Public Policy and Administration, MA Public Administration Specialization

This specialization prepares students to serve as managers on the local, state and federal levels, and in the nongovernmental organization and nonprofit sectors. Graduates leave with an improved ability to deal with the complex challenges and concerns that face public administrators. Our graduates are prepared to lead an increasingly diverse public workforce toward innovative solutions. 

Curriculum

Core Courses (10 units)

Course Title
MPPA 401-DL/401-0Research Methods
MPPA 402-DL/402-0Elements of Public Finance and Budgeting
MPPA 403-DL/403-0Fundamentals of Public Administration
MPPA 404-DL/404-0Microeconomics for Public Policy Administration
MPPA 405-DL/405-0Statistics for Research
MPPA 406-DL/406-0Program Evaluation and Policy Analysis
MPPA 407-DL/407-0Scope and Theory of Public Policy
MPPA 408-DL/408-0Public Organization Theory & Management
MPPA 418-DL/418-0Ethics and Leadership
MPPA 498-DL/498-0The Capstone Project
or MPPA 590-DL Thesis Research

Specialization Courses (3 units)

Course Title
Any three courses
MPPA 411-DL/411-0
The Legislative Process
MPPA 413-DL/413-0
Foundations of the Nonprofit/NGO Sector
MPPA 417-DL/417-0
Public Human Resources
MPPA 420-DL/420-0
Disaster Management and Theory
MPPA 421-DL
Administrative Law
MPPA 430-DL/430-0
Behavioral Economics
MPPA 490-DL/490-0
Special Topics in Public Policy
MPPA 580-DL
Global Policy Laboratory

About the Final Project

Students may pursue their capstone experience independently or as part of a team. As their final course, students take either the individual research project in an independent study format or the classroom final project class in which students integrate the knowledge they have gained in the core curriculum in work assigned by the instructor. In both cases students are guided by faculty in exploring the body of knowledge on public policy and administration while contributing research of practical value to the field. The capstone 590 thesis project and 498 capstone class count as one unit of credit.
 
Course Title
Choose one
MPPA 498-DL/498-0
The Capstone Project
MPPA 590-DL
Thesis Research