Public & Social Policy Concentration
Public administrators play an important role not only in the implementation and evaluation of public and social policy, but also in its formulation and development. This concentration provides a foundation for understanding the policy process and gaining policy-relevant skills such as policy analysis, policy evaluation, strategic planning, and research methods. Furthermore, the Policy Concentration helps develop the key skills necessary to design, implement, analyze and evaluate public policy. While the concentration's core courses equip students with broad policy awareness, the elective courses allow students to specialize as policy-focused or analytical-focused.
MPA Core Courses (24 credits)
- PA 8050 | Foundations in Public Service
- PA 8090 | Organization Theory & Behavior
- PA 8100 | Advanced Public & Nonprofit Management and Leadership
- PA 8120 | Research Methods for Public Administration
- PA 8300 | Policy Design and Implementation
- PA 8400 | Public Budgeting
- PA 8530 | Planning and Evaluation
- PA 8990 | Capstone Project in Public Administration
Required Course (3 credits)
Public & Social Policy Focus Courses & Electives (12 credits)
Students in the Public & Social Policy Concentration will select two (2) focus courses based on areas of interest and in consultation of the MPA Advisor. Students work with their advisor to select two (2) electives that best match their career and academic goals.
- PA 8010 | The Public Economy
- PA 8030 | Internship
- PA 8110 | Managing Information in the Public Sector
- EMGT 8060 | Planning, Preparedness & Mitigation
- PA 8330 | Seminar in Policy Analysis
- PA 8350 | Social Policy & Inequality
- PA 8410 | Public Human Resource Management
- EMGT 8430 | Response, Recovery & Resilience
- PA 8436 | Municipal Administration
- PA 8470 | Administrative Ethics and Leadership
- PA 8480 | Seminar in Public Financial Administration
- PA 8520 | Seminar in Grant Writing
- PA 8540 | Nonprofits & Public Policy
- PA 8550 | Introduction to the Non-Profit Sector
- PA 8566 | Intergovernmental Management
- PA 8600 | Administrative Law
- PA 8710 | Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations
- PA 8730 | Administration of Healthcare Systems
- PA 8740 | Health Care Policy
- PA 8750 | Social Determinants of Health
- PA 8760 | The U.S. Health Care System
- PA 8930 | Negotiation Skills Management
- UBNS 8000 | Seminar in Urban Studies
- UBNS 8020 | Race, Ethnicity & American Urban Culture
- UBNS/PA 8826 | Environmental Law