Master of Public Administration
Curriculum
The MPA curriculum consists of 39 credit hours (13 courses). Courses are required in two categories:
- Core Concentration (six required courses)
- Electives (six courses)
Core Curriculum
The following courses are required of all public administration students. These core courses introduce the field of public management; demonstrate analytical approaches in public management; and focus on the administration, organizational, legal, political and ethical influences on public administration practice.
PADM 651 Administrative Theory I: The Context of Public Administration
PADM 652 Administrative Theory II: The Process of Public Administration (Prerequisite is Administrative Theory I)
PADM 671 Public Budgeting and Financial Management
PADM 701 Public Policy Analysis and Evaluation
PADM 733 Legal and Ethical Foundations of Public Administration
PADM 753 Research Methods for Public Administration
PADM 746 Capstone Seminar in Public Administration
Students are required to take PADM 746 Capstone Seminar in Public Administration upon completion of the core courses.
Electives (18 Credit Hours)
Students may take elective courses in a number of different areas related to Public Administration. Students may choose to focus their elective courses in specific areas, such as: Human Resource Administration; Port and Maritime Management; Urban Research and Planning; Non-Profit Management; or other specific areas relevant to Public Administration. Students may also choose to take their elective courses in the general area of Public Management.
Elective courses offered by the USPA Department include the following:
PADM 632 Environmental Planning
PADM 633 Methods of Urban Planning
PADM 634 Regional Planning
PADM 640 Contemporary Urban Issues
PADM 655 Theories of Public Organization
PADM 672 Public Financial Management
PADM 695 Advanced Topics
PADM 696 Topics in Urban Studies
PADM 702 Urban Resource Allocation
PADM 704 Methods of Public Program Evaluation
PADM 705 Urban Law and Public Policy
PADM 708 Urban and Regional Economic Development
PADM 711 Urban Services Administration
PADM 712 Emergency Management and Policy
PADM 714 Public-Private Partnerships
PADM 715 Management of Nonprofit Organizations
PADM 718 Contract Management
PADM 719 Leadership
PADM 720 Public Personnel Administration
PADM 723 Ethics in Public Administration
PADM 724 Administration of Human Services
PADM 725 Business, Government and Society
PADM 730 Theories of Conflict Resolution and Problem Solving
PADM 734 Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
PADM 737 Digital Government
PADM 738 Conflict Mediation and Arbitration
PADM 745 Managing Development and Change in Organizations
PADM 785 Intergovernmental Management
PADM 795 Advanced Topics in Public Personnel Administration
