Public Administration Course Descriptions

PA - 611. Introduction to Public Management (3)

Reviews the history, status of, and emerging trends in public management on the federal, state, and local levels. Included is a survey of contemporary political, economic, and managerial concepts and developments in government administration that will serve as a foundation for further coursework in the program.

PA - 613. Organizational Analysis (3)

Examines management theory and organizational behavior in public and nonprofit organizations. Major theories, research, and practical principles are reviewed. Topics include organizational structure and design, culture, power, conflict, and change. Applications to public and nonprofit sector organizations are emphasized.

PA - 617. Health Care Issues (3)

(For Health Service Administration Emphasis Students) Examines American health care issues as well as the major participants of the health care delivery system (providers, payers, controllers, and consumers), and consideration of various forces determining the historical, current, and future roles of the participants.

PA - 620. Administrative Ethics (3)

Examines ethical issues and responsibilities faced by administrators applying ethical principles within an organizational context. The ethical dimensions of organizational life and administrative behavior are addressed using the works of major theorists.

PA - 623. Economics and Finance for Public Managers (3)

Reviews various techniques for financing public agencies, and examines the economic effects on society and the economy of alternative patterns of public expenditure, revenue generation, and regulatory policies. Topics include a detailed examination of tax policies and user fees, financing capital improvements, and fiscal and monetary policies.

PA - 632. Public Policy Analysis (3)

(For generalist PA students) Focuses on the skills and techniques necessary to conduct detailed public policy analyses. Specific attention is given to the decision-making process, the role of politics, and intergovernmental relations. Cross-national and cross-cultural comparisons are also made and analyzed.

PA - 633. Public Sector Budgeting (3)

Examines the process of public sector budgeting from the perspective of managerial planning and control. Budget formats are reviewed, as are techniques used to analyze budgetary data. Specific attention is given to forecasting, cost-benefit analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis.

PA - 636. Human Resource Planning and Management (3)

Investigates current human resource management issues in the public sector. The planning for, and performance of, traditional personnel functions and relevant techniques are covered, as well as contemporary issues that have an impact on public sector employment. Topics include employment law, workforce diversity, unionization of public employment. Aspects of strategic HR planning and management are discussed.

PA - 638. Emerging Technologies for Public Managers (3)

Provides an introduction to the use of a variety of technologies that support the work of public managers. Topics include the design and management of information systems, web sites, statistical packages, aspects of telecommunication, and project management. Ethical considerations and confidentiality issues are also addressed.

PA - 644. Strategic Planning and Implementation (3)

(For generalist PA students) Designed to provide public managers with an introduction to the skills necessary to become effective strategists. Topics include the strategic planning process and how to overcome resistance to change.

PA - 650. Integrative Seminar in Public Management (3)

Students are afforded the opportunity to integrate further the theory and practice of public administration, while helping them identify the gaps in their learning and expand their knowledge through a re-evaluation and re-conceptualization of areas of interest and concern. Students are expected to produce case analyses, book reviews, and career planning statements.

PA - 660. Managed Care and Health Care Law (3)

(For Health Service Administration Emphasis Students) Provides an overview of the system of managed health care in America, from the viewpoint of HMOs, physicians, physician organizations, hospitals, ancillary providers, employers, and federal and state governments. Also covered are legal issues specific to managed care, as well as legal principles for contracts and torts; legal organizational structures for health care entities; and legal doctrines concerning professional liability, negligence, informed consent, and patient rights to refuse treatment.

PA - 670. Quantitative Methods (3)

This course provides an overview of the research methodologies used for public decision making. Concepts include specification of questions to guide inquiry, basis for causal inference, acquisition of quantitative data, reliability and validity issues, descriptive and inferential statistics. Provides students with an opportunity to build skills in designing, conducting, and analyzing research. Through execution of a small project, provides experience in and basic knowledge in performing and interpreting research designs and results.

PA - 688. Independent Study - Health Care Administration (3)

(For Health Service Administration Emphasis Students) Enables students, under faculty supervision, to develop a study outline and to conduct research on issues concerning health care administration within or outside of their work settings.

PA - 698. Independent Study - Public Administration (3)

(For generalist PA students) Enables students, under faculty supervision, to develop a study outline and to conduct research on issues concerning public administration within or outside their work settings.