MPA Course Schedule

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Graduate Courses in Public Administration (PSPA)

501. PHILANTHROPY AND VOLUNTEERISM (3). Discussion of the role of philanthropic activities in a civil society, the process of philanthropy, and the contribution that volunteerism makes to nonprofit organizations. Examination of techniques, methods, and policies concerning the management of volunteers in nonprofit organizations.

600. SCOPE AND DYNAMICS OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (3). Examination of the history of public administration and the basic issues which confront it including administrative responsibility and ethics, and the formulation and implementation of public policy.

601. DATA ANALYSIS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (3). Examines techniques for the collection, manipulation, interpretation, and presentation of data and information in public policy/management processes, and demonstrates applications of the techniques using micro-computer technology.

604. PUBLIC PROGRAM EVALUATION METHODS (3). Examination of the techniques of evaluation and their application to selected policy areas, including a discussion of experimental, quasi-experimental, and other evaluative tools. Requires design of a research project. PRQ: PSPA 601 or consent of department.

605. ORGANIZATION THEORY AND BEHAVIOR (3). Survey of theory and research on organizations relevant to public administration, with a focus on key organizational functions and ways of defining and responding to organizational problems. PRQ: PSPA 601 or consent of department.

609. HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (3). Examination of techniques, methods, and policies concerning the management of personnel in public and nonprofit organizations.

610. PUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (3). Examination of the public budgetary process and related financial management techniques.

611. PUBLIC REVENUE ANALYSIS AND FINANCIAL MANAGMENT (3). Theories and politics of taxation, features and impacts of alternative revenue generation methods, and financial management topics including procurement and procurement systems, enterprise resource planning systems, and contract management.

612. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (3). Introduction to concepts and skills concerning the management of information technology in the public sector. Covers topics related to managing computers and using software (including spreadsheets and database management systems) to support the decision-making process. PRQ: PSPA 601 or consent of department. Recommended PRQ: PSPA 605.

621. GRANT WRITING (1). Specialized and applied instruction in grant writing, including identifying potential grants, drafting proposals, administering awarded funds, and understanding legal obligations.

622. FUNDRAISING (1). Specialized and applied instruction in fundraising, including solicitation techniques, donor recruitment, and customer relationship management technologies.

623. ADVOCACY FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (1). Specialized and applied instruction to advocate on behalf of a nonprofit organization in the public policy process, including the formation and evaluation of policies.

624. RESOURCES MANAGEMENT FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (3). Discussion of resource strategies for nonprofit public service organizations; including fundraising, grant writing, volunteer management, and oversight roles.

626. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNANCE (3). Introduction to the role of non-governmental organizations in public service delivery in the United States and globally, including the size, scope, ethics, and legal framework of such entities.

627. TOPICS IN HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (3).
A. The Politics of Mental Health
B. Clinical Administration: Treatment through Institutional Change
C. Planning and Policy Making in Health and Mental Health
D. Mental Health Administration
Examination of political and administrative aspects of organizing, maintaining, and delivering health and mental health services.

628. THE ROLE OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN DEVELOPMENT (3). Exploration of the roles that nongovernmental organizations play in development activities in developing countries, with emphasis on non governmental organizations that support education and community development.

630. LOCAL AND METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT (3). Discussion of the operational and administrative aspects of local and metropolitan government in the United States, including design and structure, municipal law, finance, administrative organization, local political systems, and intergovernmental relations.

631. URBAN PLANNING AND ZONING (3). The basic theory, techniques, and practice of modern urban planning and land use regulation; current trends and problems; social, political, and economic characteristics of urban, suburban, and metropolitan political systems.

632. LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION (3). Administration of local government services in urban and metropolitan areas. Analysis of particular problems faced by local governments in the performance of line and staff functions.

633. CITIZEN PARTICIPATION (3). Introduction to the study of citizen participation theories and application of those theories in government. Topics include citizen involvement in local government processes, accountability, and tools used to involve citizens in local government activities.

634. NEW GOVERNANCE (3). Examines alternative modes of global, national, state, regional, and local service delivery through intergovernmental and intersectoral networks, joint agreements, and contracts.

635. LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY (3). Introduction to the tools, institutions, analytical techniques, financing instruments, policy issues relevant to economic development policy at the state, local, and regional level.

636. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LAW (3). Understanding of law, and the legal processes that shape the law, for public managers. Study of the courts as a decision making system and as a governmental entity making policy, and the intersection of the justice system and public administration. Uses decisions of the United States Supreme Court and decisions of the Supreme Court of Illinois.

650. LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS (3). Examination of leadership models and exploration of leadership theory historically and how conceptions of leadership have evolved, changed, and adapted. Leadership development, training, and practices in public sector organizations.

652. PUBLIC SECTOR REVENUE MANAGEMENT (3). Investigation of theories and politics of taxation, impacts of alternative taxes, fiscal federalism, mechanics of raising funds, macroeconomic impacts, and principles of municipal investment. PRQ: PSPA 610 or consent of department.

653. INTERMEDIATE PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (3). Advanced topics in financial management essential for public managers seeking specialized knowledge in public budgeting and financial management. Topics typically include: debt management, risk management policy, revenue policy, fundraising strategies, auditing, cash and investment management and policies, and revenue forecasting. PRQ: PSPA 611 or consent of department.

654. INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND GOVERNMENT (3). Examination of management issues, innovative applications, and research involving information systems and government. Covers topics such as geographic information systems, expert systems, pert/cpm software, and political and legal issues involved in public information systems. PRQ: PSPA 612 or consent of department.

655. ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR (3). Examination of the theoretical basis of organization development (OD) and total quality management (TQM). Demonstrates how OD and TQM technologies can be applied to public sector organizations for improving program quality and performance.

656. MANAGEMENT OF NOT-FOR-PROFIT AGENCIES (3). Comprehensive study of the not-for-profit organization as an integrated and complex model. Examination of not-for-profit management principles and objectives, program services, planning, resource development and fund raising, volunteer development, and public relations

657X. ACCOUNTING FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (3). Crosslisted as ACCY 557. Survey of governmental and other public sector accounting for non-accounting majors. Topics include an introduction to accounting, budgeting, auditing , and financial statement analysis as applied to state and local governments, hospitals, colleges, universities, and other nonprofit organizations. PRQ: Consent of Division of Public Administration or Department of Accountancy.

658. LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR (3). Federal, state, and local government employee-management relations with emphasis on legislative, judicial, political, and social considerations. Attention given to selected occupational groups such as police and fire in the public sector. Comparisons with the private sector and the special bargaining problems of various units in the public sector.

659. TOPICS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (3). Selected issues concerning the policy and administrative processes of public organizations. May be repeated to a maximum of 9 semester hours as the topic changes.  

660. ETHICS AND PUBLIC SERVICE IN AMERICA (3). Examination of contemporary and historical ethical dimensions of public service in the United States, with focus on the duties and responsibilities of the public administrator to act ethically and with integrity.

661. THEORY AND ANALYSIS IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (3). Examination of the major theoretical and conceptual concerns of public administration as a field of academic inquiry. Not available to candidates for the MPA degree.

664. POLITICS OF PUBLIC BUDGETING (3). Focus on political aspects of budgeting with attention to the local level. Covers topics such as how deficits occur, the relationship of machine and reform governments to spending level and balance, and the politics of taxation and tax revolt. Consideration of the broader questions of how governments gain support or fail to gain support for spending and revenue decisions in a democracy. Recommended PRQ: PSPA610.

665. PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATION (3). Exploration of the meaning and significance of innovations in the public sector, including who drives innovations; why innovations occur; and the community, organizational, political, and management conditions that increase the likelihood of innovation success.

671. PUBLIC MANAGEMENT IN A GLOBALIZED ENVIRONMENT(3). Examination of public management in a global and comparative context. Explores alternative models of government structure, management reforms, and NGO roles in public management.

672. ADMINISTRATIVE PROBLEMS OF LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES (3). An examination of selected problems of public administration in less developed countries.

692. INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (1-3). Open to qualified M.P.A. students who wish to do individual advanced work in public administration. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 semester hours.

695. INTERNSHIP IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (1-3). Preprofessional experience composed of three elements: administrative or staff service in a public or quasi-public agency; seminar meetings consisting of student presentations and action exercises; and presentations by practicing public administrators and scholars in the field of public affairs. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 semester hours. S/U grading. PRQ: Consent of department.

699. PUBLIC SERVICE RESEARCH (1-5). Research and writing related to the completion of the capstone paper requirement for the M.P.A. degree. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 semester hours. S/U grading. PRQ: PSPA 604 or consent of department.

720. SEMINAR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (3). Research and discussion of selected topics. May be repeated to a maximum of 9 semester hours as topic changes.

723. SEMINAR IN ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY (3). Intensive examination of selected topics related to the science of public management, the politics of administration, and the role of government agencies in the formulation of public policy.

725. INDEPENDENT STUDY IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (1-6). Open to students admitted to a program of doctoral study at NIU who wish to do individual advanced work in public administration. May be repeated to a maximum of 6 semester hours.

735. SEMINAR IN COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE (3). Survey of the scholarly literature focusing on the systems of governance in American communities and on the problems confronting community governance, with emphasis on urban issues.

Undergraduate Course Offered by the Division of Public Administration

Public Administration (PSPA)

201. PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP (3). Introduction to the traits and standards associated with leadership roles in public service, as distinguished from business and educational leadership. Exposure to the leadership and management of volunteers.

302X. GOVERNMENT IN METROPOLITAN AREAS (3). Crosslisted as POLS 302. Examination of the political and structural elements of government in metropolitan areas. Emphasis on the impact of public and private influences exercised through the network of government agencies upon urban regions. PRQ: At least sophomore standing or consent of department. Recommended: POLS 303 OR PSPA 303X.

303X. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (3). Crosslisted as POLS 303. Examines the structure, functions, and governance dynamics of local and state governments. Includes relationships of local and state government legislative, executive, and administrative actors; management processes; and intergovernmental relations.

326X. NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT (3). Crosslisted as POLS 326. Examines the role of nonprofit organizations in the policy process from advocacy through service delivery. Emphasis on management/administration and the delivery of public services. PRQ: At least sophomore standing. Recommended: POLS 331 OR PSPA 331X.

327X. E-GOVERNANCE (3). Crosslisted as POLS 327. Examines the policy issues and management practices associated with the use of information and communication technologies in governance. Governance includes the production and delivery of public information and services as well as citizen and stakeholder participation in making
those production and delivery decisions. Issues include information access, digital divide, electronic privacy and security, and online citizen participation. Topics on managing information technology in government include e-government web portals, information resource management, knowledge management, strategic information technology management, and others.

328. ROLE OF NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN DEVELOPMENT (3). Crosslisted as POLS 328X. Exploration of the roles that nongovernmental organizations play in development activities in developing countries, with emphasis on nongovernmental organizations that support education and community development.

330X. BUREAUCRACY AND THE PUBLIC POLICY PROCESS (3). Crosslisted as POLS 330. Role of the bureaucracy in the formation and implementation of public policy. Includes the interaction of public agencies with other agencies, chief executives, legislatures, courts, other levels of government, parties, interest groups, and the media.

331X. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (3). Crosslisted as POLS 331. Leadership, decision making, organizational behavior, program effectiveness, and fiscal management in public administrative agencies.

395. CONTEMPORARY TOPICS IN PUBLIC SERVICE (3). Selected topics in the analysis and evaluation of public service phenomena in a variety of settings. Topics vary each semester and include such concerns as supervisory skills, strategic planning, governance relationships, democratic accountability, and other topics pertinent to leadership roles in public service organizations. May be taken a total of two times as different topics.

401. PHILANTHROPY AND VOLUNTEERISM (3). Examination of the role of philanthropic activities in a civil society, the process of philanthropy, and the contribution that volunteerism makes to civil society. Survey of techniques, methods, and policies concerning volunteerism and philanthropy.

402. RESOURCE STRATEGIES FOR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (3). Crosslisted as MGMT 402X. Introductory survey of resource strategies for non-governmental public service organizations; including fundraising, grant writing, volunteer management, and oversight roles.

410. SUPERVISION IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR (1). State and municipal involvement in employee-management relations with emphasis on legislative, judicial, political, and social considerations. Comparisons with the private sector and the special bargaining problems of various units in the public sector are considered.

411. THE ETHICAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR (3). A review of the ethical principles and standards associated with the public administration profession. Provides instruction to recognize and respond to ethical dilemmas.

412. PUBLIC BUDGETING (3). Introduction to the processes and politics of public budgeting, including the legal, political, and economic factors affecting budgeting in federal, state, and local governments in the United States.

413. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES (1). Exploration of how community engagement can benefit public safety agencies, including a review of the various avenues to engage citizens in departmental activities and proper roles for such engagement.

Public Administration and Service

POLS 100 - American Government and Politics (3)
POLS 331 - Public Administration (3) OR PSPA 331X - Public Administration (3)

Two of the following (6)

POLS 150 - Democracy in America (3)
POLS 220 - Introduction to Public Policy (3)
POLS 251 - Introduction to Political Philosophy (3)
POLS 260 - Introduction to Comparative Politics (3)
POLS 285 - Introduction to International Relations (3)

One of the following (3)

POLS 322 - Politics and the Life Sciences (3)
POLS 323 - Biomedicine and the Law (3)
POLS 324 - Politics of Environmental Health, and Safety Regulation (3)
POLS 356 - American Political Thought I (3)
POLS 382 - U.S. Foreign Policy Making (3)
POLS 383 - Changing World Political Economy (3)
POLS 389 - International Law and Organization (3)

Two of the following (6).Recommended that POLS 331 OR PSPA 331X be taken before enrolling in the following courses.

POLS 302 - Government in Metropolitan Areas (3) OR PSPA 302X - Government in Metropolitan Areas (3)
POLS 303 - State and Local Government (3) OR PSPA 303X - State and Local Government (3)
POLS 308 - The American Presidency (3)
POLS 326 - Nonprofit Management (3) OR PSPA 326X - Nonprofit Management (3)
POLS 327 - E-Governance (3) OR PSPA 327X - E-Governance (3)
POLS 330 - Bureaucracy and the Public Policy Processes (3) OR PSPA 330X - Bureaucracy and the Public Policy Process (3)
Electives in political science (15)

Students must ensure that the field distribution requirement is met. Students pursuing the B.S. degree must complete POLS 220 - Introduction to Public Policy (3), and POLS 340 - Political Analysis (3). Students should complete POLS 340 by the end of their junior year. Students are also strongly encouraged to complete POLS 340 prior to taking STAT 301 or STAT 350. The B.S. is highly recommended for students planning careers in public policy and public administration.

Requirements outside Department (B.A., 0-12; B.S., 10-15)
For the B.A. degree: Fulfillment of the foreign language requirement (0-12) (See “Foreign Language Requirement for the B.A. Degree”)
For the B.S. degree: Laboratory science/mathematical/computational skills sequence (10-15) [Students selecting a sequence that does not include STAT 301 (4) or STAT 350 (3) will also be required to take one of these courses.]
(See “College Requirement for the B.S. Degree”)
Total Hours for Public Administration and Service: 36- 48 (B.A.) OR 46-51 (B.S.).

Public Policy/Public Administration

220. INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY (3). Factors important in the policy process through an examination of selected issue areas such as health, the environment, energy, and economic regulation. Politics of evaluation and its uses.

320. BIOPOLITICS AND HUMAN NATURE (3). Crosslisted as BIOS.

320X. The moral and political debates provoked by Darwinian biology in explaining human nature. Possible topics include sex differences, crime, the IQ debate, the moral sense, and the neurology of social behavior. Recommended: At least sophomore standing.

321. THE ORIGIN OF POLITICS (3). Drawing on a version of modern evolutionary theory to frame the approach to studying political behavior, examines the biological bases of political behavior. Intersection of biological and social sciences is tapped for insights and new interpretations of political attitudes and behaviors. Recommended: At least sophomore standing.

322. POLITICS AND THE LIFE SCIENCES (3). Crosslisted as BIOS.

322X. Analysis of the major social problems and political issues emerging from rapid advances in the life sciences with emphasis on biotechnology and biomedical policy. Recommended: At least sophomore standing.

323. BIOMEDICINE AND THE LAW (3). Examination of judicial and legislative responses to developments in biomedicine. Evaluation of governmental role in medical and scientific decision making. Recommended: At least sophomore standing.

324. POLITICS OF ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY REGULATION (3). How environmental, health, and safety risks are assessed and regulated in the United States. May include study of the role scientists, interest groups, public opinion, the media, political culture, economics, and other factors play in risk assessment and regulation, and may involve participation in faculty research. Recommended: At least sophomore standing.

326. NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT (3). Crosslisted as PSPA 326X. Examines the role of nonprofit organizations in the policy process from advocacy through service delivery. Emphasis on management/administration and the delivery of public services. Recommended: At least sophomore standing.

327. E-GOVERNANCE (3). Crosslisted as PSPA 327X. Examines the policy issues and management practices associated with the use of information and communication technologies in governance. Governance includes the production and delivery of public information and services as well as citizen and stakeholder participation in making
those production and delivery decisions. Issues include information access, digital divide, electronic privacy and security, and online citizen participation. Topics on managing information technology in government include e-government web portals, information resource management, knowledge management, strategic information technology management, and others.

330. BUREAUCRACY AND THE PUBLIC POLICY PROCESS (3). Crosslisted as PSPA 330X. Role of the bureaucracy in the formation and implementation of public policy. Includes the interaction of public agencies with other agencies, chief executives, legislatures, courts, other levels of government, parties, interest groups, and the media. Recommended: At least sophomore standing.

331. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (3). Crosslisted as PSPA 331X. Leadership, decision making, organizational behavior, program effectiveness, and fiscal management in public administrative agencies. Recommended: At least sophomore standing.

General

499H. SENIOR HONORS THESIS (1-3).
Preparation of an honors thesis under the guidance of a faculty member. May be repeated to a maximum of 4 semester hours. PRQ: Senior standing, POLS 397H, and consent of department.