Master of Public Administration

This is an archived copy of the 2020-2021 Catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.norwich.edu/.

Program Director: Rosemarie Pelletier

The Master of Public Administration program is designed for working professionals who seek to become leaders in the field of the administration of public services. The curriculum places a high emphasis on experiential learning with a focus on demonstrating knowledge of the principles and concepts of leadership, implementation of ethical principles in operations, program evaluation, critical analysis of operational practices, policy making and strategic planning, management of groups, workforce development, fostering community relations and identifying stakeholders.

The Master of Public Administration program provides students with the tools to meet these objectives by creating an environment of academic interaction between the students and faculty, all of whom are leaders in the field of public administration. Emphasis is placed on problem-solving, using scenarios that replicate real-world operational and policy-oriented situations. Each student is required to submit a capstone paper and, prior to the completion of the program, a shorter publishable paper addressing the capstone project.

Mission

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program prepares and supports diversified adult learners who are military and non-military, to become knowledgeable, innovative public sector leaders. The MPA program develops leadership characteristics driven by fundamental public administration values, including those that are at the core of Norwich’s history and tradition. Norwich MPA faculty members are academically and professionally prepared to advance the mission with practitioner-oriented educational experiences available through state-of-the-art, online course delivery, and external partnership. Culminating experiences of a Capstone Project, portfolio development and Residency Week complement the MPA on-line delivery method, providing the opportunity for problem-solving, a retrospective on course work, face-to-face collaboration and networking.

Goals:

  • Prepare and support diversified learners
  • Help students become knowledgeable innovative public sector leaders based upon better communication
  • Reinforce public administration best practices
  • Use Practitioner-oriented learning

Curriculum Map/Plan of Study

Term 1
Foundations of Public Administration and Policy6
Term 2
Public Administration Research and Analysis (or one concentration course)6
Term 3
Public Organization Resources & Processes (or one concentration course)6
Term 4
One concentration course
6
Term 5
One concentration course
6
Term 6
Concentration capstone course
6
MPA Portfolio0
Residency 10
Total Cr.36


Curriculum Requirements 

Required Courses

All students are required to begin their program with AD 511, Foundations of Public Administration and Policy, followed by five six-credit concentration courses. All students are also required to complete the exit portfolio, AD 590.

Core Courses
AD 511Foundations of Public Administration and Policy6
AD 521Public Administration Research and Analysis6
AD 531Public Organization Resources & Processes6
AD 561Capstone Studies6
AD 590MPA Portfolio0
Culminating Academic Requirement
AD 595Residency0
Total Cr.24


Concentrations Courses:

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Concentration

Our criminal justice and public safety concentration is designed to help students develop the skills needed to pursue or further their careers in law enforcement or transition into another area of public service. This concentration explores the best practices of law enforcement agencies, corrections administration, and public safety management.

Criminal Justice and Public Safety Courses
AD 511Foundations of Public Administration and Policy6
AD 521Public Administration Research and Analysis6
AD 531Public Organization Resources & Processes6
Select two courses from the following:
GJ 551Law Enforcement Administration6
GJ 552Corrections Administration6
GJ 556Critical Incident Management for Public Safety6
Capstone
AD 561Capstone Studies6
Total Cr.36

 Fiscal Management Concentration

This two course concentration explores the legal and regulatory foundation of 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 governmental organizations.

Students will be provided with the 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. This concentration also 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 by issuing bonds and levying taxes, and managing cash and employee retirement funds. Students will also examine contemporary perspectives on professional ethics and ethical behavior of leaders in the public sector, particularly in regard to their fiduciary responsibility in investing and managing public funds

Fiscal Management Courses
AD 511Foundations of Public Administration and Policy6
AD 521Public Administration Research and Analysis6
AD 531Public Organization Resources & Processes6
AD 558Fiscal Management Accounting & Contracting6
AD 559Fiscal Management Finance/Tax & Budgeting6
AD 561Capstone Studies6
Total Cr.36

Municipal Governance Concentration

The Municipal Governance concentration focuses on three key areas of study:

  • Municipal Governance in general,
  • Rural Municipal Governance,
  • Urban Municipal Governance.

These three seminars will explore key 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. The seminars will also study how to create and maintain intergovernmental relationships, form partnerships with elected officials, staff, and private sector business. Studies in these three seminars will provide a graduate MPA student with a skill set that includes interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary competence, effective leadership skills, and action plan development and implementation.

Municipal Governance Courses
AD 511Foundations of Public Administration and Policy6
AD 521Public Administration Research and Analysis6
AD 531Public Organization Resources & Processes6
AD 543Municipal Governance6
AD 553Rural Municipal Governance6
or AD 563 Urban Municipal Governance
AD 561Capstone Studies6
Total Cr.36

 Nonprofit Management Concentration

The Nonprofit Management concentration focuses on these key areas of study:

  • Nonprofit leadership and management,
  • Nonprofit Administration,
  • Transformational Organizational Culture, Human Resource Development and
  • Management,
  • Resource Development and Efficiency by Nonprofit Organizations,
  • Healthcare Management

These seminars will explore key best practices for nonprofit leadership in areas such as: workforce focus, volunteer staff management, leadership and governance, nonprofit law, ethics, grant writing, accounting and economics, healthcare information technology and knowledge management. Studies in these seminars will provide a graduate MPA student with a skill set that includes interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary competence, effective leadership and management skills, and action plan development and implementation.

Nonprofit Management Courses
AD 511Foundations of Public Administration and Policy6
AD 521Public Administration Research and Analysis6
AD 531Public Organization Resources & Processes6
AD 542Leading the Nonprofit Organization6
AD 552Nonprofit Administration6
or AD 562 Transformational Organizational Culture, Human Resources Devel and Mngt in NonProfit Organizations
or AD 572 Resource Development, Management & Efficiency by Nonprofit Organizations
or AD 582 Healthcare Management
AD 561Capstone Studies6
Total Cr.36

Policy Analysis and Analytics Concentration

The Public Policy Analysis and Analytics concentration focuses on these key areas of study:

  • Policy, Politics, and Planning,
  • Methods of Policy Analysis,
  • Policy and Policy Implementation,
  • Tools for Policy Analysis, and
  • Economics and Decision Making.

These seminars will explore key best practices for policy planning, implementation, analysis and analytics. Data mining, data gathering, decision making based upon analysis and analytics all contribute to a growing field of policy analysis and the need for those who understand public administration, public policy AND the process of analysis using up to date tools.

Policy Analysis and Analytics Courses
AD 511Foundations of Public Administration and Policy6
AD 545Policy, Politics, and Planning6
AD 555Methods of Policy Analysis6
AD 565Policy and Policy Implementation6
AD 575Tools for Policy Analysis6
AD 585Economics & Decision Making6
Total Cr.36

Public Administration Leadership and Crisis Management Concentration

These courses introduce students to the fundamentals of management and leadership in public administration. Students explore major models of leadership from theoretical, ethical, and practical perspectives. Students develop a thorough understanding of leadership concepts and how to apply them in their own work environment. Leading in crisis situations, including how discussions are made and implemented, how information is communicated in critical situations, how political leaders are held accountable in crisis situations and how communities can be returned to a state of normality after a critical incident has occurred are key topics covered in this concentration.

The concentration's seminars explore key best practices for public administration leadership and management in areas such as: workforce focus, leadership and governance, ethics, information technology, and knowledge management. Studies in these seminars will provide a graduate with a skill set that includes interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary competence, effective leadership and management skills, and action plan development and implementation.

Public Administration Leadership and Crisis Management Courses
AD 511Foundations of Public Administration and Policy6
AD 521Public Administration Research and Analysis6
AD 531Public Organization Resources & Processes6
AD 576Foundations of Leadership and Ethical Decision Making6
AD 586Public Leadership, Crisis Management, and Organizational Change6
AD 561Capstone Studies6
Total Cr.36

Procurement and Government Contract Management 

After completing this concentration, students will have the ability to analyze data and craft plans to conduct and actively engage public procurement, contracting, and contract management processes from a functional and management vantage.

Procurement and Government Contract Management Courses
AD 511Foundations of Public Administration and Policy6
AD 521Public Administration Research and Analysis6
AD 531Public Organization Resources & Processes6
AD 568Government Procurement and Contract Management6
AD 578Government Contract Management6
AD 561Capstone Studies6
Total Cr.36

Cyber Law and International Perspectives on Cyber Space

This concentration for public administration professionals helps expand the potential number of employees qualified in this field of cyber security and begins to blend the fields of policy, law, technology, international cyber policies and cyber security, much as the “real world” is blended. Public Administration students will study and learn side-by-side with Information Security students.

Because the overwhelming majority of cyber infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector, the course focus is on those laws that affect the interaction between government and the private sector information technology industry, including the privacy rights so often implicated in modern data storage systems. After completing this concentration, students have the ability to better understand these specific fields of laws, policies and regulations that specifically address topics and the impact these have on public administration.

Cyber Law and International Perspectives Courses
GI 557Cyber Law6
GI 567International Perspectives on Cyberspace6
Total Cr.12

 Critical Infrastructure Protection and Cyber Crime

This concentration examines the security of information critical to national security and the nature of conflict in cyberspace.  This concentration strengthens knowledge of supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) in the flow of resources such as electricity, water, and fuel.  The courses in this concentration help information leaders leverage the benefits of Internet technologies while minimizing the risks that such technologies pose to their organizations.

These include the sectors of banking, securities and commodities markets, industrial supply chain, electrical/smart grid, energy, transportation, communications, water supply and health. Special attention is paid to the risk management of information in critical infrastructure environments through an analysis and synthesis of assets, threats, vulnerabilities, impacts, and countermeasures.

Opening this concentration to public administration professionals helps expand the potential number of employees qualified in this field of cyber security and begins to blend the fields of policy, technology, and cyber security, much as the “real world” is blended. Public Administration students will study and learn side-by-side with Information Security students. 

After completing this concentration, students have the ability to better understand these specific fields of cyber security and the impact these have on public administration.

Critical Infrastructure Protection Courses
GI 556Cyber Crime6
GI 566Critical Infra. Protection6
Total Cr.12

 Exit Portfolio

The Exit Portfolio is a graduation requirement for students who enter the program on or after December 2014. Upon entering their sixth and final course, students are required to submit to their portfolio the final graded assignment from each of their first five (5) courses. The student's final course instructor will assess the portfolio and assign a grade of Satisfactory (S) or Unsatisfactory (U) and provide an assessment summary for each student, noting the student's strengths, interests, and improvements.   

One-Week Residency

All degree candidates of the Master of Public Administration are required to attend a one-week Residency Conference on the Norwich University campus, during which they may attend professional presentations, participate in roundtable discussions with faculty, and present papers. The one-week residency is a degree requirement.

Faculty Member Institution at which highest degree was earned
Paula Beiser, MBA College of William and Mary
Jose Cordova, Ph.D. Ohio University
Jason Jagemann, PhD State University of New York
Bruce Lindsay, PhD University of Delaware
Charles Lorbeer, PhD Walden University
William Powers, PhD Bellevue University
Deborah Rhyne, EdD University of Central Florida
Chris Sigle, DPA Capella University
Ruth Stillwell, DPA University of Baltimore
Lasha Tchantouridze, PhD Queen's University
Emmanuel Tetteh, PhD Walden University
Robert Wright, DPA University of Leverne