Curriculum: (30 credits/10 courses)
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
interorganizational relationships are considered.
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.
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, cybersecurity awareness, the exploration of
how policy and technology intersect, and how technology can be best
managed through various governance models.
20:834:522 Managing Public Organizations (3)
This course explores 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.
20:834:524 The Public Policy Process (3)
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). The course 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.
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.
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.
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.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
nonexperimental 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 Applied Statistics]
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 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.
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 nonprofit organization as a competent
leader.
[Prerequisites: 26:834:561 Applied Statistics and 26:834:562 Applied Research Design in order]
For more up to date information, check our website at https://spaa.newark.rutgers.edu/empa.
Degree Programs and Courses 
