Self-Designed 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.

Performance management is a continuous process of identifying, measuring, and developing the performance of individuals and teams and aligning their performance with the strategic goals of the organization. The information collected from the performance management system is also used to manage employee performance, assess the achievement of strategic goals, and upper-management decision making. The purpose of this course is to help students understand how to design and implement effective and successful performance management systems. The course includes applied skill-building activities in the areas of performance measurement, performance management system implementation, soft skills, and performance-based reward systems. Throughout the course, learning will take place through a combination of semi-formal lectures, case study analyses, assignments, and a team project.

In an effort to be competitive, organizations of all types must efficiently manage their workforce in order to achieve organizational goals. Human resource professionals need to understand how to manage an organization's human capital needs including workforce planning and forecasting, training and leadership development, succession planning, globalization and diversity of workforce, outsourcing/rightsizing, and the contribution of human capital to organizational development. This course will focus on how organizations can best manage and develop their workforce in order to achieve short-term and long-term organizational goals.
Prerequisite: Take HR-607

The strategic impact that HR leaders have on their organizations has never been more important given the value of human capital and our changing world economy. It is critical for HR leaders to maintain their competitive edge and bring broad business skill sets to their role. The focus of the class will be the development of critical thinking, strategic planning, and business strategy skills, and the implementation of those processes within the HR organization.

Diversity in the workforce is a critical issue for all organizations. As organizations become more global in nature, an organization's workforce becomes more ethnically and culturally diverse. This course will explore the strategic issues with managing, motivating, and engaging diverse workforces to meet organizational objectives. Particular emphasis will be placed on developing cultures of inclusion for all members of an organization's workforce.

This course examines how policy, advocacy, and health care systems influence population health and health equity. Students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to understand, analyze, and advocate for or against health policies and to critically examine healthcare systems around the world.

Community health development is an important approach for improving population health. This course covers the principles, strategies, and practices essential for bridging the gap between research and public health practice. Students apply what they learn in the classroom through a service learning project with an external community partner.

This first course in the two-course policy sequence is designed to help students examine policy as a major component of social work practice. Through learning achieve in this course, students are expected to participate actively with others in creating new, modified, or improved service, resource, and opportunity systems.

Framework for understanding 1) social policy and process which is formulated, implemented and analyzed; 2) inequalities and inequities in social welfare as policy manifestations of institutionalized racism and sexism; 3) impact and interaction of policy with service delivery networks delivering services and resources.
Prerequisite: Take SW-565;