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20:834:501
Introduction to Public Administration (3)
Explores the political, socioeconomic, legal, and democratic-constitutional context of public administration. Students learn key concepts and theories used to better understand administrative agents of
government, including public agencies, contractors, intergovernmental partners,
and nonprofit organizations as they operate and interact with their environments. Fundamentals of public management, organizational behavior, human
resource management, and government accountability are introduced. Both organizational actors and inter-organizational relationships are considered.
This course should be taken in the first semester.
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20:834:503
Topics in Public Administration (3)
Examination of selected issues and problems in public sector administration and management. The specific area within which issues are presented varies, but it may include health, public policy, human resources, and specialized topics. Students should check with the department to determine the precise curriculum to be offered in a given semester.
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20:834:505
Intergovernmental and Intersectoral Management (3)
U.S. federalism is the constitutional division of powers between federal and state governments.
Intergovernmental relations explores interaction among federal, state, and more
than 80,000 state-created county, municipal, and special district governments. Through
the "hollowing out" of the state, public services are increasingly provided by
private and nonprofit organizations through grants and contracts. This complex
interactive network is characterized by cooperation and conflict in managing
the delivery of public services such as education, public safety and health
care. Students will understand the unique roles of federal, state and local governments, and how to manage the provision of public goods and services by private for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
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20:834:507
Leadership and Diversity (3)
Distinguishes leadership from management and introduces students to
essential leadership qualities and characteristics. Organizational diversity
and inclusion are emphasized. Students will develop key leadership skills including: team building in diverse organizational settings, visioning and agenda setting for diverse clientele, cultural competence, strategies for
promoting social justice, understanding the impacts of diversity on group dynamics and leadership, and the strategic challenge of maintaining organizational diversity.
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20:834:515
Administrative Ethics (3)
The primary goals of this course are to: (a) introduce students to the role that ethics should play in the lives of public administrators in various capacities, and (b) provide tools and strategies for identifying and addressing ethical
issues in professional life.
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20:834:517
Egovernance and Digital Services (3)
Examines the latest trends and best practices in digital service delivery
(government to government, citizen to government, and government to citizen
services). Students will learn key technologies, how websites and mobile apps
support digital services and citizen engagement, how technology adoption is
affected by regulation, how to assess performance of digital service delivery
systems, and how transparency and open data is likely to affect government
operations. Opportunities and barriers confronting the use of technology
to promote social change will be presented.
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20:834:518
GIS for Public and Nonprofit Management (3)
Introduces geographic information systems (GIS), applied visual data
systems and analytics, and their use in the public and nonprofit sectors.
Students will learn database management and design and digital cartography
using popular GIS software, and how to combine the two to enhance analytic
capacity. Integrating database management and spatial analysis allows students
to go beyond simple mapping exercises to analyze complex public and nonprofit management
problems.
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20:834:520
Data Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations (3)
Introduces students to the design and management of data systems.
Students will learn to design simple databases, understand the use of different
data types and formats, download data from external sites, report and extract
data. They will be introduced to the use of complex data queries as a form of
data analysis. They will learn to use common database software for both
relational and object-oriented database management. They will also learn
essential principles for making data secure, accessible, and easily maintained.
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20:834:521
Technology and Public Administration (3)
Explores the implications of information management technologies for public and
nonprofit managers, including: the role of egovernment, citizen engagement through Web 2.0 and social media, digital service delivery, cyber security awareness, the exploration of how policy and technology intersect, and how
technology can be best managed through various governance models.
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20:834:522
Managing Public Organizations (3)
Investigates theories of organizational behavior and performance as applied
to public and nonprofit sector agencies, including legal constraints associated
with leading public sector organizations, organizational authority systems,
relationships between public and private organizations, development and
fulfillment of organizational mandates in the public sector, and use of resources within organizations.
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20:834:523
Human Resources Administration (3)
Human resources administration in public and nonprofit settings, including human
resource planning, staffing, development, and compensation. Behavioral and environmental determinants are examined, including market factors, service delivery, and government regulations and policies.
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20:834:524
The Public Policy Process (3)
Formerly known as Strategic Planning, this
course introduces students to the public policy process and its key institutions and actors (such as legislative bodies, chief executives, administrative agencies, courts, interest groups, advocacy coalitions, and the media). Emphasizes key parameters of public policy formulation (agenda setting, policy
formulation and design, implementation, evaluation) and theories of policy
change. Students will be able to differentiate policy types and tools, effectively
use evidence in shaping public policy, and will appreciate the importance of context
(social, economic, political, and technological) in developing effective policies.
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20:834:526
Evidence-Based Public Management and Policy (3)
Focusing on "best practice" and "evidence-based practice" and distinctions between them,
this course offers an introduction to those wishing to craft more effective policies and programs in public and nonprofit organizations. It explores the linkages between public policy and management, including understanding the process of policy formulation and change in the U.S. context and beyond. The meaning of
"evidence-based" is considered in applied policy and management contexts, and the implication of differences in evidence type and quality are considered. The conflicting role of values and evidence in shaping program and policy choices
will be conceptualized, in order to appreciate the effect of context in
applying evidence to a local policy/management problem. Students will be better
equipped to identify "best practices" and to develop "evidence based practices"
to improve organizational effectiveness in management settings. Adaptation of
programs or policies to their adoptive local context is presented as a
mechanism for better aligning organizations with their environment. Pitfalls of
the rational approach are reviewed to caution the strictly symbolic use of such
approaches. The relationship between evidence-based practice and its counterpart, performance
management, is explored.
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20:834:527
Labor Relations (3)
Examines the history, contexts, and processes of employer/employee relations in the public
sector. Among the topics addressed are public sector labor law, union structure
and organizing, processes of collective bargaining (work rules, adjudication, mediation, arbitration), and labor-management cooperation. A collective bargaining simulation provides students with the experience of renegotiating a
collective bargaining contract.
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20:834:529
Performance Measurement and Reporting for Public and Nonprofit Organizations (3)
The processes of public and nonprofit performance measurement and management are
explored in depth. Theories of public and nonprofit performance are reviewed
with a clear focus on application in the management setting. Types of measures
are reviewed and their relationships are explored through program logic models.
Selection of key performance indicators and proximate measures is discussed.
Tools and methods of performance measurement, including benchmarking and trend
analysis, are introduced. Data collection, analysis, and reporting are
reviewed. Students learn how to align performance measurement with strategic organizational
goals and objectives in order to facilitate learning and improved
effectiveness.
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20:834:541
Economics for Public Administration (3)
Introduces students to public economics and to the economics of public
administration, policy, and governance. Students will utilize the fundamentals
of economic analysis to explain and understand issues and problems impacting
the public and nonprofit sectors.
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20:834:542
Public Budgeting Systems (3)
Provides students with a conceptual and operational understanding of
theories, policies, and processes associated with public budgeting systems.
Students will also be introduced to tools and techniques for managing budgets
and making financial decisions in the public sector.
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20:834:543
Public Financial Management (3)
Introduces students to
basic financial and managerial accounting principles, techniques and concepts
that relate to the allocation, investment, and control of public funds.
Students will learn how to use financial information to make decisions in
public, health, and not-for-profit organizations. Some of the topics covered in
this class include financial condition analysis, cash and pension fund
investing, time value of money, accounting and financial reporting.
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20:834:545
Capital Budgeting and Debt Management (3)
Examines the reasons
why state and local governments use capital budgets and explains why both
capital planning and budgeting are central to economic development and
essential service delivery. Students will learn how to create a capital
improvement plan, and how to convert a capital improvement plan into a capital
budget. In addition, students will be introduced to debt management networks
and practices, debt structure, and the debt issuance process in the primary and
secondary municipal bond market.
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20:834:561
Applied Statistics (3)
Statistical tools and techniques used to inform
policy analysis and management decision making. Covers descriptive statistics,
graphing data, confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, correlation,
cross-tabulation, mean comparison with significance testing, and an
introduction to multivariate linear regression. Encourages hands-on work with
real data, use of statistical software, and the effective presentation of
statistical information.
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20:834:562
Applied Research Design (3)
Covers
issues central to understanding and conducting applied policy and management
research. These issues include identifying research questions, developing logic
models, selection of appropriate quantitative or qualitative methods, measuring
outcomes, survey research and other sources of primary and secondary data,
experimental and non-experimental strategies for evaluating programs, and the
ethical and political issues involved in producing and using evidence to inform
policy and practice.
Prerequisite: 26:834:561.
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20:834:563
Capstone Project (3)
The capstone provides students with an opportunity to integrate learning from
various courses with applied analysis of real-world issues. Students work
individually under the guidance of a faculty member to develop a research
design, carry out data collection and analysis, evaluate their findings, and
provide conclusions and recommendations. The outputs are a project report and
presentation to fellow students, faculty members, and invited guests. The
capstone seminar serves as a culminating experience in the M.P.A. program.
The course allows students to draw on material presented throughout the curriculum
to develop and conduct an applied research project on a topic salient to public
or nonprofit administration. This seminar will prepare students to use the
skills they have developed throughout the program to analyze and solve key public
management and policy problems. Students will complete practical analytic
papers suitable for publication or public consumption as their key graded
assignment. These papers demonstrate each student's abilities and their
collective body of skills and knowledge acquired throughout the M.P.A. curriculum.
The capstone project challenges students to clearly articulate a research
question, identify best practices in the field through a literature review, and
develop and execute a research protocol, in which the student:
- defines a research question that addresses an existing public or nonprofit problem,
- identifies a theoretical model through which to approach the issue,
- selects appropriate data collection methods,
- collects data,
- analyzes and interprets the data, and
- develops a written report and oral presentation of the findings and recommendations.
Final projects are presented at a public policy and management forum. At the
conclusion of the course, students will have demonstrated effective research
skills, excellent oral and written communication skills, and will have
displayed the level of knowledge necessary for effectively managing a public or
non-profit organization as a competent leader.
Prerequisites: 26:834:561 and 562, in order.
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20:834:568
Government Revenue Theory and Administration (3)
Examines the basic
objectives including the political and economic aspects of revenue systems at
the federal, state, and local levels of government. With a focus on taxes, fee
for services, intergovernmental aid, and interest income, this course examines
the interrelationships between policy, laws, and administration within a revenue
system and reviews the major economic issues raised by different sources of
revenue.
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20:834:571
Nonprofit Budgeting (3)
Introduces budget concepts and processes used by nonprofits. This course focuses on
developing, monitoring, and evaluating operating budgets for nonprofit agencies
and organizations.
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20:834:575
Grant Writing and Grants Management (3)
Students will learn how to seek, solicit, and manage grant awards from foundation and
government sources to support public and nonprofit programs and projects. The
course emphasizes managing grants effectively to provide the greatest value to
the recipient as well as the granting agency. Students learn how to become
responsible and ethical specialists who understand the grant enterprise, its
purpose, and the effects it can bring to bear on recipient organizations.
Topics include the funding search, budget development, proposal writing,
indirect costs, reporting, and evaluation.
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20:834:576
Resource Development for Nonprofit Organizations (3)
Emphasizes best practices and provides practical experience in resource development,
including fundraising. Students will learn essential resource management
skills, including: strategic planning for annual giving, major gifts, and
planned giving. Special attention is given to the following specific aspects of
the fundraising process: prospect research, donor stewardship and retention, crowdfunding,
case statements, direct mail, telephone solicitation, special events, lapsed
donors, taxation and bequests, and capital campaigns.
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20:834:578
Results-Driven Strategic Management (3)
Examines the linkages among strategic planning, performance management, and evidence-based decision making as they interface with more traditional management functions such as budgeting and human resource management in the quest for maximum effectiveness and efficiency in public and nonprofit organizations. Core management theories are reviewed and applied to present a holistic approach to results-oriented public management. Students will understand the process by which organizations create public value, including identification of strategic goals and objectives, development and implementation of timely strategies, and integration of performance information into management decisions. Key modern management challenges are identified and explored, including managing third-party intergovernmental and contractual relationships, utilization of networked and collaborative solutions to shared problems, citizen involvement, and capacity building for improved organization effectiveness.
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20:834:581
Health Systems and Policy (3)
Introduces the student to the history, organization, financing, and regulation of medical and public health services in the United States.
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20:834:582
Health Care Management (3)
Introduces students to the major administrative challenges associated with managing public and private health care service
organizations. Topics include legal constraints, budgeting, human capital
management, strategic management, and organizational accountability and
performance facing health care organizations.
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20:834:584
Health Care Finance (3)
Describes the fiscal challenges that face health care organizations,
including insurance, reimbursement systems, managed care, Medicare and Medicaid,
DRG Prospective Payment, the Affordable Care Act, budgeting, and planning.
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20:834:590
Internship (3)
The M.P.A. program does not require an internship, but encourages internships for
precareer and career-changing students. SPAA assists on-campus M.P.A. students in locating internship opportunities with an expanding network of partners in the Newark urban area in local, county, and state government
organizations, and among dozens of nonprofit organizations in the surrounding
areas. Additionally, the school circulates information about available national
and international internship opportunities via regular email announcements. Approval from the M.P.A. director is required before any internship taken for
academic credit begins. Students are limited to one 3-credit internship; if a
student takes an internship, the credits count toward the student's concentration,
which means he or she takes two elective courses from his or her concentration,
rather than the customary three. An internship must be related to the student's
concentration. After the M.P.A. director approves the request, the student will
complete the internship contract and submit it to the department for a special
permission number to register for credit. An internship can only count for an
elective and cannot replace a core course.Requirements to receive credits for
internship: - Submit a completed contract
- Complete 150 hours of work within one semester
- Submit midsemester and final evaluations (by the supervisor and the student)
Submit a 10 to 20-page research paper relating the internship to the student's
concentration (if applicable) at the end of the semester.
Prerequisites: Advance completion of internship form and approval of the M.P.A. director prior to enrollment.
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20:834:598
Independent Study (3)
Independent study is available on a very limited basis as a concentration course for students to investigate a specific topic or issue in depth. Independent study occurs under the direct supervision of a core faculty member. Independent study requires permission from the supervising faculty member and M.P.A. director approval before students may register. Independent study is limited to 3 credits during the course of the M.P.A. program, and it may count as either a
concentration course (with approval) or an elective; Independent Study cannot substitute for a core course.
Requirements to receive credits for Independent Study: - Approval from a SPAA faculty member to direct the independent study
- Submit a detailed description of the proposed topic, the deliverables to be assessed, and a recommendation letter from the supervising faculty member to be considered by the M.P.A. director for approval
- The typical minimum deliverable for Independent Study consists of a substantial research paper, including: literature review, collection of data, analysis. The supervising faculty may require additional assignments.
Prerequisite: Advance approval of the M.P.A. director prior to enrollment.
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