Master of Public Administration

AD 511 Foundations of Public Administration and Policy 6 Credits

This course introduces students to public administration in the United States. The course focuses on governance, inter-governmental relationships, organizational theory, policies, and strategic planning as affected by fiscal constraints, public needs, social change and politics. Students are introduced to the role of leadership, the necessity for professional ethics and accountability, and personal competence. Students also begin the program-long requirement of developing their skills of critical analysis, research, integration of information, and effective writing.

AD 521 Public Administration Research and Analysis 6 Credits

This course reviews major research method designs and their application to policy development and evaluation. Students are also exposed to statistical techniques commonly found in public administration and social science research from the perspective of managerial control and application to evaluation of research design/program evaluation. Particular focus is placed on quality assurance and best- evidence management.

AD 531 Public Organization Resources & Processes 6 Credits

This course explores three areas of public administration; the legal environment for the public organization, human resources, and organizational leadership. The first part of the course focuses on creating agency authority, public participation, civil liability, employment law, and due process. The second part of the course focuses on selecting and retaining quality employees and managers, evaluations, coaching and training. The third part of the course focuses on strategic leadership, organizational analysis and culture, managing conflict, and organizational vision and change.

AD 542 Leading the Nonprofit Organization 6 Credits

This course explores the broad scope of leadership responsibilities challenging senior leaders within the nonprofit sector. Among the topics to be studied are strategic planning, fundraising, stakeholder engagement, governance, marketing, and performance management. Students will also examine trends in social entrepreneurship and the use of technology, such as social media, that are transforming the field. The course focuses on developing flexible leadership skills that can be applied in a variety of settings, across the life cycle of both small and large scale nonprofit organizations.

AD 543 Municipal Governance 6 Credits

This course introduces students to the work of local government managers in the United States. The core of the course is the study of best practices for municipal leadership, including the challenges of providing direction to a wide scope of departments and agencies necessary to serve the needs of communities. Students will also study how to create and maintain intergovernmental relationships and form partnerships with elected officials, staff employees such as directors, managers, and department heads, private sector businesses, bargaining units, citizens and representatives of the media.

AD 544 Strategies and Principles for Sustainability I 6 Credits

This course introduces students to the principles and strategies of sustainability as it applies to public works services in the community. Specifically, the course will present students with a study of: 1) The connections between the environment and mankind, 2) How air and water pollution affect public health, 3) The impact to the economy when water and transportation policies are not well thought out, 4) The importance of using long-term economic models in public policy decision making, 5) Learning how to think in a holistic manner, 6) The attributes of a sustainable work culture, and 7) How to build community support for a sustainable program.

AD 552 Nonprofit Administration 6 Credits

This course of study focuses on the administration and management of tax-exempt organizations that derive their funding and mandates from individuals, foundations, and governmental sources. Topics include the legal framework of nonprofit organizations, organizational design, fiscal management, fundraising, grants, contracts, assessment and planning. Students will study best practices for leadership and management, nonprofit governance, and the effective use of volunteers. Finally, students will review the role of technology with special attention to information integration and assurance.

AD 553 Rural Municipal Governance 6 Credits

This graduate level course explores the role of the public service leader, divisions and sectors within the rural municipality, organizing stakeholder collaborations and developing an action plan in support of accountability, good governance, and improvement of quality of life. Specifically, discussions will examine interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary cultural competence and effective leadership skills uniquely identified in rural communities as well as exploration of key issues affecting education, economic development, water supply, sewer systems, internet and broadband access, housing, health care access, and mental health status of those living in rural counties and towns.

AD 554 Principles and Strategies for Sustainability 6 Credits

AD 557 Public Works Administration, Part I 6 Credits

This course of study focuses on the local, state, regional, and national legal, political, technological, and operational issues key to public works administration in the areas of public utilities, water resources, transportation, facilities and structures, and parks and grounds. Topics include the historical development of, and technological advances in, public works management; the public works policy-making process and current public works policy; internal and external communication challenges; public affairs, enforcement, and emergency management roles of public works officials.

AD 558 Certified Government Financial Manager Studies 6 Credits

This course explores the legal and regulatory foundation for financial reporting and accountability for public organizations. Topics include development of transactions, enactment of appropriations, and incurrence of obligations or encumbrances. Other topics include financial reporting, analysis of governmental financial performance, costing of government services, and auditing of governmental organizations. For course readings students are provided current study guides published by the Association of Government Accountants’ Certified Government Financial Manager, designed specifically to prepare professionals and students for the CGFM certification examination.

AD 559 Public Organization Financial Management 6 Credits

This course introduces students to four major areas of financial concern: Preparation of budgets; creating management strategies for the organization based on the principles of strategic financial management; obtaining financial resources from issuing bonds and levying taxes; and managing cash and employee retirement funds. Students will also examine contemporary perspectives on professional ethics and ethical behavior by leaders in the public sector especially in regards to their fiduciary responsibility in investing and managing public funds.

AD 561 Capstone Studies 6 Credits

The core course in capstone studies provides students the opportunity to synthesize learning from all previous seminars and to apply the concepts and principles in two ways: the preparation of a written capstone project that offers a practical or theoretical solution to a program, operation, policy, problem or issue of contemporary importance and relevance to the work or career goals of each student; and a 1500-word paper suitable for publication in a professional journal. Students will be required to exhibit in-depth critical thinking, policy analysis, and effective writing. Course assignments will maximize the exchange of student suggestions and comments on the various stages of the capstone project, to include but not limited to topic section, thesis, resources and supporting information. Prerequisites: Completion of all prior required core and concentration/elective courses, or permission of the program director.

AD 562 Transformational Organizational Culture, Human Resources Devel and Mngt in NonProfit Organizations 6 Credits

This course addresses nonprofit organization professional and volunteer staff management, nonprofit law, ethics, and risk management, leadership and governance excellence in nonprofit organizations. The course concentrates heavily on competencies and knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by senior managers with major responsibilities for human resource development and management, board and committee development, volunteer resource management, ethics and ethical behavior, organizational core values, diversity awareness and legal and risk management.

AD 563 Urban Municipal Governance 6 Credits

This graduate level course introduces students to the public administrator in their role as an elected public service leader committed to identifying, examining, and working collaboratively toward effectively improving municipal services and the quality of life for constituents living in urban America. Particular focus will be placed on multidisciplinary collaborations and action plan development, through discussions and reflections of key issues including the unique needs affecting public safety, emergency management, medical services, animal control, and public and mental health concerns. In addition, discussions will further examine the public administrator’s responsibilities surrounding civic engagement, waste-water, storm water, street maintenance, solid waste collection and disposal, forestry, parks and recreation.

AD 564 International Development and Influence I 6 Credits

This course focuses on world politics and the historical background of U.S. efforts to foster development in developing countries, foreign policy and levels of analysis, nationalism and globalization (which includes transportation, communications, economic and cultural factors). Transnationalism, with a focus on nongovernmental organizations (NGO’s), religious power, and the women’s movement will be explored. Particular focus will be placed on power, international diplomacy and how states are governed.

AD 567 Public Works Administration, Part II 6 Credits

This course of study focuses on local, state, regional, and national master public works planning, contract administration and project management; multi-year financing of public works projects; environmental impacts and other cost-benefit analyses, and decision-making modeling; multi-jurisdictional services and public-private joint ventures; and, trends and future challenges.

AD 572 Resource Development, Management & Efficiency by Nonprofit Organizations 6 Credits

This course focuses heavily on competencies and knowledge, skills, and abilities needed by senior managers with major responsibilities in such areas as: financial management, accounting, and economics, fundraising, grant writing, mission-focused information technology and knowledge management for nonprofit organizations. Course objectives and learning outcomes emphasize professional and managerial competencies associated with efficient, resource conservative nonprofits, including: Revenue/Resource Development: Fund-Raising and Grantsmanship; Nonprofit Accountability and Economics; Financial Management and Accounting; Performance/Results Measurement, Analysis, Improvement; Information Technology and Management; and, Knowledge Management.

AD 574 International Development and Influence 6 Credits

This course builds on the concepts presented in AD564 International Development I. Students will continue to explore world conditions relevant to international development and influence. In addition to those covered in AD564, conditions explored in this course include the history and roles of intergovernmental organizations, the United Nations, the European Union, international law and human rights. Security issues such as the causes of war, terrorism, unconventional and conventional force, weapons of mass destruction, and global and international security concerns will also be discussed. Finally, the course will examine theories of international political economy, environmental concerns and international cooperation.

AD 590 MPA Portfolio 0 Credits

The Portfolio is a required element of the MPA Degree Program. Students submit the final graded assignment from each of the first five seminars for evaluation of overall growth and improvement throughout the course of the MPA degree program.

AD 595 Residency 0 Credits

GJ 551 Law Enforcement Administration 6 Credits

This course examines law enforcement best practices, police leadership, workforce development, accountability, internal affairs, productivity, and managing special units. Students will also study the role of community policy, community policing, restorative justice programs, crime prevention, and the role of technology, integrated justice systems, and information system security.

GJ 552 Corrections Administration 6 Credits

This course examines administration in the corrections environment. Topics include personnel management, budgeting and public finance, workforce development, staffing, special units, correctional policy development and planning, The role of technology and integrated justice systems are examined, as well as information system security.

GJ 556 Critical Incident Management for Public Safety 6 Credits

This course explores public administration within the scope of critical incidents and crisis management. Among the topics to be studied are domestic terrorism and counterterrorism, the roles of the National Incident Management System and the National Response Framework, best practices for first responders, and constitutional issues related to the execution of first responder duties. Students will also study the use of specially trained and equipped units such as SWAT teams, and the role of community policing and community partnerships in responding to crises, whether manmade or natural. Prerequisites: Completion of all prior core courses in seminars one, two and three or permission of the program director.

OL 510 Leadership Fundamentals 6 Credits

This course focuses on differentiating the conceptual and theoretical aspects and models of leadership and leadership studies in order for students to apply leadership skills and principles to their place of work. The fundamentals of leadership are taught within the context of present and past leaders with an emphasis on how to live out these fundamentals in an ethical manner.

OL 520 Emotional Intelligence 6 Credits

This course provides information about the new way of evaluating intelligence in individuals. This new measure of intelligence is called EQ or emotional intelligence. Students are given the opportunities and tools to evaluate their capacity to think about work through the lens of reflection and introspection as a guide to understanding the behavioral aspects of working together and providing customer service. By examining thinking patterns students will take away new skills in developing intuitive reasoning to enhance professional interpersonal relationships with peers and customers.

OL 530 Leading Change in Organizations 6 Credits

A leader’s ability to understand and follow the change management process in a collaborative manner is a vital skill to master. This seminar focuses on the strategic leadership of change in organizations. Students learn about change from a leadership as well as a management perspective in organizations, national and multinational. This broad-based seminar differentiates the conceptual and theoretical change models in order to assist the student in understanding the best ways to lead and manage change. Students learn the importance of understanding and following the change management process in a collaborative manner. The seminar helps students learn about and practice leadership skills that foster positive changes in people and organizations.

OL 540 Strategic Communication and Information Leadership 6 Credits

Strategic communication is a vital skill in today’s demanding, fast-paced, virtual or global workplaces. This course requires students to identify a personal leadership style, tendencies and preferences as a professional, and how one assimilates and applies information. Experiential learning is a large component of this course as students practice their skills at work and relay their experiences through a Leadership Development Portfolio (LDP).

OL 541 Hospitality Leadership Strategies 6 Credits

This course introduces leadership practices and strategies in the expanding hospitality industry. The core of the course is the study of best practices for hospitality leadership, including the challenges of providing exceptional service with limited resources and changes to the global marketplace. Students study different types of industry best practices, focusing on internal and external stakeholder relationships, and forming strategic directions to ensure success in a chosen type of organization.

OL 543 Theories and Innovative Practices of Public Sector/Government/Military Leadership 6 Credits

This course addresses the dynamic economic, social, and cultural transformations faced by contemporary public sector/government/military leaders as they strengthen agencies for tomorrow’s challenges. Combining the latest leadership theories of public sector/government/military leadership with the most effective lessons from the private sector, students will gain theoretical frameworks and practical tools to effectively improve and enhance their skills to manage complex systems, influence organizational context, engage stakeholders, and shape institutional culture. The topics covered include: history and theories of successful public sector/government/military management; contemporary leadership strategies; and innovative response to public sector challenges in a growing global marketplace.

OL 550 Strategic Organizational Behavior 6 Credits

This seminar focuses on strategic organizational behavior in organizations. Students learn about the importance of strategic alignment in order to enable effective organizational behavior. Systems thinking and organizational behavior provide a framework that the student can use both to analyze and influence the behavior of individuals and groups within the organization. This broad-based seminar analyzes and applies various holistic strategic organizational behavior models in order to assist the student in understanding the best ways to assess and impact the strategic alignment of organizations. Students learn the importance of a leader’s ability to understand and use various organizational behavior and organizational strategy models. The seminar helps students learn about and practice leadership skills that foster strategic alignment and effective behavior in people and organizations.

OL 551 Hospitality Management Systems: Leveraging Capacity in Service Organizations 6 Credits

This seminar focuses on various management systems utilized within the hospitality industry to leverage capacity to expand services via human resources and innovative knowledge management. This course introduces students to hospitality management systems and the strategies used to create an adaptive, dynamic and customer-focused hospitality organization. The course examines management tools and tactics geared to improve customer loyalty, employee satisfaction and revenue management. The core of the course is the study of best practices for hospitality management systems, and the science behind the correct utility of those systems.

OL 553 Influence in the Public Sector/Government/Military: Collaborating Across Organizational Lines 6 Credits

This course addresses challenges faced by public sector/government/military leadership in developing collaborative relationships spanning across agency borders. Managing adaptation to changing environments and successfully dealing with multi-faceted variables using planning and control strategies, students will learn new people management strategies, implementing fundamentals of strategic and performance management, by leading effective change initiatives within an organization, and fostering teamwork by creating a work culture that values collaboration. The topics covered include: creating operational synergy, and managing internal and external stakeholder relationships to promote information sharing and create collaborative partnerships.

OL 560 Strategic Organizational Leadership & Developing a Learning Organization 6 Credits

Students apply principles of Leading Change, Strategic Organizational Behavior and Strategic Leadership to people and organizations to impact performance and ensure future success. This seminar develops an understanding of the implications of strategic alignment and organizational learning to the organization’s success. It differentiates conceptual and theoretical change models to assist students in understanding the best ways to lead change and foster a learning organization while considering individual and group behavior as tied to strategy. The seminar demonstrates how strategic leadership, organizational behavior, and change theories are applied in a collaborative manner and will lead to aligning stakeholder’s interest. Prerequisites: OL530 and OL550 or permission of the program director.

OL 561 Capstone Studies 6 Credits

This course in capstone studies provides students the opportunity to synthesize learning from all previous seminars and to apply the concepts and principles in two ways: the preparation of a written capstone project that offers a practical or theoretical solution to an organizational challenge or issue of contemporary importance and relevance to the work or career goals of each student; and a 1500- word paper suitable for publication in a professional journal. Students will be required to exhibit indepth critical thinking, organizational analysis, and effective writing. Course assignments will maximize the exchange of student suggestions and comments on the various stages of the capstone project, to include but not limited to topic section, thesis, resources and supporting information. Prerequisites: Completion of all prior required core and concentration courses, or permission of the program director.

OL 595 Residency 0 Credits