Public Administration (PADM)

PADM 5001. Independent Study. 1-3 Hours.

Students examine a topic related to public administration or disaster management. Under the direct supervision of a faculty member, the faculty and student formulate a course of study which could include reviewing relevant literature, engaging in research, exploring professional practice, or conducting other forms of inquiry appropriate to the course of study. The course may be repeated for credit. Variable Credit (1 to 3).
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing and Department Approval.

PADM 5002. Public Service Internship. 3,6 Hours.

Students engage in supervised work that provides on-the-job public administration experience within a public or nonprofit organization. Students may earn 3 credit hours for 240 hours of field experience or 6 credit hours for 480 hours of field experience. Under the supervision of a faculty internship coordinator, students apply the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in their MPA core coursework to their field experience. Credit (3 or 6).
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing and Department Approval.

PADM 5003. Disaster Management Internship. 3,6 Hours.

Students engage in supervised work that provides on-the-job disaster management experience within a public, non-profit, or private organization. Students may earn 3 credit hours for 240 hours of field experience or 6 credit hours for 480 hours of field experience. Under the supervision of a faculty internship coordinator, students will apply and reflect upon the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in their MPA concentration coursework to their field experience in a series of written assignments. Credit (3 or 6).
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing and Department Approval.

PADM 5301. Scope and Methods of Public Administration. 3 Hours.

Students examine the quantitative and qualitative research methods used in modern political science. Course Equivalents: PADM 5377
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5302. Dynamics of Public Administration. 3 Hours.

Students examine the history and theoretical basis of public administration and the basic issues that confront it, including administrative responsibility and ethics, and the formulation and implementation of public policy. Course Equivalents: PADM 5381
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5310. Organizational Theory and Behavior. 3 Hours.

Students examine the major topics, issues, and contributions in the literature on organizations, their structures and functions, and the behavior of people in them, with emphasis on applications to government and nonprofit organizations. Students explore examples of organizations at federal, state, and local levels of government and a variety of nonprofit organizations, such as hospitals, social service agencies, and faith-based/non-governmental organizations. Course Equivalents: PADM 5384
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5311. Public Management. 3 Hours.

Students examine and evaluate current public management techniques and theories with a specific focus on organizations in the public and nonprofit sectors. Topics may include theories related to the field of public management, the political context of public management, contracting out, networking, strategic management and planning, performance management, and public participation. Course Equivalents: PADM 5389
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5312. Public Budgeting and Finance. 3 Hours.

Students examine the public budgetary process and related financial management techniques. Course Equivalents: PADM 5387
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5313. Human Resource Management. 3 Hours.

Students examine the evolution and context of human resource management. Specific topics include: human resources planning, recruitment and selection, performance evaluation, compensation, promotion and benefits, staff development, labor relations, discipline, and control structures. Course Equivalents: PADM 5386
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5314. Ethics in Government. 3 Hours.

Students examine the classical and contemporary literature on the role and practice of ethics in public administration. Students study contemporary empirical research, case studies, and ethical problem solving around questions of right action and good conduct in public organizations and public policy making. Course Equivalents: PADM 5388
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5315. Program Evaluation. 3 Hours.

Students examine techniques for the collection, manipulation, interpretation, and presentation of data and information in public policy/management processes, and demonstrate application of the techniques using computer technology. The course covers the relevant literature and engages students in appropriate research and/or professional practice. Course Equivalents: PADM 5383
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5319. Special Topics in Public Administration. 3 Hours.

Students examine literature pertaining to a specific topic, debate, or problem related to the organization, administration, and management of public and non-profit organizations. Students may repeat this course for credit when topics differ. Course Equivalents: PADM 5398
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5340. Emergency Management. 3 Hours.

Students examine the system of emergency management in the U.S, applying public administration frameworks of budgeting, human resources, intergovernmental relations, and decision making to analyze and evaluate emergency management responses. Course Equivalents: PADM 5391
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5341. Decision Making in Public Administration. 3 Hours.

Students examine theories and practical applications of administrative decisions. In public administration, decisions are often made under conditions of uncertainty. Students evaluate strategies used by public and nonprofit managers to reduce risk, and they create their own strategies through a series of simulation exercises. Course Equivalents: PADM 5392
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5342. Global Disaster Politics. 3 Hours.

Students examine the politics that underpin the phases of disaster management. Using a comparative analytical approach, students draw inferences and lessons about the effects of politics on different localities and contexts around the world. Course Equivalents: PADM 5390
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5343. Disaster Resilience. 3 Hours.

Students examine theories and conceptual frameworks of disaster resilience. Students evaluate approaches to the measurement of resilience and apply these to create a disaster resilience assessment of a community. Course Equivalents: PADM 5393
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5359. Special Topics in Disaster Management. 3 Hours.

Students examine literature pertaining to the core concepts and principles of emergency and disaster management as they relate to the organization, administration, and/or management of public and/or non-profit organizations. Students may repeat this course for credit when topics differ. Course Equivalents: PADM 5399
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5361. Managing Complex Policy Problems. 3 Hours.

Students explore how organizations manage complex policy problems. They apply concepts from complexity theory, system dynamics, governance, and networks to develop new perspectives and novel solutions to complex social and policy problems. Students evaluate management approaches in policy areas such as disaster management, drug trafficking networks, risk management, and diversity.
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.

PADM 5362. Managing the Nonprofit Organization. 3 Hours.

Students explore the organizations, groups, and activities that make up the nonprofit sector. They apply the principal theories, knowledge, competencies, and skills of nonprofit management to analyze management practices in nonprofit organizations.
Prerequisite: Graduate Standing.