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Course Descriptions

MPA401 - Organizational Theory and Application

The course studies organizational theories and their relevance to twenty-first century public, private, and non profit organizations. Students will be prepared for a constantly changing national and global economy where organizations are compelled to review structure, management techniques, employee relationships, and culturally diverse workplaces, customers, and constituencies. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA402 - Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management

This course examines the management responsibilities from the organizational leadership and strategic management perspective. Students will learn how organizational leadership interacts with internal and external constituencies, and gain insight into how a manager effectively influences decision making. Special topics will cover strategic planning, implementation and evaluations. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA403 - Public Budgeting

This course explores process, politics and policy of federal, state, and local budgeting for twenty-first century challenges. Students will examine procedures, performance, and accountability of public budgeting in three ways: control over expenditure; program management; and long-term policy planning. Students will analyze performance-based budgeting and political vs. managerial budgeting approaches, as well as gain an understanding of the social impact of conflict and prioritizing inherent in public budget decision-making. PREREQUISITES: MPA401, MPA402, or permission of advisor

MPA404 - Public Policy

This course examines the process of policy formulation, techniques of policy analysis, and execution of public policy. Content will address the issues of policy development, legislative enactment, implementation, enforcement, and evaluation. Through case study analysis, students will map out the theoretical and practical approaches to current public policy issues. PREREQUISITES: MPA401, MPA402, or permission of advisor

MPA405 - Administrative Law

This course examines the legal basis of public management by reviewing major principles of administrative law including the doctrine of legislative delegation, Administrative Procedures Act, administrative rulemaking and adjudication, transparency, and judicial review of regulation. Students will view case law, statutes and regulations, and proposed legislation to gain and understanding of their impact on public administration and public policy. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA410 - Strategic Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations

This course will track the development of an integrated marketing strategy, from setting clear measurable goals, to defining benchmarks, implementation, and evaluating its success. Students will explore the unique attributes of a mission-based marketing strategy and the special demands created by marketing efforts that are not driven by profit. Special topics will include media relations, web presence and outline of a marketing plan. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA411 - Human Resource Management

This course examines human resource management in the public, private, and nonprofit setting. Students will gain an understanding of federal and state laws governing human resource departments. The course will explore emerging twenty-first century policy issues such as equal employment opportunity, diverse workplace strategic planning, flextime, benefits administration, and employee right of privacy. The course will cover traditional functions of recruitment, selection, performance, appraisal, compensation, and retention. Special emphasis will be placed on the distinction between job training and career development was well as the individual student's own career development and leadership goals. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA420 - Structure and Function of American Government

This course provides students with an understanding of the American experiment in democracy, beginning with knowledge of constitutional principles, form, structure, and powers of our federal, state, and local government. Students will analyze how these principles guide resulting public policies and affirm civil rights and liberties enjoyed by American citizens within the context of democratic management and realization in twenty-first century America. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA501 - Urban and Regional Planning

Analysis of the formation and implementation of policy and planning in the modern urban environment. Special topics involve the interplay between traditional political concerns and the movement toward long-term plans of urban revitalization. PREREQUISITES: MPA401, MPA402, or permission of advisor

MPA502 - Group Dynamics

Exploration of the latest developments in the theory and practice of group dynamics. The course responds to the growth of committee decision making, negotiation, and policy making in legislative and administrative aspects of government. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA503 - The Federal Bureaucracy

This course examines the management of the federal bureaucracy by studying its process, politics, and policymaking and by evaluating its procedures, accountability and performance. Students will gain an understanding of the dynamic interrelationships among the federal executive and independent agencies, congressional committees, and constituency advocacy groups, in the formulation and implementation of federal and public policies. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA504 - Comparative Administration

This course will provide students with a global perspective into public administration issues, functions, powers, and practices in the United States - at the federal, state, and local levels - and in other countries. Students may be engaged in a combination of research, interviews, travel, and witnessing first-hand governmental decision-making. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA505 - Grant Writing - Development and Application

Provides opportunities for understanding federal, state, and foundation sources of public finance, with an emphasis on proposal development, organizational development and change, and grant writing. Lectures, small-group problem solving, and a variety of speakers will be utilized to cover course material. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA510 - Introduction to Fundraising Strategies

This course will prepare students to perform an executive directors task of fund-raising for a nonprofit agency. PREREQUISITES: None

MPA515 - Public Service Employee

This course provides students with an understanding of who is a public employee and how a public employee is managed. Students will learn how to appreciate and promote the value of public employment, recognize the public perception of public employees, and engage public servants inside and outside of the bureaucratic environment. Through public sector employee interviews, students will gain insight into the culture of public service. PREREQUISITES: Acceptance into MPA program

MPA545 - Managing Diversity in the Workplace

The purpose of this course is to develop student acknowledgement and recognition of diversity in the workforce. Students will learn how best to identify, manage, and move toward alleviating discrimination by way of technique and an awareness of legislation relating to equality and fairness. Student conducted interviews of management and employees will provide a major educational enhancement in appreciating the value of workplace diversity in a competitive global economy. PREREQUISITE(S): None

MPA602 - Legal Aspects of Health Care

The course identifies and evaluates the twenty-first century ethical, political and legal issues that impact health care administrators including prenatal and early life as well as right to die and end of life issues; genetic testing, discrimination and right of privacy; and stem cell and cloning research. Students will examine medical and healthcare institutions and practitioners, the health insurance industry and their respective roles in managing healthcare. Special case study topics will focus on informed consent, confidentiality of patient information, patient rights, healthcare liability and medical malpractice insurance. PREREQUISITES: 18 credits in MPA or permission of advisor

MPA603 - Ethics Seminar in Public Administration

This course examines the ethical, moral, and legal dilemmas of public, private, and nonprofit management decision-making. Through case study analysis students will gain insight into the appearance versus the actual conflicts of interest; learn how to prevent fraud, waste and abuse; and establish a zero tolerance for issues of personal gain, influence peddling and other corrupt practices common to the work environment. Special topics will focus on crafting appropriate codes of ethics and standards of conduct for both employer and employee to strengthen management and organizational ethics and culture. PREREQUISITES: 18 credits in MPA or permission of advisor

MPA605 - Administrative Leadership

This course explores the complex challenges leadership must face in public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Students will identify essential leadership qualities, examine thoroughly the differences between a manager and a leader, and gain an understanding of gender leadership styles, approaches, models, and strategies. A special topic will include the individual student's own development of a successful leadership style. PREREQUISITES: None