PA 5990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.

Current issues and new developments in public policy and public administration. Prerequisite: Permission.

PA 6010. Foundations of Public Admin. 3 Credits.

Survey of major elements of management in the public and nonprofit sectors with special attention given to problems arising from political imperatives generated by a democratic society.

PA 6020. Org Theory & Behavior. 3 Credits.

Examination of basic classical and contemporary theory, research on human relations, internal structures, environments, types, diverse workplaces, general properties of complex organizations and bureaucracies.

PA 6030. Research & Evaluation Methods. 0 or 3 Credits.

Conceptualization, collection and analysis of primary and secondary data; interpretation, and communication of results of applied research and/or evaluation studies for decision makers. Prerequisite: Three hours of Statistics. Cross-listed with: CDAE 6510.

PA 6040. Human Resource Management. 3 Credits.

Provides an in-depth exploration of human resource management (HRM) within public and nonprofit organizations, examining both its strategic and operational dimensions. Investigate how HRM influences organizational capacity, decision-making, and the achievement of mission-driven goals in an increasingly complex workforce environment. Connects human resources (HR) theory to the realities of managing people in public service, emphasizing public administration principles like equity, accountability, and ethical leadership.

PA 6050. Public and Nonprofit Budgeting. 3 Credits.

A focus on the budget as the primary policy and planning document in public and nonprofit organizations.

PA 6060. Policy Systems. 3 Credits.

The study and application of system-level public policy frameworks, theories and models to contemporary policy problems and solutions.

PA 6070. Administrative Ethics. 3 Credits.

Administrative behavior with a focus on ethical dilemmas that arise in the bureaucracy. An examination of a number of moral issues and ways to resolve them.

PA 6080. Decision Making Models. 3 Credits.

Explores and analyzes normative, descriptive and prescriptive decision making models. Focuses on systems-level thinking to impart problem-solving skills in complex decision-making contexts. Emphasis placed on imparting cutting edge skills, enabling students to design and implement multiple criteria decision analysis models.

PA 6110. Policy Analysis&Program Eval. 3 Credits.

A seminar providing hands-on knowledge in policy analysis and program evaluation using case studies of current analysis projects and problems. Specific techniques include planning, survey administration, forecasting, cost benefit analysis, and impact assessment.

PA 6160. Building Community Resilience. 3 Credits.

Explores the complex interplay between natural hazards, risk management, and community resilience in an era of increasing environmental challenges. Moving beyond traditional emergency management approaches, emphasizes proactive strategies to strengthen communities' adaptive capacities and enhance their ability to thrive in the face of natural disasters and long-term environmental changes. Examines theoretical frameworks and practical applications.

PA 6170. Community Resilience Praxis. 3 Credits.

The manifestations of resilience thinking across disciplines often looks different in theory and practice. In this course, students will focus on that nexus by exploring how community resilience is understood and operationalized across different and complex contexts, including public-private partnerships, intergovernmental arrangements, and strategic alliances. Students will leave the course with concrete understanding of resilience concepts, and an understanding of how to apply and leverage those concepts as tools via strategic management.

PA 6230. Non-Profit Administration. 3 Credits.

Course reviews the history of, and managerial challenges inherent to, the non-profit sector in the United States and explores sector's relationship to the governmental and business sectors.

PA 6260. Community Economic Development. 3 Credits.

Examines how rural and urban communities address poverty, unemployment and other economic problems through job creation and retention, workforce training and support, and other development strategies. Cross-listed with: CDAE 6260.

PA 6391. Master's Thesis Research. 1-6 Credits.

Research for the Master's Thesis. Thesis topic must be approved by faculty advisor.

PA 6750. Public Administration Capstone. 3 Credits.

The Capstone is designed to provide Master of Public Administration students with a summative experience that ties learning competencies to evidence drawn from their course of study. Pre/co-requisites: Core Master of Public Administration courses either prior to Spring semester or simultaneously.

PA 6990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.

For advanced students within areas of expertise of the faculty. Varied course offerings. Contemporary topics. Instructor Permission.

PA 6991. Internship. 3-6 Credits.

Supervised administrative experience culminating in a written report.

PA 6993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.

A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.

PA 6995. Graduate Independent Research. 1-18 Credits.

Graduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.