Public Administration Courses | 2024-2025 Graduate Catalog | SIU

An examination of basic concepts in the policy sciences, approaches to policy analysis, applications to selected areas of policy, and instruments of policy development.

Credit Hours: 3

The course aims to familiarize students with analytical techniques and research methods used currently by public administrators. Provides an introduction to applied statistics and data analysis for problems of interest to public administrators. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of the department.

Credit Hours: 3

An examination of relationships among national, state, and local governments in the American federal system, with emphasis on recent literature and contemporary issues. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of School.

Credit Hours: 3

This course examines the question, can NPOs and NGOs do their good works better? In looking for the answer, students consider how perspective shapes reality, the need for a new framework for action, the conflict between limited resources and seemingly unlimited need, importance of local focus, conflicts between donors' demand for short term results with a situation's requirement for a long term program, issues caused by public policy, roles of gender and ethnicity in solving problems and the role of simplicity. Students will do this in anticipation of becoming leaders/managers of NPOs or NGOs.

Credit Hours: 3

Examines the theories, skills and practices for writing grants for nonprofit and public organizations. Students practice these skills by actually preparing grants for a nonprofit or a public organization.

Credit Hours: 3

Explores the shifting locus of public service delivery over time, and examines alternative organizational arrangements through which public services are provided to citizens. Emphasis is placed on the environment, structure and management of service delivery networks including combinations of public, private, and not-for-profit actors. Explores joint agreements, public-private partnerships, and contracting regimes as elements that bind network actors in the process of delivering high quality public services. Additional focus is invested in evaluating the leadership and management strategies that can ensure accountable and ethical public policy implementation by non-governmental organizations that act with the authority of government. The factors that facilitate network performance are also explored.

Credit Hours: 3

Examines the ethical dimensions of public service, particularly as it relates to the cultural context of the United States, while emphasizing the responsibility of the public manager to act with integrity. Assesses the virtues necessary for moral leadership in the public sector, as well as managerial strategies that reinforce ethical climates in public organizations and ethical behavior among public employees. Focuses on contemporary cases to explore the practical relevance of theories of morality and ethics. Special attention will be invested in examining the ethical implications of contemporary modes of governance and tensions between managerial and democratic values.

Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to the study and practice of administrative process and public management. Theoretical, political, and practical issues of organizing, staffing, financing and implementing government decisions and other issues are surveyed.

Credit Hours: 3

The analysis and evaluation of governmental programs. Emphasis is placed upon using analytical techniques to determine what difference programs make and how that data can affect public sector decision making. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of School.

Credit Hours: 3

Course is designed for advanced MPA students and examines social, political, legal and managerial constraints on the behavior of public administrators. Issues in ethics and the public's expectations of professional administrators are also examined. Restricted to students who are in the MPA program who have completed at least three required MPA courses, or the consent of the department.

Credit Hours: 3

Study of selected problems in public administration and policy. Emphasis placed on the practitioner's perspective. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of School.

Credit Hours: 3

An examination of the theory and practice of budgeting in the public sector and of selected elements of fiscal management. The course focuses on administrative aspects of budgeting and is oriented toward preparation of students for careers in the public service. Students utilize primary materials in conducting individual or class projects aimed at development of budgetary skills. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of School.

Credit Hours: 3

A study of the processes and procedures used in contemporary public personnel systems. Emphasis is placed on examination of competing models of personnel administration, application of personnel management strategies to specific case problems and public sector labor relations. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of School.

Credit Hours: 3

This course focuses on the development and analysis of public policy alternatives and how they are used in governmental decision making.

Credit Hours: 3

An examination of various approaches to describing and understanding public organizations and the individuals within them. Emphasis is placed on study of the important theoretical literature in the field and on the applications of the theory of practical management problems in governmental units and agencies. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of School.

Credit Hours: 3

An examination of contemporary theories of leadership and their applicability on the public and non-profit sectors. The course emphasizes the range of behaviors and actions relevant to leadership in contemporary governmental organizations and the analysis of factors resulting in leadership success or failure. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of the department.

Credit Hours: 3

This course examines the unique resource development needs of nonprofit organizations and public organizations and looks at the principles and practical sides of meeting those through relationship management, marketing and fundraising. Time will be taken to look at all the aspects of a successful relationship, fundraising and marketing management plan. Students will be expected to participate in at least one fundraiser for a local nonprofit during the semester.

Credit Hours: 3

Examines the characteristics of nonprofit organizations that distinguish them from the public and for-profit sectors. Explores social and economic functions of nonprofits and such administrative issues as fundraising, working with volunteers and governing boards, satisfying tax codes and service distribution. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of School.

Credit Hours: 3

A survey of the major literature in the field of public administration. The course will synthesize and integrate the literature and provide an overview of topics to be covered in greater detail in other seminars. Required of M.A. and Ph.D. students offering public administration as a graduate area before enrolling in more advanced subject-matter seminars.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as AVM 551) Examination of the history of American aviation policy, law and regulation. The course focuses primarily on the development, implementation and enforcement of aviation policies and regulations at the federal level. Special attention is paid to the interaction of various government agencies and constituency groups, such as the aircraft industry, airport authorities, airlines, private pilots and passengers. In addition to the historical survey, students will analyze current policy and regulatory trends and identify future problems and opportunities for American aviation policy. Restricted to enrollment in MPAA graduate program or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as AVM 552) This course will address the role and function of the airport administrator, especially related to the tasks of developing, operating and maintaining various airport services to meet the needs of key airport users. This course will study key airport administration cases at primary, commercial service, reliever and general aviation airports. Meeting key airport regulations concerning operations and security will be a focus of the course. Restricted to enrollment in MPAA graduate program or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as AVM 553) The Aviation Safety Administrator's job function and responsibility for safety and accident prevention within an aviation organization is examined using the case study method. The relevant theory, concepts, procedures and techniques of resource allocation, organizational design, decision modeling, task assignment, delegation of authority and responsibility, establishment of organizational goals and priorities and risk management as they relate to Aviation Safety are included. The job functions of an Aircraft Accident Investigation Team and of an Aviation Safety Inspector will be studied. Aviation safety administration literature will be reviewed. Restricted to enrollment in MPAA graduate program or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

(Same as AVM 554) This course fulfills a need for a semester length course on aviation planning for students concentrating in aviation administration. Airports and the aviation industry are rapidly expanding, and aviation is growing in importance on the nation's transportation agenda. Broader issues of law and regulation will be covered in an existing course, PADM 551. Restricted to enrollment in MPAA graduate program or consent of instructor.

Credit Hours: 3

The seminar provides a basic understanding of the public budgeting decision-making processes and financial management practices. It provides students with knowledge and hands-on experience of collecting and analyzing governmental data, generating financial reports, and presenting findings. It also provides students with an understanding of revenue sources and different factors that could potentially influence collections. Moreover, it gives students the opportunity to acquire experience in revenue forecasting and budget decision-making through homework assignments and in-class exercises.

Credit Hours: 3

Supervised readings in selected subjects.

Credit Hours: 1-6

Selection, investigation and writing of a research paper under the personal supervision of a member of the program graduate staff.

Credit Hours: 3

Guides students in preparing the Professional Portfolio displaying competencies developed through their course work and a project applying them to public administration practice. Graded S/U only. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of School.

Credit Hours: 3

Fieldwork in the office of a governmental or quasi-governmental agency. The internship is arranged by the field representative of the M.P.A. degree program. A paper in which the student correlates academic knowledge with practical internship experience is required. Mid-career M.P.A. students may receive credit upon completion of a paper relating previous work experience to public administration literature and theory. Restricted to enrollment in M.P.A. graduate program or consent of department. Graded S/U only.

Credit Hours: 1-6

Upon successful completion of core courses, the student expands and develops a previously written MPA graduate program paper. The project involves an issue or problem in public administration and is written with the approval and under the supervision of the student's committee chair. Restricted to enrollment in MPA graduate program or consent of department.

Credit Hours: 3