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, and interorganizational relations.

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

26:834:605 Public Budgeting and Finance (3) This is a seminar focused on theoretical issues in public budgeting. The aim of the seminar is for the student to understand the central issues and questions in the areas of public budgeting and public finance, and the place of this field of study within the larger context of public administration, thus enabling the student to incorporate public budgeting and finance concepts into their research agenda.

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 focuses on multivariate linear regression as a tool for data analysis as well as a framework for answering substantive, causal questions. The course will introduce students to some additional methods, such as reliability analysis, factor 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) This course 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 introduces panel data analyses and multilevel data analysis. Throughout, students will be given hand-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.

26:834:613 Citizen Participation and Productive Management (3) This course analyzes various approaches to the relationship between citizen participation and productive public management. It explores factors influencing citizen involvement and 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. It emphasizes the challenges that the field has faced and continues to face with respect to its paradigmatic base, scope, and methods. Each student will be required to formulate a synthesis or "paradigm" for the field of public administration.

26:834:618 Leadership, Equity, and Diversity (3) This course addresses governance from a human resources perspective, focusing on such areas as leadership and diversity in the public sector. Topics covered include ethical leadership, equity discourse, and power and privilege politics. A key theme is the responsibility of government, society, and public employers to create legal, ethical, and diverse work environments.

26:834:665 Selected Topics in Public Administration (3) This course provides an 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.

26:834:698 Independent Study in Public Administration (3) This course enables independent research on a topic related to public administration under the guidance of a faculty 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.