with internal and external constituencies, and identification of hospital types. Three credits.

PA 631 U.S. Health Policy and Politics. Examines public policy-making in the health care sector since 1900. Emphasizes policy, the process of government regulation, and the character of health settings at the federal, state, and local levels; with attention to the constitutional foundations, legislative policies, and bureaucratic implementation features of the system in a political context. Three credits.

PA 632 Health Services Financial Management. Provides detailed understanding of the health services financial framework for decision making. Microcomputer applications which serve to facilitate operational and financial planning and analysis, third party reimbursement, regulation, and cost containment, rate settings, operating budgets, capital budgets, project budgeting, cash budgeting, and financial feasibility. Three credits.

PA 633 Health Economics. Examines the principles and application of economic analysis in the health industry. Provides insights offered by economic analysis of relevant data specific to health issues and problems such as failures of the market system, large gaps in access, cost containment, regulation, and extensive growth of private insurance and government programs. Three credits.

PA 634 Health Care Law and Ethics. Examines current and historical legal and ethical issues impacting health administration, including malpractice and other liability issues, licensing and regulation, professional ethics, contracts and property, insurance, corporate, taxation, antitrust, fraud and abuse, medical staff, confidentiality, health care access, peer review, ethics committees, legal and ethical aspects of patient care decision making and consent. Three credits.

PA 635 Hospital Organization and Management. Discussions of various types of hospitals. Study of their organization and management, including clinical, support and administrative functions, analysis of special operational problems, and administrative ethics. Requirements of the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Hospitals and other accrediting agencies are emphasized. Three credits.

PA 637 Ambulatory Care Organization and Management. Study of the organizational and administrative aspects of ambulatory health services delivery. Focus on delivery strategies and organizational models and the operational issues of financial control, personnel, regulation, and evaluation. Includes identification and discussions of various types of out-patient services. Three credits.

PA 638 Long-Term Care Organization and Management. Overview of organization and management of long-term care continuum, including nursing homes, hospices, psychiatric institutions, and non-institutional alternatives --- home health care and adult day care. Examines principles in the management of institutional and non-institutional facilities for the chronically, terminally, or mentally ill and the disabled elderly. Three credits.

PA 640 Marketing Health and Human Services. Explores and applies marketing and public relations concepts to a variety of health and human service functions. Included are the integration of marketing and public relations planning and programs in organizations. Focuses on social and ethical issues of promoting wellness and health care, and communication with the community and media. Three credits.

PA 641 Economic Development. Describes and evaluates ways to coordinate the efforts of public agencies, private businesses, and non-profit organizations to address planning, economic development, and employment issues more comprehensively. Included in this analysis are public and private programs basic to economic development; state and federal enabling legislation and regulations; local ordinance and public-private partnership alternatives. Three credits.

PA 642 Conflict Management. Provides an overview of theories of social conflict. Develops an understanding of the conceptual issues involving conflict and conflict management on many levels in diverse settings. Introduces specific dispute resolution skills such as negotiation and mediation. Three credits.

PA 643 Strategic Planning. Planning as a decision-making process, methods for defining goals in public and private planning programs, role of planning in policy formulation, planning for human environment relationships. Prerequisite: Three credits.

PA644 GIS in the Public Service. Examines the management and application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the public and nonprofit sectors. Lectures and readings emphasize the organizational, managerial, and ethical issues of interagency GIS projects. Hands-on lab instruction provides training in desktop GIS software.

PA 660 Nonprofit Sector: History and Ethics. A comprehensive survey of the nonprofit sector, its history, philosophy, character, governance, and legal status. Emphasis on the role and tradition of philanthropy and voluntarism in America, and on the special fund-raising and resource development practices of the sector. Three credits.

PA 661 Nonprofit Management Practices. Explores the assumptions and practice of nonprofit organization management. Examines how these issues differ in different types of nonprofits. Topics include issues of public accountability, ethics, evaluating organizational effectiveness, personnel motivation, board and staff relationships, volunteers, and the meaning of service. Three credits.

PA 662 Nonprofit Resource and Financial Management. After a brief review of nonprofit finance and accounting, course examines resource development and fund raising. Presents a philanthropic view that fund raising should be "mission driven and volunteer-centered." Topics include direct mail fund raising, planned giving, grant seeking, philosophies and ethics of fund raising. Prerequisites: 520, 660 and admission to the M.P.A. program or permit. Three credits.

PA 663 Nonprofit Organizations and Public Policy. An introduction to the public policy-making process as it applies to NPO's. Explores how NPO's both shape and are shaped by public policy. Focus is on the intersection of nonprofit and government actions and services. The creation, design, function, and finance of NPO's are addressed. Prerequisites: 520, 660, and admission to the M.P.A. program or permission. Three credits.

PA 665 Nonprofit Boards, Trustees, and Governance. Examines perspectives on, models for, and functions of board governance and the way governance and management are intertwined in the operation and leadership of nonprofit organizations. Explores specific functions of trustees within their legal, ethical, and fiduciary obligations. Prerequisites: 520, 660, and admissions to the M.P.A. program or permit. Three credits.

PA 670 International NGO Management. Theory and cases in international nongovernmental organizations (INGO) management. Analysis of various types and various roles played by INGOs. Relationship between INGOs and other actors in international development such as multilateral and bilateral donors, host governments, local NGOs and local communities. Resource generation and management. Assessment and improvement of INGO performance.

PA 680 Special Topics Seminar. A seminar for the study of important topics not ordinarily covered in other courses. Course may be taken more than once when the topic is different. One to three credits. Offered in response to special departmental interests of faculty and students.

PA 690 Public Administration Internship I. Open to preservice students and those without public service employment experiences. Students will be given the opportunity to test and apply classroom knowledge to an actual professional position in a public agency or nonprofit organization. Prerequisites: Admission to M.P.A. program and completion of applicable course requirements. Permission of instructor. Three credits. Offered every semester. Offered on a credit/no credit basis.

PA 691 Public Administration Internship II. A second internship. May be taken concurrently with 690 when field experience warrants it, or may be taken after 690 by those taking an additional field work experience. Prerequisites: 690. Permission of instructor. Three credits. Offered every semester. Offered on a credit/no credit basis.

PA 693 Research Project. Course requires preparation of an extensive research and writing assignment under faculty supervision. Prerequisite: Faculty approval of research proposal. Three credits or six credits. Offered on a credit/no credit basis.

PA 695 Master's Thesis. Preparation of an extensive research and writing assignment under faculty supervision. Prerequisite: Faculty approval of research proposal. Requires thesis committee. Three or six credits. Offered on a credit/no credit basis.

PA 699 Directed Readings. A research or reading project, program proposal, or other approved activity which builds in the student's area of specialization. Prerequisite: Permission of advisor. Three credits. Offered every semester. Offered on a credit/no credit basis.