PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - PA

PA 410Public Administration for Police Supervisors3(3-0-0) F,S,SUM1,SUM2
Introduces law enforcement supervisors to the subject of Public Administration as a field of intellectual inquiry and as a field of professional activity. Students will learn how important founding principles such as federalism, separation of powers, equity, and democratic accountability impact police organizations today. The more practical concerns of police administrators including budgeting and financial management, labor-management relations, and personnel law are also considered. Available only to distance education students enrolled in the AOMP.


PA 411Managing Police Organizational Behavior3(3-0-0) F,S,SUM1,SUM2
This course is designed to prepare police managers to develop more efficient and effective organizations. Particular attention is given to improving leadership and interpersonal communication skills through self assessment. Students will also study group dynamics, team building, and the importance of employee empowerment within a law enforcement context. Problem-solving g tools and assessments utilized by police agencies to facilitate organizational change are also considered. Available only to distance education students enrolled in the AOMP.


PA 412Management Skills & Practices for Police Supervision3(3-0-0)
The purpose of this course is to introduce law enforcement supervisors to management skills that can enhance their individual and organizational effectiveness. Students will learn collaborative leadership, conflict resolution, staff development, group problem solving, delegation and coaching. The skills taught in this class are considered theoretically (through reading assignments and lectures), experientially (through role plays, assessment center exercises, and management inventories), and analytically (through written analyses and class discussions). Available only to distance education students enrolled in the AOMP.


PA 501Effective Writing for Public Managers1(1-0-0) F, Alt yrs
Focus on professional writing and emphasis on the types of documents most frequently written by public managers. Drafting, editing, audience assessment, and persuasive writing. Student composition of memos, position papers, proposals and instructions.
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PA 508Government & Public Administration1(1-0-0) F
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Public administration and policy making in U.S. political system. Covers Presidency, Congress, Supreme Court, Federal Reserve System, state and local government, intergovenmental relations. Credit is not allowed if student has prior credit for 3 ormore undergraduate American government courses


PA 509Applied Political Economy3(3-0-0) F
Preq: EC/ARE 401
Principles governing the interaction of politics and markets, and their application to public policy and public administration. Economic and political market failure, dilemmas of public choice and effects of political institutions. Case studies ofpublic policy-making.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 510Ethics and Professional Practice1.5(1.5-0-0) F,S
Preq: MPA student
Coreq: PA 601
Workshop on ethical responsibilities of public and nonprofit administrators and codes of ethics used by their professional organizations. Knowledge and problem-solving skills to assess ethical challenges encountered in public and nonprofit administration.
Course Offerings: fall sprg WolfWare Info


PA 511Public Policy Analysis3(3-0-0) F,S,Sum
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Methods and techniques of analyzing, developing and evaluating public policies and programs. Emphasis given to benefit-cost and cost-effectiveness analysis and concepts of economic efficiency, equity and distribution. Methods include problem solving, decision making and case studies. Examples used in human resource, environmental and regulatory policy.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sprg


PA 512The Budgetary Process3(3-0-0) F,S
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Examination of generalized budgetary process used at all levels of government in the U. S. Understanding of the process based upon comprehension of institutions involved, roles of politicians and professionals and the objectives of budgetary systems. Focus also upon budgetary reforms and on Planning-Programming-Budgetary and Zero-Based Budgeting as management tools.
Course Offerings: fall sprg


PA 513Public Organization Behavior3(3-0-0) F,S
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Major conceptual frameworks developed to understand organization behavior. Motivation, leadership, group dynamics, communication, socio-technical systems, work design and organizational learning. Application of theories and concepts to public sectororganizations.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sprg WolfWare Info


PA 514Management Systems3(3-0-0) F,S
Preq: Six hours of graduate PA course work
Use of management systems by public and nonprofit organizations to monitor and manage their programs. Results-based management approaches, including strategic planning, goal setting, and output/outcome measurement. Ways of increasing managerial effectiveness through the use of structural changes, process improvements, project planning tools, performance-based budget systems, and individual and group rewards.
Course Offerings: fall sprg


PA 515Research Methods and Analysis3(3-0-0) F,S
Preq: ST 311
A focus on behavioral approach to study of political and administrative behavior. Topics including philosophy of social science; experimental, quasi and non-experimental research design; data collection techniques; basic statistical analysis with computer applications.
Course Offerings: fall sprg WolfWare Info


PA 520Seminar in Urban Management3(3-0-0) S
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
A seminar focusing on analytical techniques and managerial principles required for policy formation and implementation in a complex urban governmental environment. Specific topics including urban planning and community development, housing, intergovernmental relations, organizational roles and decision making, budgeting and selected urban services (for example: police, transportation).
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 521Government and Planning3(3-0-0) S, Alt yrs(odd)
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
The planning function at all levels of government in the U. S., with particular attention to problems posed for planning by rapid growth of metropolitan areas. Overview of community development, urban spatial structure, housing economics and land use planning.


PA 522Intergovernmental Relations in the United States3(3-0-0) F
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Examination of distinctive features of intergovernmental relations in the U. S. Topics stressed including historical adaptations of federalism, emerging role of the administrator, contemporary trends in intergovernmental relations and assessment of contemporary trends from federal, state and local perspectives.


PA 523Municipal Law3(3-0-0) F, Alt yrs(even)
Preq: Graduate standing
A focus on the legal nature of cities as municipal corporations and the legal context in which local governments operate. Specific topics covered including incorporation, ethics, public access to meetings and records, annexation, land use, development, planning, liability, financing, contracting, and personnel actions.
Course Offerings: fall


PA 525Organization Design3(3-0-0) S
Preq: Advanced Undergraduate standing including 12 hours of PS program, Graduate standing or PBS status
An examination of contemporary approaches to organization design, including organization development, sociotechnical systems analysis and various forms of organizational participation ranging from human relations to self-management models. Emphasis on issues in personnel administration in relation to public management and government structure.
Course Offerings: fall


PA 530Financial Management in the Public Sector3(3-0-0) Alt. S (odd)
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Survey of financial practices and concepts in the public sector. Topics including public sector accounting, financial information systems, revenue projections, cash management and debt management. Emphasis upon case-based applications.


PA 531Human Resource Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations3(3-0-0) F,S
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Analysis of major Human Resource practices used by public and nonprofit organizations. Techniques examined include organization (strategy, job analysis, job evaluation, and compensation), staffing (recruitment, retention, testing, and hiring), performance management (appraisal and training & development), and employee relations (grievance & discipline mediation & negotiation, and labor relations).
Course Offerings: fall sprg


PA 532Contract Negotiation and Mediation in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors3(3-0-0) S
Preq: Graduate standing or Management Development Certificate Program and 6 hours of 500-level course work
Three inter-related leadership skills - negotiation, contracting, and mediation-essential for acheiving organizational success. Skills for negotiating with partners, for facilitation among colleagues, for crafting and monitoring contracts for equipment, services, or performance, and for using alternate dispute resolution techniques, primarily mediation.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 535Problem Solving for Public and Nonprofit Managers3(3-0-0) F, Sum
Preq: PA 513
The course introduces a problem solving model specific to public and nonprofit organizations. The model is based on meeting three criteria: effectiveness, efficiency, and equity. Students learn to apply the model in interpersonal and group interactions. The course relies heavily on self-assessment to enable the students to recognize their problem solving propensities and the strengths and limitations of those tendencies.
Course Offerings: fall


PA 536Management of NonProfit Organizations3(3-0-0) F
Preq: PBS status or Graduate standing
Strategies for developing board leadership, staffing, and managing volunteers, working in multi-cultural environments, developing partnerships with other organizations, conducting government relations. Legal requirements and contraint on nonprofits: incorporation, lobbying, and tax policies.
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PA 537Association Management3(3-0-0) Alt. S
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Survey of association management. Application of public management to specific association management concerns. Topics including history of associations, legal aspects, public relations, budgeting and financial management, membership development andpolitics of associations.


PA 538Nonprofit Budgeting and Financial Management3(3-0-0) A, Alt yrs(odd)
Nonprofit budgeting and financial management practices, including budgeting, financial analysis, cash flow forecasting, internally controlling financial transcations, borrowing, external auditing, investing, managing risk, purchasing and inventory control.
Course Offerings: fall


PA (COM) 539Fund Development3(3-0-0) S
Preq: PBS status or Graduate standing
Identifies and assesses techniques and best practices of fund development, annual giving, capital campaigns, endowments. Topics include setting achievable goals, organizing and staffing a fund development campaing, and identifying donors. Discusses links between fund development and organization mission and governance, ethical issues, and government regulations.
Course Offerings: fall sprg


PA 540Computer Applications in Public Affairs3(3-0-0) F,S
Preq: Advanced Undergraduate standing
Selected computer-based skills pertinent to public administration, including but not limited to, agency web development, online research, and datagraphics.
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PA 541Geographic Information Systems for Public Administration3(3-0-0) S
Preq: Graduate standing, PBS status, Advanced Undergraduate standing with 12 hours in PS program
Introduction to management of spatial data in relation to public administration databases, including preparation of maps, tables, and data graphics related to geographic information systems in the public sector. Use of ArcView and a variety of other GIS computer applications.
Course Offerings: fall sum2


PA 542Public Information Technology3(3-0-0) S
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Introduction to policy and management issues in public-sector information technology, including implementation success factors, privacy and security issues, best practives and governmental productivity, and training of the public service for new roles of government in an information society.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 543E-Government3(3-0-0) F
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Introduction to policy and management issues specific to governmental adoption and implementation of initiatives mediated by the Internet, including e-procurement, e-licensing, online citizen access to governmental databases, and e-democracy initiatives, both in terms of prerequisites to successful implementation and in terms of organizational and social impacts of these initiatives.


PA 545Administrative Law3(3-0-0) Occasionally
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Case law of exercise of administrative power, judicial and legislative control of administrative action, legal rights of public employers and legal procedures of administrative tribunals.


PA 546Seminar in program Evaluation3(3-0-0) S
Preq: Graduate standing and 6 hours of 500-level courses
Combination of seminar and field research techniques to study evaluation of public programs. Focus on political and administrative problems associated with program evaluation. Examination of availiability and appropriateness of various quantitative methodologies. Seminar concepts applied through evaluative projects conducted for public agencies.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 550Environmental Policy3(3-0-0) F,S
Preq: Advanced Undergraduate standing including 12 hours of PS program, Graduate standing or PBS status
Focus on formation and impact of environmental policy in the U. S. Examination on decision-making processes at all levels of government. Comparisons between political, economic, social and technological policy alternatives. Emphasis upon applicationof policy analysis in environmental assessment and consideration on theoretical perspectives on nature of the environmental crisis.
Course Offerings: sum2 WolfWare Info


PA 553Disaster, Crisis and Emergency Management and Policy3(3-0-0) S, (ALTYREVEN)
Study of the policies designed to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from natural and technological hazards, disasters, accidents, or terrorist attacks. Surveys government, nonprofit, and private sector activities in hazards, disasters,emergency and crisis management and policy.


PA 555Administration of Criminal Justice3(3-0-0) F,S
Preq: PS 311 or Graduate standing
Politics and administration in American criminal justice system. Emphasis upon interrelationships between ideology, organization and policy outputs in analysis of major problems confronting the system today. Topics including intergovernmental relations, discretionary justice, impact of judicial decisions on criminal justice administration and management trends in criminal justice bureaucracies.Credit for both PS 555 and PA 555 is not allowed.3
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 580Independent Study1-6 F,S,Sum
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Independent research or readings by graduate students under direct supervision of individual faculty members. Students' work evaluated, based on reports, papers and exams.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sum2 sprg


PA 598Special Topics in Public Administration1-6 F,S,Sum
Preq: Advanced Undergraduate standing including 12 hours in PS program, Graduate standing or PBS status
Detailed investigation of contemporary topics in fields of public administration. Topic and mode of study determined by program faculty.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 601Effective Public Communications1.5(1.5-0-0) F,S
Coreq: PA 510
Written and oral skills and applications needed by public and nonprofit administrators. Includes drafting, editing, and presenting factual and persuasive materials. Use of visual aids, handling question and answer sessions, dealing with media, and holding effective meetings. Composing memos, position papers, and press releases. MPA students
Course Offerings: fall sprg


PA 602Oral Presentations for Public Managers1(1-0-0) F,S
Focus on professional presentations common to public managers. Persuasive presentations, analyzing the audience, using visual aids, handling question and answer sessions. Techniques for dealing with media and holding effective meetings.


PA 610Special Topics in Public Administration1-6 F,S,Sum
Preq: Advanced Undergraduate standing including 12 hours in PS program, Graduate standing or PBS status
Detailed investigation of contemporary topics in fields of public administration. Topic and mode of study determined by program faculty.


PA 635Readings and Research1-3 F,S,Sum
Preq: Graduate standing
To enable graduate students to pursue a subject of particular interest to them by doing extensive readings or research in that subject under direct, individual faculty supervision.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sum2 sprg


PA 640Grantwriting1(1-0-0) F
Survey of funding environment; how to identify foundations, corporation and government funding sources, write proposals, and evaluate proposals.
Course Offerings: fall sprg


PA 650Internship in Public Affairs1-6 F,S,Sum
Preq: Minimum 9 hours graduate work
Exposure of the student to environment and value systems of the public organization through a supervised work experience. Involving application of substantive knowledge and analytical skills to organizational problems. Credit will vary with nature of the work experience.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sum2 sprg


PA 651Advanced Practical Training1-3 F,S,SUM1,SUM2
Preq: 12 graduate credit hours
Substantive knowledge and analytical skills applied to projects under agency supervision. Participation in monthly on-campus meetings. Credit will not be given for placements in current or previous work unit. Credit will not be given for both PA 650 and PA 651. Credit will vary with number of work hours. Must have MPA, current or previous professional work experience.
Course Offerings: fall sprg


PA 685Master's Supervised Teaching1-3 F, S, Sum
Preq: Master's student
Teaching experience under the mentorship of faculty who assist the student in planning for the teaching assignment, observe and provide feedback to the student during the teaching assignment, and evaluate the student upon completion of the assignment.


PA 688Non-Thesis Masters Continuous Registration - Half Time Registration1(1-0-0) F,S,Sum
Preq: Master's student
For students in non-thesis master's programs who have completed all credit hour requirements for their degree but need to maintain half-time continuous registration to complete incomplete grades, projects, final master's exam, etc.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 689Non-Thesis Master Continuous Registration - Full Time Registration3(3-0-0) F,S,Sum
Preq: Master's student
For students in non-thesis master's programs who have completed all credit hour requirements for their degree but need to maintain full-time continuous registration to complete incomplete grades, projects, final master's exam, etc. Students may register for this course a maximum of one semester.


PA 696Summer Thesis Research1(1-0-0) Sum
Preq: Master's student
For graduate students whose programs of work specify no formal course work during a summer session and who will be devoting full time to thesis research.
Course Offerings: sum1


PA 701Politics and Ethics of Public Administration3(3-0-0) F
Preq: Graduate standing
The linkage of public administration to politics occasionally and policy process in local, state and national government and relationship of public administrators to the agency, government and public. Accountability in public sector, legal and professional responsibilities of public administrators, ethical issues in public administration and codes of ethics.


PA 715Quantitative Policy Analysis3(3-0-0) F
Preq: ST 407, ST 511, ST 513
Application of quantitative tools to conduct public policy and administrative research. Course identifies and uses secondary data, including U.S. Census Data, to empirically assess social and economic policies. Emphasis is on the correct selection, use and interpretation of data to answer public policy questions and to understand the strengths and limitations of quantitative analysis.
Course Offerings: fall WolfWare Info


PA 761Foundation of Public Administration3(3-0-0) F
Preq: Graduate standing
Intellectual foundation of public administration and its development as a discipline. Boundaries between public administration and large political process, external political control, factors producing administrative influence and the bases of administrative ethics.
Course Offerings: fall WolfWare Info


PA 762Public Organization Theory3(3-0-0) S, Alt yrs
Preq: Graduate standing
Examination of fundamental questions guiding organization research in public administration with emphasis on reconciling democracy and organization. Analysis of classical bureaucratic systems, rational choice, cognitive and organizational economic,and nonlinear and chaos theories.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 763Public Policy Process3(3-0-0) F, Alt. Yrs.
Preq: Graduate standing
Examination of public policy process at federal level in the United States. Analysis of constitutional foundations of this process and the role of governmental institutions, political culture, parties, interest groups, and public opinion in policy making. Case studies of policy making and implementation in selected policy areas.
Course Offerings: fall


PA 764Budgeting and Financial Management3(3-0-0) S, Alt. Yrs.
Preq: PA 512
Examination of budgetary and financial management processes in governmental and nonprofit agencies. Budgetary and financial management theory, practice, and unanswered research questions.


PA 765Quantitative Research in Public Administration3(3-0-0) S
Preq: PA 515 ; ST 507
Review of quantitative procedures commonly applied in public administration with emphasis on applications found in leading journals in the discipline. Exploration of data acquisition, appropriate research design, selection of procedures, data assumptions of procedures, and common errors in the research process and in statistical analysis.
Course Offerings: sprg WolfWare Info


PA 770Contemporary Public Management3(3-0-0) S, Alt. Yrs.
Preq: PA 514
Current public management practices, including evaluation of their underlying theoretical assumptions and of empirical evidence about their effectiveness. Causes of recent shifts in public management theory; political implications of management choices; privatization in theory and practice; managerial use of performance measurement systems; customer feedback systems; worker incentive structures.


PA 771Seminar on Nonprofit Organizations3(3-0-0) S, (ALTYREVEN)
Course provides the necessary theoretical foundation to design scholarly research on nonprofit organizations, voluntary action, and the nonprofit sector. Topics focus on the historical and philosophical roots of the nonprofit sector, the theories used to frame scholarly research and answer contemporary research questions. Students assume a leadership role in shaping the course content. Doctoral students only.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 780Independent Study1-6 F,S,Sum
Preq: Graduate standing or PBS status
Independent research or readings by graduate students under direct supervision of individual faculty members. Students' work evaluated, based on reports, papers and exams.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sum2 sprg


PA 798Special Topics in Public Administration and Policy1-3 F, S
In depth exploration of specialized or emerging topics in public administration or public policy. Student presentations on readings and research projects. Also used to test and develop new courses.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 803Advanced Research Design3(3-0-0) F
Preq: Doctoral student in Public Administration; PA 765
Coreq: At least two graduate methodology or statistics courses
Philsosphy and objectives of social scientific research with focus on basic and applied research, need for hypothesis development and testing as a basis of scientific research, inductive and deductive reasoning. Emphasis on preparation of research design of dissertation, published articles, and technical presentations. Students will present a research prospectus that will serve as the basis for their dissertation.
Course Offerings: fall


PA 810Special Topics in Public Administration1-6 F,S,Sum
Preq: Advanced Undergraduate standing including 12 hours in PS program, Graduate standing or PBS status
Detailed investigation of contemporary topics in fields of public administration. Topic and mode of study determined by program faculty.
Course Offerings: sprg


PA 835Readings and Research1-3 F,S,Sum
Preq: Graduate standing
To enable graduate students to pursue a subject of particular interest to them by doing extensive readings or research in that subject under direct, individual faculty supervision.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sum2 sprg


PA 850Internship in Public Affairs1-6 F,S,Sum
Preq: Minimum 9 hours graduate work
Exposure of the student to environment and value systems of the public organization through a supervised work experience. Involving application of substantive knowledge and analytical skills to organizational problems. Credit will vary with nature of the work experience.


PA 851Internship in Public Affairs1-6 F,S,Sum
Preq: Minimum 9 hours graduate work
Exposure of the student to environment and value systems of the public organization through a supervised work experience. Involving application of substantive knowledge and analytical skills to organizational problems. Credit will vary with nature of the work experience.


PA 860Public Management Computing Lab1(1-0-0) F,S
Preq: Graduate standing
Introduction to managerial computing in the public sector. Budgeting and database management applications including tracking departmental expenditures, fund balance calculations, tracking personnel, sensitivity analysis, forecasting and graphical display of financial and management reports. Employment of spreadsheet and database management software used in budgeting and other management activities.


PA 880Directed StudyNULL


PA 885Doctoral Supervised Teaching1-3 F,S,Sum
Preq: Doctoral student
Teaching experience under the mentorship of faculty who assist the student in planning for the teaching assignment, observe and provide feedback to the student during the teaching assignment, and evaluate the student upon completion of the assignment.
Course Offerings: fall sprg


PA 890Doctoral Preliminary Examination1-9 F,S,Sum
Preq: Doctoral student
For students who are preparing for and taking written and/or oral preliminary exams.
Course Offerings: sum1 sum2 sprg


PA 893Doctoral Supervised Research1-9 F,S,Sum
Preq: Doctoral student
Instruction in research and research under the mentorship of a member of the Graduate faculty.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sum2 sprg


PA 895Doctoral Dissertation Research1-9 F,S,Sum
Preq: Doctoral student
Dissertation research.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sum2 sprg


PA 896Summer Dissertation Research1(1-0-0) Sum
Preq: Doctoral student
For graduate students whose programs of work specify no formal course work during a summer session and who will be devoting full time to thesis research.
Course Offerings: sum1


PA 899Doctoral Dissertation Preparation1-3 F,S,Sum
Preq: Doctoral student
For students who have completed all credit hour, full-time enrollment, preliminary examination, and residency requirements for the doctoral degree, and are writing and defending their dissertations.
Course Offerings: fall sum1 sum2 sprg