PA 5302 (POEC 5302 and PSCI 5302) Law and The Policy Process (3 semester
hours) Provides the legal perspective on public policy and emphasizes the
judicial system’s role in the recent evolution of public policy in
selected problem areas. (3-0) T
PA 5303 (POEC 5303 and PSCI 5303) Public
Policymaking and Institutions (3 semester hours) Surveys the major
institutions associated with policymaking, including Congress, the Presidency,
the bureaucracy, and interest groups. These institutions are studied by linking
them to the decision-making theories of organizations, social choice and
incrementalism. (3-0) Y
PA 5304 (PSCI 5304) Policy Processes, Implementation and Evaluation (3
semester hours) Application of models of the policy system to the analysis of
legislative, administrative and judicial processes at different points in the
policy cycle. Use of case studies, empirical analysis, direct observation, and
group projects. Prerequisite: PA 5303. (3-0) Y
PA 5305 (POEC 5305) Microeconomics for Policy I (3 semester hours)
Develops the tools of economic analysis and demonstrates their uses for
decision-making and the evaluation of public policies.� ECO 3310, POEC 5300, or equivalent
recommended. (3-0) Y
PA 5306 (POEC 5306) Macroeconomic Theory and Policy (3
semester hours) Studies various schools of macroeconomic theory, their
political and economic implications and the policies that flow from them.
Discusses the design and implementation of policies related to inflation, unemployment,
business fluctuations and long-term economic growth. (3-0) R
PA 5307 (POEC 5307) Economics for Public Policy (3 semester hours)
Economics for Public Policy is a doctoral level course designed to introduce
students to the use of economic methods of the analysis of public policy. While
the primary theoretical framework for the course is microeconomics, the course
also includes macroeconomics. A variety of public policy topics are covered in
the course such as education and education reform, employment and the labor
market, taxes and redistribution, health and health care, poverty and
inequality, and public assistance programs. A central theme in the course is
the role of the government. (3-0) Y
PA 5308 (POEC 5308) Ethics, Culture and Public Responsibility (3
semester hours) This course provides a general consideration of traditions of
ethical thought, the interactions between personal behavior and cultural
groups/norms and the implementation of public responsibility. Topics to be
considered shall include tensions between personal and collective goals, the
nature and limits of tolerance, and the role of institutions such as the
family, government, business, churches and interest groups. (3-0) Y
PA 5309 Fundamentals of Quantitative
Reasoning (3 semester hours)� This
course prepares students for the required PA 5313 Descriptive and Inferential
Statistics course.� This course will use
a hands-on approach to illustrate the utility of algebra and descriptive
statistics in applied quantitative reasoning.�
Students will acquire the skills and quantitative foundation necessary
to evaluate applied work issues, make recommendations, and evaluate decisions.
(3-0) Y
PA 5313 (CRIM 5313 and POEC 5313) Descriptive and Inferential Statistics for the
Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (3 semester hours) This
course is an introduction to data analysis, statistics, and regression. The
only prerequisite is a sound foundation in algebra. The heart of the course is
a rigorous introduction to statistical inference: sampling theory, confidence
intervals, and hypothesis tests. The final section of the course covers
regression analysis, which is developed in a fairly non-technical way, with an
emphasis on interpretation of regression results, using examples from recent
research.� SOCS 3303 or equivalent
recommended. (3-0) Y
PA 5315 (PSCI 5315) Public Management (3 semester hours) The application
of ideas and techniques of public management and decision making to examine the
various roles of the general manager in public organizations. Utilizes the case
method. (3-0) Y
PA 5316�
Leadership in Public and Non-profit Management (3 semester hours)
This course will examine the major theories and practices of leadership in
public and non-profit organizations.�
Effective leaders from public and non-profit organizations will speak to
the class about the challenges of leading in complex environments.� (3-0) Y
PA 5318 Information Systems in Policy Environments (3 semester hours)
Overview of the technology, role and management of computer-based information
systems in policy environments. Provides the managerial foundation for
effective decision making with respect to information technology implementation
in public organizations. (3-0) Y
PA 5319 Topics in Public Affairs (3
semester hours)� Topics vary from
semester to semester. (May be repeated to a maximum of 9 hours.) (3-0) Y
PA 5320 Community Planning (3
semester hours)� This course examines
local issues involving growth and development on the local level of
government.� Specifically, it examines
land use planning, zoning, subdivision regulations, and the processes that are
involved with these issues. (3-0) Y
PA 5321 Government Financial Management and Budgeting (3 semester hours)
Management of government finances, including revenue collection and
enforcement, cash and debt management, investments, general and special funds,
controllership, financial and program audits, purchasing, financial reporting,
managerial use of governmental accounting systems, GAO and professional accounting
standards. (3-0) Y
PA 5322 Negotiations for Effective Management (3 semester hours)
Students in this course will learn about negotiations, principally in the
public sector, and will develop and practice skills to become more proficient
negotiators and more effective managers. The course will be a combination of
learning about negotiations and participating in exercises and simulated
negotiations. The exercises and simulations reinforce theories about the role
of negotiations in effective management and enable students to develop their
own negotiation skills. (3-0) Y
PA 5323 Quality and Productivity Improvement in Government (3 semester
hours) Examines the implications and challenges of improving public sector
quality and productivity. Provides practical methods for improving government
productivity and quality efforts. Provides tools for measuring performance and
for managing performance. (3-0) Y
�PA 5328 Navigating the Government Workplace (3
semester hours)� The governmental
workplace is often a complicated work environment with numerous
stakeholders.� This practical course
explores the challenges that public managers face at all levels of government
in having successful careers. (3-0) Y
PA 5330 Basics of Land Development (3
semester hours) �Land development is the
conversion of land from one use to another. This course emphasizes key concepts
of land use practices utilized by local governments in the
PA 5332 Historic Preservation (3
semester hours) The conservation of our physical environment provides a visual
glimpse of history, but a meaningful sense of time and place within our communities
is a wise use of resources. This course addresses: 1) the planning and
development process as it applies to conservation of the built environment, 2)
the practice of historic preservation and its relationship to planning for the
future of a community, and 3) the legal basis for preparation and
implementation of preservation plans and ordinances at the local level. (3-0) Y
PA 5334 Transportation Planning (3 semester hours) Transportation
planning is the process of making useful information available to
decision-makers at the organizational level to better understand the
characteristics and constraints of transportation systems. This class explores
transportation planning processes, the characteristics of urban travel, as well
as management and analytical techniques that deal with the dynamics of
urbanization and� land use. (3-0)
Y
PA 5336 Land
Use Law and Ethics (3 semester hours)� This course covers two key elements of the
planning profession: ethics and law as they relate to plan implementation.
Community planning actions and decisions can impact the social and economic
welfare of people, neighborhoods, cities, and regions in nontrivial ways.
Ethics play an important role in guiding the planner; telling us what we should
do (3-0) Y
PA 5338 Capital Budgeting (3
semester hours) This course analyzes capital planning and budgeting as central
features to economic development, transportation, communication, and to the
delivery of other essential services. The course details the steps needed to
provide the physical structure of local government, from selecting capital
projects to planning how to pay for those projects to structuring and selling
debt. (3-0) Y
PA 5343 Human Resources Management (3 semester hours) Examines theories,
principles, and practices of human resources management in public
organizations. Explores implications of social and administrative values as
expressed in current human resource policies. (3-0) Y
PA 5353 Emergency Management (3
semester hours) This course examines issues related to the management of
emergencies including discussion of emergency preparedness, emergency
mitigation, and emergency response.� The
course will also discuss the interplay of local, state, and federal actors in
emergency response as well as the role of government, private, and non-profit
organizations in emergency response. (3-0) T
PA 5355 (CRIM 5355 and POEC 5355) Introduction to Homeland Security (3 semester hours) This course provides a comprehensive
overview of the structure of Homeland Security, its origins and developing
trends and challenges. Selected material from Congress, FEMA, Department
of Justice, local, state, and other government and non-government agencies will
be studied. Examines both historical and contemporary Homeland Defense and
Security issues. (3-0) Y
PA 5356 (CRIM 5356 and POEC
5356) Pre-emptive Strategies and Tactics for
Homeland Security(3 semester hours) Provides
a comprehensive study of formulating pre-emptive strategies and tactics related
to terrorist attacks and certain man-made disasters, such as a chemical plant
explosions. This course is a field-based application. Explores current
published pre-emptive strategies and tactics, means and methods for improving
current plans and explores new pre-emptive strategies and tactics driven by new
intelligence assessments. (3-0) Y
PA 5357
(CRIM 5357 and POEC 5357) Information Sharing and
Communication for Homeland Security(3 semester hours) Provides a
comprehensive overview of the structure of network, organizational and group
information sharing and communication. Focuses include new theories and
applications to information sharing and communication and intelligence
gathering techniques of state and local fusion centers. (3-0) Y
PA 5358 (CRIM 5358 and POEC 5358) Social Networks and
Intelligence Led Policing (3 semester hours) Provides
a comprehensive study of concepts and methods for adopting intelligence as a
foundation of law enforcement business operations for sound decision-making.
Exploiting social networks is a primary means for
preventing terrorism and crime. The course explores how intelligence led
policing depends on creating strong community social
networks to enhance policing of criminal networks. (3-0) Y
PA 5359
(CRIM 5359 and POEC 5359) Protecting Critical
Resources and Infrastructure (3 semester hours) Includes a
comprehensive study of the current plans and policies in place for protecting
critical resources and infrastructure, both public and private. The class will
consist of a thorough review of the current literature pertaining to critical
infrastructure protection policies, methods, plans, and identify new technology
driven critical infrastructures. (3-0) Y
PA 5360 Media Relations (3 semester
hours) Media Relations will integrate a survey of public communication
strategies with practical skill building to help students develop more
confident and authoritative personas when dealing with the mass media.
Students will practice framing positive and empathic messages adapted to
diverse audience and media outlets. Video recorded practice presentations will
allow students to see their public image and focus on specific areas of
vocabulary choice, delivery, and nonverbal messages. (3-0) Y
PA 5362 Impression Management and
Perspective Taking� (3 semester hours) Impression Management
PA 5364 Informative and Persuasive
Strategies (3 semester hours) �Informative and Persuasive Strategies will
prepare PIOs to analyze and design campaigns to inform and influence the public
policy making process.�
PA 5366 Risk and Crisis Communication (3 semester hours) Prepares PIOs to convey credible, accurate, and
timely information about public controversies and crises and their associated
risks.� The course will introduce the
core principles of risk perception, emergency management, cultural competency,
and public trust to prepare PIOs to anticipate and manage controversies that
may arise during a crisis situation.� (3-0)
Y
PA 5368 Managing Messages and Resources
(3 semester hours) �Managing Messages and Resources will provide
PIOs with advanced strategies to disseminate information and control their
messages, particularly in hostile or dynamic environments.� The course will pay special attention to
content management techniques PIOs can use when their reputation or message
content can be challenged, such as question and answer sessions or media
interviews. �(3-0) Y
PA 5371 (POEC 5371 and
PA 5372 (POEC 5372 and SOC 5372) Non-profit
Management (3 semester hours) This course examines issues, strategies, and
techniques related to executive leadership and management in non-profit
organizations.� (3-0) R
PA 5375 Project and Contract Management
(3 semester hours) This course examines issues related to the management of
large projects with particular attention to the management of contracts and
grants to third parties.� This course
will discuss the justifications for contracting out public work, methods of
oversight of contracts, and the steps in planning these large projects.� The course will also discuss the implications
of project planning for grant writing. (3-0) T
PA 6320 (POEC 6320, PSCI 6320 and SOC 6320) Organizational Theory (3
semester hours) Focuses on bureaucracy and rationality, formal and informal
structures, and the role of the environment. Organizational factors such as
technology, power, information, and culture, as well as the implications of
organizational theory for public policy are examined. (3-0) T
PA 6326 (PSCI 6326) Decision Tools for Managers (3 semester hours) This
course introduces students to the variety of analytical and mathematical tools
intended to improve management decision making. Cognitive failures in
decision-making and remedies are also explored. Tools range from systems
analysis to techniques of management science. Uses available software for
management science studies. (3-0) T
PA 6328 (PSCI 6328) Management Process and Analysis (3 semester hours)
This course examines rigorous methods for analyzing management processes and
decision making. Focuses on the examination, critique and design of management
systems. Examines various methods for improving organizational performance. (3-0)
T
PA 6329 (PSCI 6329) Quantitative Models
of Public Management (3 semester hours) This course addreses models of
public management that have been tested with quantitative research.� The course will discuss quantitative models
of human resource management, budgeting, implementation, and organizational
development.� In addition to discussing
the findings of this research, the class will discuss the foundations of
quantitative social science research on public management.� (3-0) T
PA 6333 Marketing and Communication for
Non-profit Organizations (3 semester hours) This course examines the unique
dynamics of marketing mission-based organizations and the communication
strategies necessary to relate to various stakeholder groups.� (3-0) R
PA 6335 Resource Development for Non-profit Organizations (3 semester
hours) This course examines sources of revenue for non-profit organizations.
Specific topics include fundraising, grant writing, and donor dynamics.� The course is designed to prepare the student
to work effectively as a member of a fundraising team – either as staff
or volunteer board member. (3-0) R
PA 6338 Program Design (3 semester hours) Concentrates on the parts of
professional practice that begin where analysis ends. Explores wide array of
ideas in linguistics, literature, psychology, theater, architecture, and the
Economic, Political and Policy Sciences that encourage rigor and creativity in
the design of public policies, programs, and projects. (3-0) R
PA 6342 (ECON 6372) Local Economic Development (3 semester hours) This
class will examine the role of local governments in promoting economic
development in the United States, and will analyze the economic development
process. Attention will be given to economic theories of local development and
practical implications of those theories. Topics include local economic
development and poverty, tax incentives, infrastructure credits, firm location
decisions and effects of government competition for economic activity. (3-0) Y
PA 6344 Local Government Management (3
semester hours) This course examines structure of local governments, the roles
of key elected and appointed officials, and numerous issues and problems that
local government managers and policymakers face.� It also presents for discussion and study
some of the best management practices that local government managers use in
achieving effective and efficient delivery of services.� There is a focus on local government
management in the
PA 6374 (POEC 6374) Financial Management
for Non-profit Organizations (3 semester hours) This course introduces the
basic concepts of third sector financial literacy.� Curriculum includes financial planning and
budgeting, monitoring of contracts and grants, and reporting mechanisms.� (3-0) R
PA 6375 (POEC 6375) History and Theories
of the American Philanthropic Sector (3 semester hours)� This course examines the evolution of
non-profit and philanthropic organization and their role in American society.
(3-0) R
PA 6376 (POEC 6376) Assessment and
Outcomes for Non-profit Organizations (3 semester hours) Accountability is
a pervasive theme for the third sector, especially considering its diverse
sources of funding.� This course examines
qualitative and quantitative measurement tools as well as the sector’s
most successful practices. (3-0) R
PA 6381 (GISC 6381) Geographic
Information Systems Fundamentals (3 semester hours) Examines the
fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems and their applications.� Emphasizes the concepts needed to use GIS
effectively for manipulating, querying, analyzing, and visualizing
spatial-based data. Industry-standard GIS software is used to analyze spatial
patterns in social, economic and environmental data, and to generate
cartographic output from the analysis. (3-0) Y
PA 6383 (GISC 7364 and SOC 6364) Demographic
Analysis and Modeling (3 semester hours) Examines key demographic models for population analysis, their
underlying theoretical foundations, and extensions into the spatial domain.
Incorporates quantitative estimation and projection techniques and their use
within a geographic information systems framework. Provides a solid
understanding of spatio-temporal population dynamics, either local or global,
which is essential to many disciplines engaged in planning for the public and
private service sectors, for transportation networks or for regional
development projects. (3-0) Y
PA 6385 (POEC 7368, GISC 7368, SOC 7368)
Spatial Epidemiology (3 semester hours)
Examines the conceptual and analytic
tools used to understand how spatial distributions of exposure impact on
processes and patterns of disease. Emphasizes the special design, measurement,
and analysis issues associated with spatial patterns of diseases. Contemporary
diseases of public health importance are addressed, and the statistical and
inferential skills are provided that can be used in understanding how spatial
patterns arise and their implications for intervention. Prerequisite: POEC 5313
or equivalent. (3-0) R
PA 7V26 (POEC 7V26) Policy Research Workshop in Institutions and
Processes (3-9 semester hours) Students join a faculty member in a
group research project on the political economy of public policy decisions in
the context of institutional settings, such as legislatures, executive or
administrative agencies, courts, or metropolitan systems. (May be repeated for
credit to a maximum of 12 hours. However, MPA or doctoral students may not take
any more than 3 hours of their concentration requirement from POEC 7326 and
POEC 7330.) ([3-9]-0) T
PA 8V97 Internship (1-9 semester
hours)� Provides faculty supervision for
a student’s internship.� Internships
must be related to the student’s course work.� ([1-9]-0) R