Emergency Management Concentration

An introduction to the development of the discipline of public administration, the evolution of institutional forms both in the United States and in international settings, concepts of decision-making, ethics in the public sphere, human resource management in the public and non-profit sector and society.

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of public budgeting and financial management. Students will learn the fundamentals of budgeting for government and non-profit organizations. The course will adopt a problem solving approach as students gain an understanding of how to use budgetary information in organizational planning, control, reporting, and analysis.

An introduction to the knowledge and practical skills that public leaders need to strategically deploy human resources in government and non-profit organizations. Topics include managing teams, discrimination and labor law, working with unions, motivating employees, privatization, recruitment, the aging workforce, and performance evaluations. Particular emphasis is given to developing human resources practices that support core organizational mission and objectives.

An overview of the use and leveraging of data in order to allow government and nonprofit organizations to make better decisions and improve operations. Topics to be covered will include the concepts of data management and governance; the latest trends in terms of data-related technologies, tools, and practices; challenges such as privacy and security; and developing data capacity awareness.

This course is an introduction to the theory and practice of public policy as a means to address societal problems.  Topics include: the political, historical, institutional, and legal contexts of public policy; policymaking theories and approaches; how solutions to societal problems are selected and evaluated; and how political polarization impacts public policy.  These concepts are applied through research, analysis, and recommendations on a public policy issue.

While American institutions of all kinds are experiencing declining public trust, public sector entities face particularly strong challenges. Students will learn effective techniques and strategies designed to foster greater trust and engagement with the public.

The capstone course is the culminating experience of the MPA and where students demonstrate mastery of the full range of competencies. During the capstone seminar, students work with a client in a public service or non-profit agency to identify a problem and write a paper to address the problem integrating what they have learned using the knowledge and skills acquired during the program.

This course provides students with the framework for understanding how diversity characterizes and shapes the human experience and is critical to the formation of identity.

Provides an understanding of the issues associated in developing plans and policies to prepare for disasters, both natural and manmade. Overview of nature of challenges posed by different kinds of disasters; discussion of regulatory requirements, sample plans, equipment requirements, collateral and mutual aid support agreements, and methods for testing and updating plans.

Provides an understanding of how people, groups, organizations, communities and governments manage disaster in the immediate aftermath and long-term including social, physical, business, and infrastructure problems as well as intra and inter-organizational issues.

Participants in this course will discuss the underlying risk assessment and analysis theory, and explore the key steps and actions that can be taken to manage risk including: studying and understanding the community or entity at risk, establishing a context for hazards risk management; identifying and profiling hazards; understanding the influence and effect of risk perception; analyzing and assessing hazard risk; communicating risk; understanding, assessing, and acting on risk mitigation options; and assessing the overall process risk management process.

Provides an understanding of the various interactions that may be required between the emergency management official and a full spectrum of relevant stakeholders, including the emergency services and other responding or responsible agencies, the general and disaster impacted public, the private and NGO sectors, mutual aid partners and other neighboring jurisdictions, the media, and many others.