Doctoral Courses

26:834:601 Study of Public Organizations (3) This course covers such topics as public sector organization theory and behavior at the micro and macro levels; networking; interorganizational relations.

26:834:602 Decision Making and Policy Analysis (3) Logic, form, use, and critical assessment of decision making and policy analysis in public administration. Development of a practical yet critical perspective on policy analysis and its role in public administrative decision making and behavior.

26:834:603 Governance and Politics (3) This course covers such topics as bureaucratic politics, democratic theory, and public sector governance.

26:834:604 Performance Improvement in Public Administration (3) Assessment and improvement of organizational performance. Topics include the specification of goals and objectives; the identification of outputs and outcomes; and impact analysis, including unintended consequences of public programs. Emphasis placed on management improvement strategies.

26:834:605 Government Budgeting and Resources Acquisition (3) This course addresses the macro and micro aspects of budgeting and finance from both the normative and descriptive views in the fields of public management, political science, and economics.

26:834:606 Administrative Law (3) Administrative aspects of law making and interpretation, with particular attention to the relevant functions of public agencies. Emphasizes contemporary issues of the workplace, of products, and of environmental standards. Examines due-process rights within many contexts, rights and responsibilities toward anyone in a public or quasi-public role, and personal responsibilities as professionals.

26:834:607 Quantitative Methods I (3) This course covers the design, production, and analysis of quantitative data for research in public affairs and administration. It reviews quantitative theory and models, measurement, sampling, and the logic of causal inference. The course will focus attention in particular on multiple regression as a tool for data analysis as well as a framework for answering substantive, causal questions. It will also introduce students to some additional multivariate methods, such as reliability analysis, factor analysis, path analysis, and the basics of structural equation modeling. Emphasis will be on the use of statistical software and the interpretation of results, with applications to substantive research questions.

26:834:608 Quantitative Methods II (3) Covers various advanced, multivariate statistical techniques used in public administration and policy research. It begins with regression models for limited dependent variables, i.e., models for nominal outcomes, ordered outcomes, and count outcomes, using maximum likelihood estimation techniques. The course then covers the basics of panel data analyses and selection models. Throughout, students will be given hands-on training in the use of statistical software, the interpretation of results from real data, and the translation of results into useful summaries through tables and figures. Students are encouraged to apply the methods learned to their own datasets, including data from their ongoing projects or dissertation research. Prerequisite: 26:834:607.

26:834:609 Qualitative Methods I (3) The purpose of this course is to introduce doctoral students to the philosophy and methods of qualitative research. Through an examination of the evolution of qualitative methods, the various forms of qualitative research, and the ways to conduct qualitative research studies, students will develop the basic skills necessary to develop qualitative research designs and to conduct qualitative research. It will examine the similarities and differences between qualitative and quantitative research design, different approaches to qualitative research, including grounded theory, analytic induction, and ethnomethodology, and how these relate to mixed methods design. Students will be introduced to qualitative methods of data collection and analysis, including interviews, observation and participant observation, ethnography, case studies, content analysis, historical and archival methods, action research, and video methods. The course will enable students to interpret, evaluate, and present qualitative data, and to design their own qualitative research proposal.

26:834:610 Research Design (3) Covers the fundamentals of research in the social sciences: philosophy of science; theory construction; alternative research designs and methods for gathering data, writing, scholarly criticism; and the publishing process.  Students will gain an understanding of the types of research methods which fit research questions.

26:834:611 Administrative Politics (3) Bureaucratic power as a function of expertise, information, and coalition building. The importance of administrative discretion, political sensitivity, and skill. Political relationships among individuals, work groups, agencies, and other entities. American political institutions and processes.

26:834:612 Performance Measurement and Program Evaluation (3) The assessment of organizational performance, with particular attention to concepts of efficiency, effectiveness, outputs, and outcomes. Evaluation design, data collection procedures, and data analyses.

26:834:613 Citizen Participation and Productive Management (3) Analyzes various approaches to the relationship between citizen participation and productive public management. Explores factors influencing citizen involvement.  Examines potential benefits and dysfunctions of an active citizenry. An important focus is on the role of public administrators in creating structures and networks to encourage citizens to work with officials in policy development and implementation.

26:834:617 Intellectual History of Public Administration (3) This course examines the field of public administration through historical lenses, focusing on the periods of development from "the Orthodoxy" to New Public Management and beyond. 

26:834:618 Leadership, Equity, and Diversity (3) This course addresses governance from a human resources perspective, focusing on such topics as leadership and diversity in the public sector.

26:834:619 Mixed Methods (3) Although many extol the virtues of mixed methods research, few conduct mixed methods research. The goal of this seminar is to enhance student ability to conduct mixed methods research. Toward that end, the course will build upon earlier courses in qualitative and quantitative methods. The course will examine philosophical assumptions that underlie mixed methods research and review research designs that use both qualitative and quantitative data. Students will learn how to competently implement mixed methods research designs through application-oriented exercises. Prerequisite: 26:834:609.

26:834:665 Selected Topics in Public Administration (3) Examination of selected issues and problems in public sector administration and management. Students should check with the department to determine the precise curriculum to be offered in a given semester.

26:834:690 Internship in Public Administration (3) Participation in activities of an agency or institution under supervision of a faculty member and supervisor in the agency. Requires reports and analyses of activities.

26:834:698 Independent Study in Public Administration (3) Independent research on a topic related to public administration under the guidance of an adviser.

26:834:701 Dissertation Research in Public Administration (3) The Dissertation Proposal Committee normally consists of three to five members, one of whom should be a member of a graduate faculty outside the School of Public Affairs and Administration. Prior to the defense of the proposal, the composition of the dissertation committee must be approved by the Ph.D. director.

26:834:800 Matriculation Continued (1)

26:834:811 Graduate Fellowship (BA)

26:834:877 Teaching Assistantship (BA)