(For non-computer science majors only.)

3 credits

This course introduces the fundamental topics of computer and computing systems. It is intended for students with no computing background. Topics include: problem solving; an introduction to computer systems, architecture and organization (CPU/memory, I/O); fundamentals of system analysis and design; an introduction to operating systems; and an overview of database systems and concepts. Relevant case studies will be explored and the student will be expected to use software packages to solve practical problems. The student will also be introduced to important software used in public administration such as LOTUS 1-2-3 and a statistical package.

(Students with computing backgrounds may apply for waiver of requirement.)

Fall, Spring

3 credits

This is a basic course for students with limited background in accounting. Emphasis will be placed on the development of basic accounting, concepts and techniques, the difference between public and private sector accounting and applications of accounting concepts to government, health care and nonprofit institutions. The course will provide an overview of financial, cost and managerial accounting. Topics to be included are: reading financial statements, governmental fund and nonprofit accounting, operating and capital budgets, general fixed assets and long-term debt, account groups and government accounting standards. Emphasis will be placed on the role of accounting in management decision making and organizational control.

(Students with accounting backgrounds may apply for waiver of requirement.)

Fall

3 credits

This course teaches the fundamentals of statistics and quantitative methods as applied to public administration. The course is designed to integrate statistical and quantitative methods and decision making. Topics to be included are: basic measurement and experimental design, probability and probability distribution, samples and sampling techniques, inference and hypothesis testing, contingency tables, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and simple and multiple regression analysis. Emphasis will be placed on the applications of these concepts to issues and problems in government, health care and nonprofit organization.

(Students with a background in statistics may apply for waiver of requirement.)

Fall, Spring

Core Requirements

3 credits

This course provides an introduction to the field of public administration including its history as an academic discipline and a field of service. It focuses on the organization and structure of American national, state and local governments and examines their powers, responsibilities and functions in the federal system. The course emphasizes the impact of a changing political environment on the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government as they influence the development of public policy. Specific case examples illustrating the principles of public administration will be taken from government, health care and nonprofit organizations.

Fall, Spring, Summer

3 credits

This course examines organizations from three perspectives, as closed, natural and open systems. It will help students to understand better the relationships among organizational structure, organization functions, individual and group behavior. Behavioral forces and their implications will be addressed as students are exposed to concepts of power, control and change within appropriate contexts. Leadership will be discussed from a situational perspective with emphasis on the complexity of the modern organization in the government, health care and nonprofit sectors. Knowledge of organization theory will be used to enhance students' understanding of management functions.

Prerequisite: PAA601

Spring

3 credits

This course introduces the principles of economics as applied to the government, health care and nonprofit sectors in the United States. The course will provide an analysis of the role of public and nonprofit institutions in the private market economic system. Special attention will be paid to the interaction of economics and the political process. Specific topics to be covered are: public vs. private goods, market failure and externalities, supply and demand analysis, public choice theory, indifference curve analysis, macroeconomic stabilization, the public debt, and economic development and growth. Economic analysis will be applied to contemporary policy issues such as public welfare, health care, the environment, transportation, education and taxation.

Prerequisite: PAA601

Fall

3 credits

This course provides an in-depth analysis of budgeting and finance as applied to government, health care and the nonprofit sectors. Its main focus is on principles of public finance and budgetary analysis as seen in financial decision-making. Topics introduced in the course include the budget cycle, budget methods, budget reform, taxation and tax structures, intergovernmental fiscal relations and cost and break-even analyses. The course also involves computer applications of these concepts to problems in government, health care and nonprofit sector decision-making.

Prerequisites: CS501, PAA501, PAA601, and PAA603

Spring

3 credits

This course is designed to make students aware of their responsibility as professionals in leadership and administrative positions in our complex society. Individual values and normative choices associated with the implementation of public policy will be discussed. Social, legal and economic realities will be examined in light of philosophical arguments. Case studies and current examples relevant to government, health care and nonprofit organizations will be used as practical applications of ethical precepts and conduct.

Prerequisite: PAA601 and PAA602

Spring

Courses Open to All Students

3 credits

The capstone project seminar provides the student with the opportunity to carry out an analysis of an organization with which she/he is familiar. It may be one in which the student is currently employed, or the site of an administrative placement during the program. The specific focus of the analysis will be determined by the interests of the student and approved by the project advisor. Seminar discussions will assist the student to relate concepts to the functioning of ongoing organizations, thus tying the curriculum to the world of work. A formal presentation of the analysis will be required.

Prerequisites: Required of all students in the M.P.A. Program. This course is taken during the last year of study. A 3.0 G.P.A. is required for a student to register for the Capstone.

Fall, Spring

Courses Open To All Students

3 credits

This course is designed to allow students to pursue readings and research in an area of study not normally offered in the regular course offering. The student needs the approval of an appropriate faculty member, the department chair and the academic dean. The student selects a topic for guided research and meets regularly with the faculty member to review his/her progress. In addition to a list of readings to be completed, a research project or paper must be submitted as a requirement for this course.

3 credits

This course examines the evolution of personnel practices from the early days of American government through the merit system as they apply to government, health care and nonprofit organizations. Some of the specific topics covered are position classification, constitutional issues and labor relations. Emphasis is placed on the human resources management function and its integration into the organization. The student is introduced to behavioral science concepts as they apply to human resources management. Required for all students in the human resources management and management of health care organizations specializations.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and first track requirement

Fall, Summer

3 credits

This course examines the effects which organizational structure, change and policies have upon employees. Students are exposed to the literature on organizational design and change. Diagnosis, analysis and interpretation of these variables are discussed from the perspective of their capacity to develop both the individual employee and the organization. Required for all students in the human resources management specialization.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and first track requirement

Spring

3 credits

This course is an introduction to labor relations in a unionized environment. The course describes the history of unionization, the recognition of unions, preparation for and the process of collective bargaining, impasse procedures, contract administration, grievance processing, and employee and management rights and obligations. Special emphasis is placed throughout the course on the administrator's role in labor/management relations at the department and division levels and the manager's role vis-a-vis the negotiator/labor relations professional. Case studies are drawn upon during the course.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and first track requirement

Fall, Summer

3 credits

This course examines basic concepts in strategic planning and marketing with special emphasis on the organization and management of the strategic planning process, marketing decision models and techniques for the promotion of services to the public. Discussion of the ethical issues surrounding marketing is included. Required for all students with a specialization in planning and evaluation or nonprofit financial management.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and first track requirement.

Fall, Summer

3 credits

Program planning techniques common to all organizations will be studied. Special emphasis will be placed on the application of the planning process to governmental, health and nonprofit organizations. The course will have equal emphasis on the evaluation of existing programs. Needs assessment, monitoring and methods of measuring program impact will be studied. The course will examine the environment in which planning and evaluation take place, as well as the tools, designs and techniques required. Required for all students in the planning and evaluation specialization.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and first track requirement

Fall, Summer

3 credits

This course explores the historical and conceptual background of intergovernmental and private grants in the United States. The student will learn to identify appropriate sources of funding and to write grant proposals. Emphasis will be placed on grants management in the government, health care and nonprofit sectors. Required for students in the nonprofit financial management specialization.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and first two track requirements

Spring

3 credits

The organization and management of long-term care services are explored, looking at both institutional and community-based alternatives. Physical, social and psychological aspects of aging are presented. Special emphasis is given to the continuum of care and the financing of non-acute services. The roles of government and private agencies in the provision of services are presented. Approaches to the organization of services in other countries are used to inform the discussion of service models. Required for all students with a specialization in gerontological services administration.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and PAA650 and PAA617, or permission of the instructor

Spring

3 credits

This course is for the graduate student interested in advanced study of financial management. Topics are chosen from contemporary issues in the government, health care and nonprofit sectors. Generic topics to be covered include bond and credit analysis, revenue and expenditure forecasting, fiscal impact analysis, measuring and evaluating financial condition, investment analysis and lease financing, debt policy and management, risk analysis and management, tax status and planning, and managing endowments, gifts and grants. Computer applications of these concepts and a paper focusing on a financial analysis of a case example will be required. Specialists in the field may participate as guest lecturers.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and first track requirement.

Fall

3 credits

This course is for the graduate student interested in advanced study in economic analysis. Topics are chosen from contemporary issues in the government, health care and nonprofit sectors. Generic topics to be covered include demand analysis, production and cost analysis, structure of industry and efficiency, advanced econometric techniques and forecasting, benefit-cost analysis, pricing of government goods, manpower and productivity problems, taxation analysis and fiscal federalism. Computer applications of these concepts and a paper focusing on an economic analysis of a case example will be required.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and the first track requirement

3 Credits

This course presents a critical and comprehensive overview of the components of the American Criminal Justice System. Discussion of the dynamic interactions of each segment includes its functional and dysfunctional aspects. The changing role of the Criminal Justice System throughout history and the role envisioned for future are a key feature of this course. Prerequisite: None

3 credits

This course presents an overview of human acts of violence and current perspectives on their causes. This course focuses on family violence and child abuse. Current research on aspects of family violence will be presented, including legal and historical perspectives. The emergence of a non-ethnocentric, non-criminal justice preventative response to, and perspectives on violence such as the Center for Disease Control view that family violence is a preventable injury are discussed. The role community policing as a means of addressing family violence is included.

Prerequisite: PAA621 and BS in Criminal Justice or permission of Chair.

3 credits

This course presents an indepth view of laws that have an impact on today's criminal justice managers. The first is staff compliance with provisions of the United States Constitution. Of concomitant importance to all governmental employees and managers is civil liability and its impact on the survival of the agency. Discussions also include local laws and ordinances and the need for agency policies, procedures and training.

Prerequisite: Field experience in Criminal Justice; Criminal Justice degree; or permission of Chair.

Spring

Foundation Courses

in Government

3 credits

This course studies the relationships among the several levels and forms of government (federal, state, local, regional, interstate and intrastate districts, branches, agencies and quasi-public structures). The course describes the possession or sharing of responsibility for initiation and execution of public policy, fiscal provision, program design and implementation in terms of the administrative problems that are seen in a federal structure. Case studies are discussed, illustrating examples of attempts at intergovernmental coordination and planning. Required for all students in the government track.

Prerequisite: PAA601

Spring

3 credits

This course surveys the development of "quasi-legislative" and ''quasi-legal" powers and responsibilities of administrators. Cases that involve the court and legislative actions are studied in terms of the creation of administrative rule-making powers, and the exercise of discretion and judgment by administrators in the implementation of laws. The Constitutional basis of these practices and the explicit statutes governing their practices are studied. Required for all students in the government track.

Prerequisites: PAA601 and corequisite

PAA603

Fall, Summer

(Formerly PA698)

3 credits

This course will examine the theories and concepts used in the study of public policy. It describes the development and use of models for policy formulation, analysis and evaluation. Policies of special, professional interest to the student are examined in detail with emphasis on the development of analytic skills. Faculty guidance is provided in the assignment of special readings as the student develops policy research papers. Required for all students in the government track.

Prerequisites: All core requirements, PAA630 and PAA631

Spring

Elective Courses

in Government

(Formerly PA607)

3 credits

This course explains the structure and operation of local governments within a federal system. The forms of local government, the sources and limits of their powers under state and federal law, and the impact of federal and state policies on local activities are closely examined. Key legal issues pertaining to personnel, public contracts and finances, and tort liability of public officials and municipal corporations are analyzed. Emphasis is placed on the judiciary's role in defining the scope and limits of local governance and the attorney's role, as both counsellor and advocate, in the development of governmental policy and practice. Required for all students with a specialization in local government.

Prerequisites: All core requirements, PAA630 and PAA631

Spring, Summer

3 credits

This course focuses on the council-manager form of local government. It explores the history of the plan, its evolution and growth, and procedures for adoption. In particular, the course examines the respective roles and responsibilities of the manager and those of elected officials and how the two interact with respect to municipal functions and the delivery of services. Also discussed are critical issues relating to the organization and management of municipal line agencies and support systems. Required for all government track students with a specialization in local government.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and PAA630 and PAA631

Fall, Summer

3 credits

This course examines the political and institutional environment in which regional planning takes place. The relationship of planning to political and market processes, and the structure of urban, suburban and regional political systems are explored. Alternative strategies for planning on a regional basis are presented using theoretical approaches and case analyses. Techniques of making regional forecasts of employment, population, income and housing demand are presented. Required for all government track students with a specialization in planning and evaluation.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and PAA630 and PAA631

Spring, Summer

3 credits

This seminar focuses on events that impact on the capacity of the public administrator to implement public policy. Examples include changes in civil service law, mandated services, changes in intergovernmental financing, etc.

Prerequisites: All core requirements, PAA630, and PAA631.

Fall

Foundation Courses in Health Administration

3 Credits (Formerly HC612)

This course explores the past, present and future of the Health Care delivery system in the United States. It is designed to familiarize students with the development of the various subsystems of care and the ways in which various public, private, and social forces influence the politics of health care and mold the structure and functions of the entire system of care. Issues discussed will include managed care and its potential as a health care delivery system, the continuum of long term and mental health care, United States Health System reform initiatives stimulated by the private sector and at various levels of government.

Prerequisite: PAA601

Spring

3 Credits

This course is designed to familiarize students with current health policy issues and to provide them with an understanding of the basic concepts of health policy, the process of health policy, and the politics of health policy development and implementation. Special attention will be given to the review and analysis of health policy issues, particularly in regard to the reform process in the United States Health Care System. The course explores health policy within historical, political, social, and economic contexts; examines both public and private sector initiative for health care delivery; and probes more deeply lingering health policy issues such as cost, access, quality, and appropriateness of care.

Prerequisite: All Core Requirements, PAA 650; PAA 661

3 Credits

This course examines the basic elements of formation and the extent of the United States Health Care System. The basic elements of governance and operation in the private and public sectors. The interaction of Boards of Trustees, Medical Staff and Management. Issues in Hospital Services, out-patient services, emergency services and home care. Internal and external factors affecting operation of facilities. Methods of evaluation, basic financial factors affecting revenue production and expense control. Elements of long range planning as strategy for management and leadership. Role of the manager. Creating a focus for blending program operations, financing and planning.

Prerequisite: All Core Courses and PAA650

Fall, Summer

3 credits

This course focuses on the development of a strategic plan for Health Care Organizations: Analysis of organizational strengths and weaknesses, development of alliances, affiliations and network formation between organizations, formation of physicians and hospital organizations, analysis of patient markets, profiling inpatient demand for provider organizations, development of capital needs program, review of manage care evolution and role in delivery systems development.

Prerequisites: PAA 601; PAA 650

Fall, Summer

3 credits

Concepts relevant to understanding patterns of health and illness in the community are explored. Factors which influence the use of health services are discussed. Materials are drawn from various disciplines including epidemiology, vital statistics, demography, sociology, psychology and anthropology. Required for all students in the health administration track.

Prerequisites: PAA601 and/or corequisite, PAA650

Fall, Summer

(Formerly HC624)

3 credits

Legal issues confronting the health services administrator are explored including, but not limited to incorporation, taxation, regulation, reimbursement, collective bargaining, informed consent, patient's rights, medical records and malpractice. Required for all students in the health administration track with a specialization in health management.

Prerequisites: All core requirements and PAA650, PAA661 or permission of the instructor

Fall, Summer

3 credits

The concepts necessary to plan and the construction and renovation of health care facilities are presented including cost, design, regulatory and financing issues. The role of consultants and architects is examined. The certificate of need process and its requirements are explored. Organizational factors that facilitate or hinder the planning process are considered. Required for students in the health administration track with a specialization in planning and evaluation.

Prerequisites: All core courses and PAA650, PAA661 or permission of the instructor

Spring, Summer

(Formerly HC620)

3 credits

Concepts needed to assess and assure the delivery of quality health care services are presented. The function and role of both government and private agencies in quality assurance are examined. Tools used to assess quality and improve the delivery of care in a variety of health services organizations are discussed. Risk management concepts are described. The relationship between quality assurance and risk management is delineated.

Prerequisites: All core courses, PAA650, PAA651 or permission of the instructor.

Fall

3 credits

This seminar focuses on topics of special interest to health management students. Examples include hospital organization and management, ambulatory care administration, public health services administration, mental health services administration, etc.

Prerequisites: All core requirements, PAA650 and PAA661

Fall

(Formerly HC622)

3 credits

This course examines the economic impact of various sectors of health care market, reviews shifts and trends in the financing of health care on a fee basis, capitation DRG and contractual basis, regulated and unregulated markets, Federal and State Controls and their effect, organization of the financial arm of health care organizations, impact of managed care review of relation between managed care organizations and traditional providers.

Prerequisite: All Core Courses, PAA 650 or permission of instructor.

Spring, Summer

Foundation Courses for Nonprofit Management

3 credits

This course examines the history of nonprofit organizations in the United States to develop a social perspective and a sense of the magnitude, scope and functions of the nonprofit sector. The course also looks at the relationship of the nonprofit sector to government and business. The course explores the theoretical basis on which social scientists have sought to understand the nonprofit sector in our economic, political and social environment. Issues shaping the future

role of the nonprofit sector will be discussed. Required for all students in the nonprofit management track.

Prerequisite: PAA601.

Spring

3 credits

This course provides the student with a basic grounding in the laws and regulations governing nonprofit organizations. Content will include: overview of statutory scheme governing the formation, operation and dissolution of nonprofit corporations; examination of the powers, duties and liabilities of directors, officers and members of the nonprofit entity; legal framework governing the operation of unincorporated associations; and qualifying for and maintaining federal tax exempt status under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and the rights and obligations attendant thereto. Required for all students in the nonprofit management track.

Prerequisite: PAA601 and/or corequisite; PAA670

Fall, Summer

3 credits

Following examination of the size, scope and roles of the "third sector" in United States society, the course considers topics of special importance in nonprofit charitable organizations. Such topics include volunteer management, strategic planning, marketing and board functioning. Required for students in the nonprofit management track.

Prerequisites: All core requirements, PAA670 and PAA671

Spring

3 credits

This seminar focuses on advanced management topics of special interest to students in the nonprofit management track. Examples include board development, communication and public relations, and organization development strategies.

Prerequisites: All core courses, PAA670, PAA671 and/or corequisite; PAA672

Fall

3 credits

This practicum integrates academic theory and the actual practice of public administration. The practicum can take the form of an internship, i.e., an educational work experience within an area related to a student's field of interest and supervised by a professional who has expertise in that field, or a field study project or research paper, which explores a pertinent problem or issue, carried out under the supervision of a faculty member. For the internship, learning objectives are designed by the on-site supervisor, the faculty advisor and the student to ensure coherence between work experience and academic study.

Prerequisite: PAA601, PAA603, 18 credits completed

3 credits

Designed as an educational work experience within an area of public sector management or policy related to a student's field or interest and supervised by a professional who has expertise in that field.

Prerequisites: At least two courses completed in the student's track or permission

of chair