Student Information

Advancement to Candidacy

Prior to completing 30 credit hours of coursework, a student is expected to file for advancement to candidacy. When the candidacy form is filed and accepted, it represents an official statement regarding what courses a student must complete to obtain the MPA degree.

Filling out the form involves listing all courses completed, all in progress and all those yet to be taken to complete the courses required for the degree. It also involves identifying two PADM faculty members who will sit on the oral exam committee. The chair of the committee will be the advisor for the student’s research project or thesis. Students may indicate preferences for who serves as the chair and second member of the committee, but the final decision regarding which faculty members are on the committee will be made by the MPA program director.

For the candidacy form and additional information, please see the Graduate Programs office.

Course Schedules Student Materials

Course Descriptions: Core Requirements

PADM 501. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH APPROACHES. 5 Credits.

Notes: this course should be taken the 1st or 2nd quarter in the program.
Assists the student in developing research designs, as well as developing skills in locating, obtaining and assembling information pertinent to public administration. The course explores various approaches to research found in public administration literature. An overview of quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods, including interviews, surveys, case studies, field research, and statistical analysis.

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PADM 503. FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. 5 Credits.

Notes: this course should be taken the 1st or 2nd quarter in the program.
Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
Offers an analysis of the development of the administrative state and the profession of public administration. Emphasis is placed on the historical, political, and socioeconomic contexts of public service, as well as on the ethical and foundational values that underlie modern public administration theory and practice.

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PADM 507. PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
Offers an examination of the policy making process, including the development and formulation policy agendas, the use of rational decision-making techniques, and the use of quantitative and qualitative approaches to policy analysis. Analytical tools include political and economic modeling.

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PADM 509. PUBLIC PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
Addresses the fundamentals of human resource management in the public sector. Topics covered may include the civil service system, merit principles, equal employment opportunity, and/or current human resource management issues or techniques related to such concerns as employee recruitment, selection, orientation and motivation. Issues such as employee hiring and screen and professional development of employees are also discussed.

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PADM 511. PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY AND LEADERSHIP. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
A review of contemporary organization theory and the ways that theory informs and reflects the processes of public management and leadership.

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PADM 513. PUBLIC PLANNING AND BUDGETING. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
An examination of budget process emphasizing bureaucratic politics, policy issues, alternative methods, and strategic planning techniques.

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PADM 515. ADMINISTRATIVE LAW AND REGULATION. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
A description, analysis and critique of the American systems of administrative law, rule making and regulation, and their impact on public management. This course focuses on the ways various interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and of U.S. Supreme Court cases affect public administration theory and practice.

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PADM 601. MPA CAPSTONE & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: completion of all other MPA core classes or permission of the MPA director.
This course prepares students who have completed required core courses to take the MPA Written Comprehensive Examination, successful completion of which is required to receive the MPA degree. Students will also complete an advanced reflection project and prepare professional materials.

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Course Descriptions: Elective Options

PADM 523. PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
Presents a broad overview of the development of the theory of public expenditure and taxes and the management of financing by U.S. governments. It describes optional means of financing and addresses the pros and cons of each. The emphasis is on municipal financial management, its environment and the skills required.

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PADM 525. NETWORKED GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SECTOR GRANTS-WRITING. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
Examination of networked governance, the development of public sector grant programs and the distribution and fiscal management of money transfers. Topics include project development, grant applications, program planning and implementation and public policies for the improvement of intergovernmental operations.

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PADM 531. INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
Explores the interdependence and linkages between governmental agencies explored from the perspectives of the legal/regulatory, fund raising/fund transfer and administrative/cooperative elements in our federal system.

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PADM 533. METROPOLITAN GOVERNANCE AND ADMINISTRATION. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
An exploration of the major management issues and techniques involved in the professional management of governmental processes in metropolitan and regional areas. Topics include the role of the professional city administrator, political, social, and economic processes in national and global cities, metropolitan areas, and urban regions, major urban services issues, ethics, decision making, and budget preparation. Examines both theoretical and the practical aspects of governmental management.

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PADM 539. SPECIAL TOPICS. 1-5 Credits.

Special Topics.

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PADM 543. LABOR RELATIONS. 2 Credits.

This course covers a broad range of topics such as history of the labor movement, federal and state statutes covering the field, emergency operations planning and legislative lobbying efforts.

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PADM 545. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. 2 Credits.

This course addresses the process of reaching agreement on a contract.

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PADM 551. COMPARATIVE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
A comparative examination and analysis of the impacts of political and social cultures on public administrative systems within nation states. Emphasis is placed on the application of comparative methodologies to the study of public administration.

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PADM 561. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THROUGH FILM AND TELEVISION. 2 Credits.

This course explores, through cinematic images, how government and government employees are protrayed in film and television.

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PADM 563. PUBLIC LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS. 5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: graduate standing or consent of the instructor.
This course seeks to provide an understanding and appreciate of basic ethical concepts and frameworks. A variety of ethical theories and approaches are considered and applied to public sector situations. A main focus is on the exercise of both individual and collective judgment - "Right Action" or "Good Conduct"-In public organizational and policy setting. Issues and problems related to organizational cultures of corruption and the ethical accountability of socio-technical system.

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PADM 596. EXPERIMENTAL COURSE. 1-5 Credits.

PADM 598. SEMINAR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. 1-5 Credits.

Experimental.

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PADM 599. INDEPENDENT STUDY. 1-5 Credits.

Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
Independent Study.

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PADM 600. THESIS RESEARCH SEMINAR. 1-15 Credits.

Notes: continuous registration of 2 credit hours per quarter; maximum of 8 credits allowed toward MPA degree.
Pre-requisites: PADM 501 and permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
A seminar designed to assist students completing research requirements in connection with the MPA program. This is a required course if the thesis option is chosen. The thesis can be substituted for the advanced research and writing seminar within a chosen specialization and as an elective. The thesis option is intended for those students going on to doctoral study.

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PADM 603. INTERNSHIP IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. 2-8 Credits.

Notes: grade Pass/No Credit; may be repeated.
Pre-requisites: permission of the instructor, department chair and college dean.
Guided field placement with a public agency.

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Course Schedules

Unless otherwise noted, fall classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019 and will continue weekly or as arranged with your instructor.

CRNCourseCreditsTitleDaysTimesInstructorDates
168665015Public Administration Research ApproachesR5:30-10:20 p.m.Li
111935035Foundations of Public AdministrationM5:30-10:20 p.m.Zinke
206115115Public Organization TheoryW5:30-10:20 p.m.Jensen
19239551 5Comparative Public AdministrationF6-10 p.m.Zinke10/11/19
S9 a.m. to 5 p.m.10/12/19
UNoon to 4 p.m.10/13/19
F6-10 p.m.11/15/19
S9 a.m. to 5 p.m.11/16/19
UNoon to 4 p.m.11/17/19
157215984Nonprofit ManagementT5:30-10:20 p.m.Jensen
5991-4Independent StudyArrangedArranged
6012MPA Capstone & Professional DevelopmentR5:30-10:20 p.m.Zinke
6032-8InternshipArrangedArranged