The core curriculum consists of five clusters, each of which addresses important elements of public administration knowledge and skills. The clusters are: foundations of public administration, analytics, management, finance, and applied concepts.
Core Curriculum Cluster One - Foundations
The foundations cluster consists of four courses providing the contexts of public administration decision making. This set of courses provides all students with the scope and impacts of public administration both intellectually and practically. Four courses are required.
20:834:501 Introduction to Public Administration (3)
20:834:515 Administrative Morality (3)
20:834:521 Technology and Public Administration (3)
20:834:541 Political Economy and Public Administration (3)
Core Curriculum Cluster Two - Analytical Thinking
The analytical thinking cluster provides students with the tools to be effective consumers of research, including the knowledge to understand and evaluate research presented to them in classes and in their careers. Students take two courses.
20:834:561 Analytical Methods (3) (all students)
and (select one):
20:834:562 Research Design (3)
20:834:590 Internship I (3) (Urban Education Leadership Certificate)
Core Curriculum Cluster Three - Management
The management cluster addresses two fundamental aspects of management: the organizations in which goal-directed actions occur and the human capital by which goals are achieved. All students take public organizations and students select the human resources course relevant to their focus (public, nonprofit, or health). Students take two courses.
20:834:522 Public Organizations (3) (all students)
and (select one):
20:834:523 Human Resources Administration (3) (all M.P.A. students except as noted in option below)
20:834:577 Human Resource Management for Nonprofits (3) (Nonprofit Certificate or M.P.A. nonprofit students)
Core Curriculum Cluster Four - Finance
The finance cluster gives all M.P.A. students a foundation in financial management and budgeting as it relates to public and nonprofit endeavors. The assumption is that effective management requires understanding of financial management. One course is required. Students select the course related to their particular focus within the program.
Select one:
20:834:543 Public Financial Management (3) (all students except as specified below)
20:834:559 Public School Finance (3) (for Urban Education Certificate students)
20:834:584 Health Care Finance (3) (formerly Health Care Financial Management) (for M.P.H. or M.P.A. Health Administration students)
Core Curriculum Cluster Five - Applied Concepts
The applied concepts cluster provides students with the opportunity to apply concepts they have learned in the program. In the capstone option, students complete a project under the guidance of a faculty member. The project examines a real-world issue or problem using knowledge gained in core courses. The 3-credit capstone course involves a project design, data collection and analysis, report preparation, and a presentation. In the comprehensive option, students study independently and analyze an assigned case or cases in a daylong examination. Students apply specific aspects of core course material directly to the case in an analytical way. Students must complete one.
Select one:
20:834:563 Capstone (3)
20:834:591 Internship II (3) (Urban Education Leadership Certificate)
Comprehensive Exam (0) (if comprehensive exam option is selected, students take one additional specialization course)
