Master of Public Administration

Strategic communication is a vital skill in today’s demanding, fast-paced, virtual, or global workplace. In this course, students will 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 the course, and students will practice their skills on the job and report their experiences in a Leadership Development Portfolio (LDP).

This course recognizes the fundamental importance of a leader believing in and utilizing an ethical strategy. Students will examine how principled decision making promotes triple-bottom-line thinking and promotes awareness of the importance of ethical practices to promoting a lasting, honored, and socially responsible brand. Case studies will be reviewed to contrast the paths and results of several organizations whose leaders practiced a strategy that was not grounded in ethical principles.

Human Capital Management (HCM) and Succession Planning in a Face-to-Face and Virtual World

This seminar examines the forward-thinking concepts of coaching, mentoring, and succession planning in promoting a learning organization that is prepared for the retiring baby-boomers, emerging Gen-Xers, Nexters, and others who co-exist in the workplace. Using the new human resources model, Human Capital Management (HCM), you will explore ways in which learning becomes a strategic function formalized via a corporate, university, or learning management system. You will learn the importance of the organization’s embracing of the Internet or intranet facilitation of learning in order to foster knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing among employees – particularly as more functions move overseas in the expanding global marketplace. This seminar also addresses ways leaders can recognize the key components of the knowledge-based economy within their organization.

This course focuses on political, technological, and operational issues in the areas of public utilities, water resources, waste management, transportation, facilities and structures, and parks and grounds. Topics include historical development, technological advances, best practices for leadership and management, public works policy, communication challenges, public affairs, environmental enforcement, and emergency management.

This course focuses on local, state, regional, and national master public works planning, contract administration, and project management. It addresses multiyear financing of public works projects, environmental impact, and other cost-benefit analyses, decision making-modeling, multijurisdictional services, and public-private joint ventures.

This course introduces the elements necessary to develop a continuity of operations plan for a governmental agency. Topics include organizational analysis, risk and threat analysis, mitigation and control strategy development, and implementing the organizational structure needed to sustain a quality program over time.

This course instructs students in responding to incidents and emergencies that affect governmental agencies. Topics include developing a response plan, emergency operations centers, emergency communications, and working with the first responder community. Students will also learn best practices for developing off-site backups and work areas and the placement of personnel and equipment for continuing operations during an emergency.

This course examines law enforcement best practices, police leadership, workforce development, accountability, internal affairs, productivity, and the management of 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.

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 roles of technology and integrated justice systems are examined, as well as information system security.

This course explores public administration within the scope of critical incidents and crisis management. Topics include 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 roles of community policing and community partnerships in responding to crises, whether manmade or natural.

This course 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 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 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.

This course focuses on differentiating the conceptual and theoretical aspects and models of leadership and leadership studies to enable students to apply leadership skills and principles in their workplace. The fundamentals of leadership are taught within the context of present and past leaders, with an emphasis on practicing these fundamentals in an ethical manner.

This course provides information about evaluating emotional intelligence, or EQ. Students are given the tools and opportunity 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 with others and providing customer service. By examining thought patterns, students gain new skills in developing intuitive reasoning that will enhance professional relationships with peers and customers.

Students in this course will learn to proactively manage business or personal change, explore various change management models, and engage in problem solving to discover the best ways to leverage change agents. They will gain the vital skills of understanding and collaboratively following the change management process.

Strategic communication is a vital skill in today’s demanding, fast-paced, virtual, or global workplace. In this course, students will 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 the course. Students will practice their skills on the job and report their experiences in a Leadership Development Portfolio (LDP).

This final core course offers students the opportunity to apply their learning in two tangible ways: the preparation of a capstone paper/project that offers a practical or theoretical solution to a program, operation, or policy; and the writing of a paper suitable for publication in a professional journal.