Core Requirements (24 Credits)
There are 24 credit hours in core courses needed for the Master of Public Administration Program.
PA6010 Government, Citizenship, and Society
This course introduces students to the multi-level American government system. Students learn the evolution of the public mission in light of current programs and trends. In addition, students examine the interactions and influence of the various social, economic, and political forces in society.
Prerequisite: None
PA6012 Law and the Public Sector
This course provides the legal framework for public managers. Students explore federal, state, and local laws and regulations underlying public programs, such as civil rights, labor, employment, and environment laws. Practical implications for decision making are analyzed.
Prerequisite: none
PA6014 Data Driven Decision Making
The course provides students statistical and analytical tools necessary to structure, generate, and evaluate information for public policy decision making. Students learn to interpret and communicate statistical data to multiple stakeholders concerning public policy issues. They analyze qualitative and quantitative measures necessary for specific decisions.
Prerequisite: PA6010
PA6016 State, Local, and Federal Governments
Students learn the authority, jurisdiction, and limitations of each level of government in the American political system. They explore funding options and political realities available to the various levels of government. Opportunities and challenges in inter-governmental relations are introduced.
Prerequisites: PA6012, PA6014
PA6510 Public Service
This course provides students an understanding of, respect for, and commitment to public service. They learn how to lead and inspire fellow employees to achieve a shared purpose, and to communicate to diverse parties the value of public initiatives.
Prerequisite: PA6016
PA6512 Financing Governments & Its Projects
This course teaches students how government at all levels raises money and how that money is spent. They learn why state and local governments differ both in the type of taxes imposed, and the programs financed. Students prepare and analyze project budgets.
Prerequisite: PA6016
PA6514 Project Management
This course provides students the tools necessary to analyze, evaluate, and recommend solutions to public policy issues. It also helps students develop the skills to communicate, convince, and motivate relevant parties to unite in the accomplishment of a policy objective. Students employ specific project management software to design and track project implementation.
PA6512
PA6516 Public/Private Partnerships
Students examine the emergence of public/private partnerships and the legal and political opportunities and challenges in such partnerships. Students weigh the incentives and benefits against the responsibilities and obligations of each partner and propose a specific action.
PA6514
Concentration Requirements (12 Credits)
Students are required to take four courses in the area of their concentration.
State and Local Government (12 Credits)
Students are Required to Take the Following to Fulfill State and Local Government Concentration Requirements
PA6518 Politics of Problem Solving
This course addresses the political dynamics of the policy making process. Students will examine the politics of each phase of the policy cycle to include agenda setting, policy formulation, policy adoption, implementation and evaluation. Issues affecting the public interest, intergovernmental relationships, the economics and political will of public policy, competing interests among stakeholders, and effective media and stakeholder communication are also addressed.
Prerequisite: PA6522
PA6520 Public Personnel Management
This course introduces students to a strategic view of personnel management and the positioning of the supervisor as a strategic partner in the intersection of public policy and human resource management. The course will focus on the human resource plan, labor relations, and supervision. Strategic use, management and organization of human capital to achieve public policy goals, as well as, the behavioral and environmental determinants to effective personnel management and supervision are explored in this course.
Prerequisite: None
PA6522 The Intricacies of Decision Making
This course explores the dynamics of the decision making process from a behavioral and analytical perspective. Students will apply formal decision making methodologies to complex situations. Student will also learn how effective and timely decisions affect solutions to complex problems and how ineffective decision making and decision traps can obfuscate, impede or delay decisions, resulting in real and intrinsic losses.
Prerequisite: PA6016
PA6524 Capstone: State and Local Government
The capstone integrates the content and competencies gained in the program. Through personalized projects, students explore and practice the duties and responsibilities of public sector managers.
Prerequisite: All coursework should be completed prior to the capstone
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Students are Required to Take the Following to Fulfill Emergency Preparedness and Response Concentration Requirements
PA6526 Planning and Preparing for Disasters
This course introduces the concepts of emergency planning and preparation to avoid or at least minimize the impact of disasters. It builds the knowledge base and analytical skills of students’ to address emergency management issues across all levels of government. Citizen preparedness, as well as the problems in obtaining that preparedness, receives specific attention.
Prerequisite: None
PA6528 Economics of Emergencies
This course presents economic approaches to emergencies and develops the analytical skills to prevent, manage and respond to emergencies as well as their aftermath, from a financing and economic perspective. Students evaluate federal and/or state funding process for disasters, risks mitigations and reduction strategies, risk transfers and roles of insurance in disaster costs, and financing options. Students investigate who is paying the price of disasters, in the short and long term, and equips them with methodologies/tools and skill-sets for structuring, administering and evaluating the costs versus losses of emergency responses
Prerequisite: PA6526
PA6530 First and Second Responses to Crises
This course begins with the U.S. national framework, principles and the presidential directives to manage domestic incidents. The course covers concepts and operational procedures and authorities involved in responding to major disasters. It addresses federal, state, and local roles, responsibilities and functions in major disaster recovery work, with emphasis on government coordination and the solution of problems that frequently arise in recovery operations. An overview to developing Incident Command System [ICS] and Emergency Operating Center [EOC] interface for communities is presented.
Prerequisite: PA6526
PA6532 Capstone: Emergency Preparedness and Response
The capstone integrates the content and competencies gained in the program. Through personalized projects, students explore and practice the duties and responsibilities of public sector managers.
Prerequisite: All coursework should be completed prior to the capstone
Homeland Security (12 Credits)
Students are Required to Take the Following to Fulfill Homeland Security Concentration Requirements
PA6534 Preventing Security Crises
This course introduces the concepts of homeland security strategies employed to prevent security crises in the U.S. Students learn principles of border and transportation security strategies as well as domestic counter-terrorism and protection.
Prerequisite: None
PA6536 Financing Security Practices
This course introduces the students to the financing landscape of security practices in the U.S. Students analyze how protective targets and priorities are developed and funded and the gaps and challenges of managing and financing these critical functional areas. Students evaluate the security practices and financing of all aspects of emergency management, including preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation.
Prerequisite: PA6526
PA6538 Security Response Management
This course provides the U.S. framework, principles and the presidential directives on managing domestic security incidents. Parallels and contrasts with responses to natural disasters and emergencies are considered. Students analyze Incident Command Systems and Emergency Operating Center structures from a community perspective.
Prerequisite: PA6534
PA6540 Capstone: Homeland Security
The capstone integrates the content and competencies gained in the program. Through personalized projects, students explore and practice the duties and responsibilities of public sector managers.
Prerequisite: All coursework should be completed prior to the capstone
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