Public Administration & Policy Certificate Program in Public Sector Management
A certificate program in Public Sector Management offers a specialized alternative for those with degrees in other fields who seek graduate training in public administration and policy. The five course program was designed to serve the needs of professionals who hold or desire management positions and have no formal administrative training. Specializations are available in such areas as Public Management, Public Economics and Finance, Local Government Management, Public Policy, Legislative Administration, Information Strategy and Management, and Public Security. Coursework in each specialization includes topics related to general management principles, and the administrative environment and special concerns of the field.
Public Management
This specialization provides a foundation in management for persons engaged in or planning careers in management or supervision in the public service. Public management courses focus on techniques of organizational analysis, budgeting, planning, and decision-making.
Required Courses:
•PAD 500 – Introduction to Foundations of Public Administration
•PAD 503 – Principles of Public Economics
•PAD 506 – Foundations of Public Management
Elective Courses:
Non-Profit Management
•PAD 613 – Issues in Not-For-Profit Management or PAD 612 – Nonprofits
and Public Policy
Select One:
•PUB 506 – Implementation and Impact
•PAD 506 – Foundations of Public Management
•PUB 522 – Policy and Politics
•PUB 523 – Urban Community Development
•PUB 530 – Intergovernmental Relations, Federalism and Public Policy
•PAD 532 – Performance Measurement and Contracting in Government
(with consent of instructor)
•PAD 606 – Social Capital and Public Policy
•PAD 610 – Organizational Theory and Behavior
•PAD 633 – Organizational Analysis and Development
•PAD 640 – Financial Management and Policy
Elective Courses:
Management and Strategy
•PAD 615 – Strategic Planning and Management
Select One:
•PAD 501 – Public and Nonprofit Financial Management
•PAD 502 – Human Resources Development
•PAD 504 – Data, Models & Decisions I
•PAD 506 – Foundations of Public Management
•PAD 524 – Systems Thinking and Strategy Development
•PAD 600 – Legal Environment of Public Administration
•PAD 610 – Organizational Theory and Behavior
•PAD 611 – Decision Making in Government and Administration
•PAD 614 – Managerial Leadership in the Public Sector
•PAD 618 - Public Personnel Administration
•PAD 637 - Social and Organizational Networks in Public Policy, Management,
and Service Delivery: Theory, Methods, and Analysis
Public Economics and Finance
This specialization provides a foundation in public economics and finance for working in budgeting, financial and analytical aspects of state and local government. It is also beneficial for those who cross the public and private sector financial boundaries.
Required Courses:
•PAD 503 – Principles of Public Economics
•PAD 501 – Public and Nonprofit Financial Management
Elective Courses:
Select Three:
•PUB 514 – Economic Analysis for Public Affairs II
•PAD 532 – Performance Measurement and Contracting in Government
(with consent of instructor)
•PAD 631 – Cost Management for Government and Nonprofit Organizations
•PAD 641 – Basic Governmental Accounting
•PAD 642 - Proseminar in Public Budgeting
•PAD 643 – Governmental Finances
•PAD 648 – State and Local Fiscal Systems
Local Government Management
The Local Government Management specialization provides a professional development opportunity for government employees interested in local government executive and senior administrative positions. It is also an opportunity for those returning to school and beginning graduate work with a longer range goal of obtaining the MPA with a Local Government Management Specialization.
Required Courses:
•PAD 500 – Introduction to Foundations of Public Administration
•PAD 683 – Program Seminar in Managing Local Government
•PAD 684 – Seminar in Urban Policy Analysis
Elective Courses:
Select Two:
•PAD 502 – Human Resources Development
•PAD 504 – Data, Models, and Decisions I
•PAD 641 – Basic Government Accounting
•PAD 618 – Public Personnel Administration
•PUB 523 – Urban Community Development
•PAD 631 – Cost Management for Government and Nonprofit Organizations
•PAD 530 – Intergovernmental Relations, Federalism and Public Policy
Public Policy
This program area provides an intensive introduction to policy analysis skills and approaches useful to the public sector administrator or advocate.
Required Courses:
•PAD/PUB 503 – Principles of Public Economics
•PUB 522 – Policy and Politics
Elective Courses:
Select Three:
•PAD/PUB 504 – Data, Models, and Decisions I
•PAD/PUB 505 – Data, Models, and Decisions II
•PUB 506 – Implementation and Impact
•PUB 514 – Economic Analysis for Public Affairs II
•PUB 529 – Law and Policy
•PAD/PUB 606 – Social Capital and Public Policy
•PAD 620 – Normative Decision Making
•PAD 626 – Evaluation of Public Sector Programs
Or other courses dealing with public policy and policy analysis issues within specific substantive areas, such as education, finance, welfare, health care, or environmental policy, chosen in consultation with your academic advisor.
Legislative Administration
This area of study focuses upon special problems of working in the legislature or working as a legislative liaison. Classes will examine legislative structures, comparing strengths and weaknesses, and offers extensive contact with practitioners, scholars, and associations involved in legislative administration.
Required Courses:
•PAD 500 – Introduction to Foundations of Public Administration
•PAD 510 – Introduction to Legislative Administration
Elective Courses:
Select Three:
•PAD 503 – Principles of Public Economics
•PAD 504 – Data, Models, and Decisions I
•PAD 623 – Management Information Systems
•PUB 513 – Field Seminar in Public Policy
•PUB 506 – Implementation and Impact
•POS 531 – The Legislative Process
•POS 535 – Congress and the Presidency
•POS 632 – Topics in Legislative Research
Information Strategy and Management
The Information Strategy and Management specialization prepares public managers to understand, apply, and leverage information and technology in designing public services and solving public problems. It focuses on the interaction of policy, management, and technology domains in single organizations, and in multi- organizational and intergovernmental settings.
Required Courses:
•PAD 504 – Data, Models, and Decisions I
•PAD 550 – Foundations of Government Information Strategy and Management
Select One:
•PAD 500 – Introduction to Foundations of Public Administration or
•PAD 506 – Foundations of Public Management
Elective Courses:
Select Two:
•PAD 650 – Building a Case for Government IT Investments
•IST 523 – Fundamentals of Information Technology
•IST 560 - Information and Public Policy
•IST 611 – Information Systems
•IST 636 – Systems Analysis in the Information Environment
•ITM 522 – Managing Information Technology
•ITM 601 – Business Systems Analysis and Design
•ITM 603 – Management of IT Projects
•COM 659 – Topics in Organizational Communication
•GOG 596 – Geographic Information Systems
Public Security
Required Courses:
•PAD 504 – Data, Models and Decisions 1
•POS 554 – Political Violence, Insurgency and Terrorism
Three Additional Courses:
1) One from the method course list
2) One from the theory and practice course list
3) One additional course from either list
Method Course List
PAD 505 (Crj 504, Pos 505, Ssw 504) - Data, Models, and Decisions II
PAD 624 - Simulating Dynamic Systems
PAD 634 - Judgment and Decision-Making Behavior
PAD 705 - Research Methods II
PAD 724 - Simulation for Policy Analysis and Design
PAD 734 - Seminar on Judgment and Decision Making
PAD 777 - Advanced Topics in Social Network Analysis
PAD 637 - Social and Organizational Networks
PAD 550 (PUB 550) - Foundations of Government Information Strategy and Management
POS 517 - Empirical Data Analysis
POS 518 (PAD 518) - Regression Analysis
PAD 636 - Cultural Analysis of Organizations
Theory and Practice Course List
POS 567 - Contentious Politics: Theory and Research
POS 566 - Ethnic Conflict
POS 570 - Field Seminar in International Political Systems
POS 550 - Field Seminar in Comparative Political Systems
PAD 555 - Disaster, Crisis, Emergency Management and Policy
POS 576 - Globalization, International Cooperation, and Violent Global Movements
CRJ 648 - Terrorism, Public Security and Law Enforcement
IST 532 - Terrorism, Public Security and Information Analysis
PAD 610 - Organizational Theory and Behavior
POS 582 - Global Security
