Concentration - Public Administration

Public Administration

The Public Administration concentration is designed to enhance the skills of public administration professionals and to prepare aspiring administrators for a career in the public and non-profit sectors.

Developed by public administrators for public administrators, the concentration provides a multi-faceted overview into the world of government and public management. Key topics include budgeting and resource management, organizational theory, and an emphasis on how modern technology is influencing the public and non-profit sectors. This concentration requires a minimum of 36 credits.

Concentration Requirements:

Requirements	Credits
State and Local Government	3 credits
Public Finance and Budgeting	3 credits
Ethics in Public Administration	3 credits
Politics & Public Policy	3 credits
Intergovernmental Relations   (state, local, federal, international)	3 credits
Organizational Theory	3 credits
Non-Profit Management	3 credits
Public Policy Analysis	3 credits
Public Administration Law	3 credits
Current Issues in Public Administration	3 credits
Elective in Public Administration or related area – Examples: Internship (recommended for someone new to Public Administration, Human Resource Management, Grants Writing,  Personal and Org. Communication, Org and Group Dynamics, Leadership Practices, Team Leadership, Fundamentals of Project Management	3 credits
Capstone	3 credits
Total	36
Pre-requisite: Introduction to Public Administration	3 credits
Co-requisite: Macroeconomics or Microeconomics	3 credits
Co-requisite: Research Methods	3 credits

 

Recommended: American Government and Statistics

Note: Only grades of C of higher may be included in the concentration.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with a concentration in Public Administration will be able to:

1. explain the nature of public organization;
2. explain the nature of the public policy process;
3. identify ways to effectively involve citizens in public decision making;
4. understand the characteristics and apply the values and responsibilities for the public interest as it relates to public and nonprofit leadership;
5. demonstrate the ability to prepare and deliver professional oral presentations and to research and write concise and documented organizational reports;
6. identify and compare public policy and governments in a global context;
7. understand the implications for public organizations and nonprofits in a pluralistic and diverse society and the accepted approaches for operating successfully in this environment;
8. recognize ethical issues in public and nonprofit management and apply a framework for addressing them;
9. apply appropriate strategic models to public policy decision making and evaluation;
10. identify organizational opportunities and public policy challenges and utilize quantitative methodologies in their analysis;
11. demonstrate the ability to apply information technology where appropriate; and
12. properly and effectively use technology to develop and administer public policy.