Public Policy
Degree Offered
- Public Policy, M.A.
Minor Offered
Master in Public Policy
The Master of Public Policy, M.A (MPP, formerly MUAP) prepares students for challenging careers in the development, implementation and evaluation of policies that require both the comprehension of complex urban issues and the application of tangible solutions. The program is organized around select public policy issues that focus on the economic/community development, environmental or healthcare challenges in the urban milieu.
Because urban issues are complex, the program is interdisciplinary in character, curriculum content, and faculty. It provides a stimulating and inclusive environment for intellectual curiosity, rigorous inquiry and creativity and for developing new knowledge and putting it to work in the service of environmentally and economically sustainable healthy urban communities to ultimately improve the quality of life. It is designed to attract candidates that have technical expertise but desire to advance their knowledge of the dynamics of public policy in twenty-first century metropolitan regions.
Students develop the knowledge and skills needed to analyze, question, challenge and shape urban policy. They draw on a core of economics, political science and sociology to analyze and interpret multiple types of data in order to critically evaluate problems and provide alternative courses of action.
Advising
MPP Graduate Advisor: Shatavia Thomas
CAPPA College Recruiter: cappa.advising@uta.edu
Admission Requirements
MPP Program Director: Dr. Colleen Casey
The Masters in Public Policy (MPP) program takes a holistic approach to the application review process. Each applicant's file is reviewed individually with equal consideration given to the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the student’s record. A complete application includes:
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score: Writing (Exceptions: Outstanding UT Arlington graduates may qualify for GRE waiver providing they meet certain requirements)
- Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA): The undergraduate GPA based on the last 60 hours of course work as calculated by the Graduate School from the official transcript.
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores: Verbal and Quantitative (Exceptions: Outstanding UT Arlington graduates may qualify for GRE waiver providing they meet certain requirements)
- Letters of Recommendation attesting to the applicant’s potential to do Master’s-level work and complete the program. Letters for Master’s programs should be from professors or supervisors at work (download Letter of Recommendation form). Letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the CAPPA College Recruiter via email or postal service, CAPPA RECRUITER, Box 19108, Arlington TX 76019.
- Essay by applicant approximately one double-spaced page in length (approximately 250 words). The Essay is considered both for its content and quality of writing. The Essay should address the following questions: 1. Why do you want to earn a Master’s degree in the program for which you are applying? 2. What relevant background and experience do you bring to the program? The essay can also include other concerns you’d like to bring to the attention of the Graduate Advisor or Master’s Admissions Committee.
- Non-native English speakers only: TOEFL or IELTS scores (Exceptions: An applicant holding either a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university is not required to submit a TOEFL, TOEFL iBT, or IELTS score for admission purposes.)
Waiver
- Submission of GRE scores may be waived for applicants to CAPPA master’s programs who hold a bachelor’s degree from UTA with a 3.0 or higher GPA in their last 60 hours as calculated by the Graduate School.
- Submissions of TOEFL or IELTS scores may be waived for applicants to CAPPA master’s programs who hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
Types of Admission
Unconditional Admission
- Applicants who meet all the following requirements will be considered for unconditional admission: a preferred minimum Writing GRE score of 4.0
- Minimum Undergraduate GPA of 3.0
- A preferred minimum Verbal GRE score of 450 (Revised GRE Test: 150), and preferred minimum Quantitative GRE of 450 (Revised GRE Test: 141), and a preferred minimum combined Verbal and Quantitative score of 1,000 (Revised Test Combined 291)
- Outstanding letters of recommendation
- Strong, well-written personal essay
- Non-native English speakers only: TOEFL scores of at least 550 (paper-based), 213 (computer-based), or 79 (iBT) with sectional scores that meet or exceed 22 Writing, 21 Speaking, 20 Reading, and 16 Listening; or, IELTS score of at least 6.5.
Probationary Admission
Applicants who do not meet all requirements for Unconditional admission will be considered for Probationary admission on the basis of the strength of all the listed admission factors. Test scores will not constitute the sole or primary basis for ending consideration of an applicant. Under Probationary admission, special course requirements or other conditions may be imposed by the CAPPA Master’s Admissions Committee. Applicants who meet all the standards for Unconditional admission except for deficiency in Writing GRE score will be considered for Probationary Admission conditional on completing an approved Writing course in their first semester.
Other types of admission decisions pertaining to Master’s applicants:
- Deferred: Applicants who are unable to supply required application materials, or who must complete additional preparatory work before their admissibility can be determined, may be deferred until records are complete.
- Provisional: Applicants who are unable to supply all required documentation prior to the admission deadline but who otherwise appear to meet admission requirements may be granted Provisional admission pending submission of complete and satisfactory credentials before the start of classes in which they have registered in a Provisional status.
- Denied: Applicants who fail to meet more than one of the admission requirements and for whom the CAPPA Master’s Admission Committee finds there is insufficient basis to justify any other kind of admission will be Denied admission. As the admission process is competitive, applicants meeting basic admission requirements who are less well qualified than other applicants may also be denied admission.
Scholarship/Fellowship Criteria
- Graduate students with a GPA of 3.0 or better who are enrolled in six hours or more are eligible to apply for competitive scholarships and fellowships.
- Scholarships and fellowships for Master’s and Doctoral students will be competitively awarded based on consideration of the all admission criteria assessed by their admitting programs.
CAPPA Inadequate Academic Progress Point System
A student may be subject to dismissal from the program if they accumulate 4 deficiency points while pursuing their Master’s degree or their Ph.D. degree. Deficiency points may not be removed from a student’s record by repeating a course or completing additional coursework. For students who complete a Master’s degree in CAPPA and proceed to work on a CAPPA Ph.D., any accumulated deficiency points are not carried forward to the more advanced degree.
D = 2 deficiency points
F = 3 deficiency points
I = 1 deficiency point
W = 0.5 deficiency point
Degree Requirements and Courses
| CURRICULUM AN DEGREE REQUIREMENTS | 39-42 | |
| Required Core Courses | 15 | |
| PAPP 5305 | THEORIES OF URBAN SOCIETY | 3 |
| PAPP 5306 | THE URBAN ECONOMY | 3 |
| PAPP 5309 | LOCAL POLITICS IN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL SETTING | 3 |
| PAPP 5311 | PUBLIC POLICY FORMATION AND ANALYSIS | 3 |
| PAPP 5324 | URBAN PUBLIC FINANCE | 3 |
| Required Research and Analysis Courses | 12 | |
| PAPP 5302 | FOUNDATIONS OF URBAN RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS | 3 |
| PAPP 5342 | INTERMEDIATE DATA ANALYSIS | 3 |
| PAPP 5346 | BIG DATA AND PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS | 3 |
| PAPP 5345 | EVALUATION RESEARCH | 3 |
| Policy Emphasis Areas | 9 | |
Healthcare Policy | ||
| PAPP 5314 | HEALTH POLICY | 3 |
| Student chooses 6 additional hours from CAPPA or any UTA graduate Program. MUAP Director approval is required | 6 | |
Economic/Community Development Policy | ||
| PAPP 5312 | ECONOMIC POLICY | 3 |
| Student chooses 6 additional hours from CAPPA or any UTA graduate Program. MUAP Director approval is required | 6 | |
Environmental Policy | ||
| PAPP 5365 | FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY | 3 |
| Student chooses 6 additional hours from CAPPA or any UTA graduate Program. MUAP director approval is required | 6 | |
| Professional Report | 3 | |
| PAPP 5396 | PROJECT REPORT | 3 |
| Thesis Option | 6 | |
| PAPP 5698 | THESIS | 6 |
Public Policy Students
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Summer Session | Hours |
| PAPP 5302 | 3 | PAPP 5306 | 3 | 53XX Emphasis Elective1 | 3 |
| PAPP 5305 | 3 | PAPP 5309 | 3 | 53XX Emphasis Elective1 | 3 |
| PAPP 5311 | 3 | PAPP 5345 | 3 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 6 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| PAPP 5324 | 3 | PAPP 5344 | 3 | ||
| PAPP 5342 | 3 | PAPP 5396 | 3 | ||
| 53XX Emphasis Elective1 | 3 | ||||
| 9 | 6 | ||||
| Total Hours: 39 | |||||
| 1 | Electives as approved by the Graduate Advisor or MPP Director. |
| 2 | Core Course |
| 3 | Research and Analysis Course |
Public Policy Program: The College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Arlington offers a Masters in Public Policy (MPP) that prepares students for public policy and professionals for careers and career-advancement in the development, implementation and evaluation of urban policies that require both comprehension of complex issues yet application of tangible solutions.
Program Curriculum: The curriculum is comprised of five core courses that address the social context from which public policy emanates. These courses demonstrate the role of economics, politics and society in identifying urban social issues and developing policies to address them. Four required research and analysis courses prepare the student with the requisite techniques for evaluating the need for and the effect of public policy. The courses range from introductory statistics to cost benefit analysis. The next portion of the curriculum, nine hours, depends upon the student’s interests in one of the three policy areas of Healthcare Policy, Environmental Policy or Economic Policy. Students complete the mandatory course for the emphasis area in the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs and six additional hours from within CAPPA or from a department elsewhere on the UTA campus. The student has the option to complete their degree with a three-hour professional report or a six-hour master’s thesis.
Dual Degree Program
Students in Public Policy may participate in a dual degree program whereby they can earn a Master in Public Policy, M.A. and a Master of Science in Social Work, or Master’s in City and Regional Planning, or a Master’s in Public Administration. By participating in a dual degree program, students can apply a number of semester hours jointly to meet the requirements of both degrees, thus reducing the total number of hours which would be required to earn both degrees separately. The number of hours which may be jointly applied ranges from nine to 18 hours, subject to the approval of Graduate Advisors from both programs. To participate in the dual degree program, students must make separate application to each program and must submit a separate Program of Work for each degree. Those interested in the dual degree program should consult the appropriate Graduate Advisor(s) for further information on course requirements. See also the statement on "Dual Degree Programs" in the general admission section of this catalog.
Courses
PAPP 5160. URBAN MANAGEMENT/PLANNING INTERNSHIP. 1 Hour.
Intended to enhance readiness for professional work through exposure to planning practice in a one semester log internship (100 hrs in the spring or fall semester or 75 hrs in the summer). Integrates work experience and coursework through journaling and reflective practice. Requirements: (1)student secures an internship from a planning related employer and approval from the student's major professor prior to enrolling in the course;(2)the intern must provide performance evaluation by the job supervisor and the intern's evaluation of the internship experience. Enrollment open to students with no previous formal planning experience. Credit not available for previous internship or planning experience. P/F grade.
PAPP 5300. FOUNDATION OF URBAN THEORY. 3 Hours.
Social theories that explain the life cycle of urban communities as they develop, expand, and are sustained or decay are presented and contrasted. Special consideration is given to role of social policy. Topics such as poverty, race, neighborhoods, and environment are addressed.
PAPP 5301. FOUNDATIONS OF URBAN POLITICS AND ECONOMICS. 3 Hours.
Examines the major political and economic institutions and processes in urban communities and their effect on urban policy.
PAPP 5302. FOUNDATIONS OF URBAN RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.
An introduction to research methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative, and statistical techniques useful in the analysis of urban trends and administrative programs.
PAPP 5303. THE METROPLEX: SURVEY OF URBAN AFFAIRS, PLANNING, ADMINISTRATION. 3 Hours.
The Metroplex provides an ideal laboratory for study with more than 100 cities and other governmental units, thousands of neighborhoods and business enterprises, major concentration of minorities and dozens of ethnic groups. An in-depth orientation on urban dynamics utilizing senior faculty members, governmental and community leaders, and current research reports and studies.
PAPP 5304. URBAN POLITICS. 3 Hours.
Examination of the city as a political system, including the impact of urbanization and fragmentation on policies; input dimensions, including voting patterns and interest group development; decision-making structures, especially types of community power structures and the impact of the reform movement on structural processes. Also offered as POLS 5305; credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5305. THEORIES OF URBAN SOCIETY. 3 Hours.
Several theoretical perspectives of the community and community organization examined. Special emphasis given to theories from human ecology, organization and stratification, and social welfare.
PAPP 5306. THE URBAN ECONOMY. 3 Hours.
Internal dynamics of the growth and development of the urban system and its relation to the national economy. National and urban economic policy, urban growth and land use, market imperfections, urban financial issues, and the environmental implications of urban growth studied through lecture, game simulation and policy debates.
PAPP 5307. URBAN GEOGRAPHY. 3 Hours.
Emphasizes real aspects associated with urban physical environments and social, behavioral and financial processes that shape these environments.
PAPP 5308. URBAN HISTORY. 3 Hours.
Extensive reading primarily in the history of the urbanization and metropolitanization of the people of the United States. Historical methods as exemplified in the works of leading historians and analyzed; examples of the scholarship of selected historians and treatises on selected cities, regions, and urban institutions studied.
PAPP 5309. LOCAL POLITICS IN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL SETTING. 3 Hours.
Critical analysis of the implications of federalism, and the changing nature of intergovernmental relations on state and local management, administration, planning, and policy making.
PAPP 5310. URBAN POLICY AND THE LAW. 3 Hours.
Critical analysis of federal government and selected state and local government policies and programs designed to influence the course of change and the future development of cities and urban areas. The role of "private" governments in affecting policy explored.
PAPP 5311. PUBLIC POLICY FORMATION AND ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.
The course covers the policy process, policy formulation and provides an introduction to the tools and techniques of policy analysis, using multiple theoretical and analytical perspectives. The primary focus is on U.S. policy, with an emphasis on state and local policy issues. The course aims to provide students with a foundation in the theory, process, and tools of policy analysis, so that they are able to think critically about applied public policy problems and the role of policy analysts. Students will also gain practical skills in the development and presentation of policy analysis and recommendations.
PAPP 5312. ECONOMIC POLICY. 3 Hours.
Examines structure of the U.S. economic system and its impact on welfare of consumers, workers, and industry; public policy efforts to provide for management of critical economic variables are evaluated for effectiveness and equity as they impact different interest groups.
PAPP 5313. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 3 Hours.
Focuses on current problems of community development and neighborhood revitalization. Housing, community assets, the roles of community development corporations and social capital in cities, and community economic development will be analyzed. Federal, state, and local policies, with grassroots initiatives evaluated for effectiveness on promoting alternatives for community building and organizing. Also offered as PLAN 5324; credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5314. HEALTH POLICY. 3 Hours.
Current health policy and programs, examination of historical development, economic and legal aspects, interest groups and health constituencies.
PAPP 5315. URBAN EDUCATION POLICY. 3 Hours.
Examines current education policy and programs, including public school districts, charter schools, and vouchers; economic and political aspects; role of adult education programs in improving human capital.
PAPP 5316. HUMAN SERVICES. 3 Hours.
Social welfare institutions: private and public; needs assessment, resource allocation, procedures, city/state/federal/private policy review; highlights of current system demands and changes. Offered as PLAN 5316 and PAPP 5344; credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5317. ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. 3 Hours.
Focuses on the physical environmental dimensions of urbanization including such factors as pollution, waste disposal, and land use; stresses the role of economic, social, and political institutions as these affect environmental quality of the city. Offered as PLAN 5342 and PAPP 5317; credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5318. SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY. 3 Hours.
Examines recent welfare reform measures (federal, state, and local levels), the political issues behind them, and their influence on urban life. A central topic will be the impact of a changing society on social welfare policy needs, including analyses of labor force participation and family structure.
PAPP 5319. URBAN PROBLEMS. 3 Hours.
Specific urban problems examined in depth, traced to their historical origins to see how they or similar problems have been dealt with in other times and places. Students will then propose possible solutions to the problems in their contemporary form. Offered as PLAN 5347 and PAPP 5319.
PAPP 5320. PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THEORY. 3 Hours.
Historical evolution of administrative theory including classical, sociological and social-psychological dimensions; decision-making theory; implications of public interest theory for public and non-profit management; basic concepts of organization development and impact on public administration paradigms; new public administration; and future of public and nonprofit urban organization. Also offered as CRCJ 5309 and POLS 5303; credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5321. URBAN MANAGEMENT. 3 Hours.
Focuses through lectures, readings, and exercises on major administrative process: personnel and policy development and analysis; management styles and key contemporary management problems explored through presentations by prominent local practitioners.
PAPP 5322. POLITICS AND POLICY IN PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT. 3 Hours.
Development of theory of bureaucracy; bureaucracy as social issue; ethics and morality in public and non-profit bureaucracy; mobilization of special interest support; power differentials in urban agencies; policy process in bureaucracy; new bureaucratic structures and processes for urban policy making.
PAPP 5323. MANAGING CHANGE IN PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT SERVICES. 3 Hours.
Current theories and concepts of public and non-profit organizational change with particular emphasis on organization development and action research; theoretical roots of contemporary change literature traced through readings and discussion of classical organization theory, public administration including New Public Administration decision making, public interest, phenomenology, learning theory and general systems. Prerequisite: Basic organizational theory course or permission of instructor.
PAPP 5324. URBAN PUBLIC FINANCE. 3 Hours.
Local urban governments increasingly rely less and less on support from the state and federal governments. Many local governments rely heavily on a limited number of taxes and fees to finance services. This course explores the variety of revenue sources and fiscal problems of cities and local governments in metropolitan areas. This includes the topics of tax burden and tax equity. The second half of the course focuses on the unique challenges of financing the diversity of activities that cities in particular support, e.g. housing, transportation, economic and community development and human services. Offered as PAPP 5324 and PLAN 5329; credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5325. ADMINISTRATIVE LAW. 3 Hours.
Examines scope and role of administrative regulation of and by governmental agencies; explores constitutional principles which limit administrative power and administrative law which governs classical areas of conflict between administrative agencies and their constituencies; rule-making, judicial review and informal regulatory processes of importance to public officials.
PAPP 5326. PUBLIC BUDGETING. 3 Hours.
This course introduces students to the principles and practices used by federal, state, and local governments to acquire and spend revenues within the context of American democracy, capitalism, federalism, and economics. The primary objective of this course is to provide students with the practical skills and theoretical knowledge to enable them to be effective participants in the budgeting process and critical consumers and producers of research relevant to public budgeting. Offered as PLAN 5328 and PAPP 5326. Credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5327. COMPARATIVE ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY. 3 Hours.
Extensive, multidisciplinary exposure to concepts and models of administration in developed and modernizing countries; role of the military, bureaucracy and traditional elites in development; practices and concepts of strategies for effective change.
PAPP 5328. SMALL CITY MANAGEMENT. 3 Hours.
This course will focus on problems peculiar to small cities, including administrative law; personnel, planning; public works, public safety; human services; budget and finance; public relations and parks and recreation.
PAPP 5329. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT SERVICES. 3 Hours.
Overview of the principles of finance as they apply to the public and non-profit services, financial reporting for state and local governments and non-profit organizations and evaluation.
PAPP 5330. COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION. 3 Hours.
Structure and processes in the analysis and development of community and neighborhood organizations; special emphasis given to poverty and minority communities and neighborhoods.
PAPP 5331. LAND USE PLANNING AND THE LAW. 3 Hours.
Explores the law of land use in the context of the American legal, economic, and political systems. Examines leading court decisions and precedents for their background, content, and applicability to contemporary land use. Offered as PLAN 5316 and PAPP 5331. Credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5332. CAPITAL BUDGETING IN PUBLIC MANAGEMENT. 3 Hours.
Examines governmental capital budgeting processes with a focus on understanding the significance of capital improvement planning, public facility investment, and project evaluation to sound infrastructure financing and regional economic growth. Governments purchase or construct long-lasting physical assets or facilities financed mostly through borrowing. This course aims to understand the rationale for public capital budgeting and debt instruments used to finance capital investment in the political context of public budgeting in America.
PAPP 5333. GOVERNMENTAL AND NONPROFIT ACCOUNTING. 3 Hours.
This course is designed as an introduction to governmental and nonprofit accounting. The course reviews major fund accounting principles, accounting for budgetary, revenue, and expenditure funds, accounting for general capital assets and long-term liabilities, accounting for fiduciary and proprietary funds, auditing practices, and financial reporting unique to government and non-profit organizations.
PAPP 5334. MANAGEMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 3 Hours.
This course focuses on the knowledge, organization, politics, issues, techniques and processes of local economic development. Emphasis is placed on contemporary issues and trends in the rich, dynamic laboratory of local economic development in Texas. Learning objectives include: 1) comprehension of basic techniques and issues such as strategic planning, leadership strategies, financial options and evaluation; 2) increased knowledge of the positive potential of thoughtful economic development for local environmental, infrastructure, and revenue challenges; and 3) enhanced professional development through individual and classroom exposure to successful practitioners.
PAPP 5341. PROFESSIONAL REPORT WRITING. 3 Hours.
Provides students entering public sector employment with writing, management information, data retrieval skills to communicate ideas and information within and outside an agency; basic writing skills reviewed, including organization of reports and grammatical construction; assignments based on actual internship position of students in public agencies.
PAPP 5342. INTERMEDIATE DATA ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.
An intermediate level examination of statistical and research techniques appropriate to urban and social analysis. Presuming a basic understanding of descriptive and inferential statistics, the course covers multivariate regression, including error analysis and non-linear models, path analysis, ANOVA, logit and probit models, and techniques for data reduction (e.g., factor analysis). Offered as PAPP 5342 and PLAN 5317; credit will be granted only once. Prerequisite: PAPP 5302.
PAPP 5343. APPLIED URBAN ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.
Group and individual projects to develop research studies or strategies, data reports for local government, agency or citizen group; techniques appropriate to task utilized. P/F only.
PAPP 5344. QUALITATIVE METHODS. 3 Hours.
The study of qualitative research and analysis methods. Offered as PLAN 5346 and PAPP 5344; credit will be given only once.
PAPP 5345. EVALUATION RESEARCH. 3 Hours.
Methodological issues in evaluating public programs; identification of variables, indicators and analyses formats presented. Prerequisite: PAPP 5302.
PAPP 5346. BIG DATA AND PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.
An examination of the data competencies and quantitative techniques necessary for policy analysis, with a special emphasis on big data and policy analysis. Increasingly, the rise and aggregation of what is commonly referred to as "big data" has raised many questions about the potential of this data for informing public policy as well as the tools and techniques appropriate for analysis. This course focuses on questions as to what constitutes big data, what sources of big data have relevance for public policy analysis, and concerns related to generalizability, reliability and validity. The course presumes a basic understanding of the basic statistical and research techniques taught in PAPP 5302 and PAPP 5342 (or equivalents from other departments). It builds on this foundation to analyze the tools and techniques appropriate for big data analysis in the field of public policy. The purpose of the course is to prepare students to understand what constitutes big data and evaluate the potential and limitations of its use in policy analysis. Students will be responsible for analyzing a source of big data, evaluating its research potential, and communicating the results of the analysis in a professional manner.
PAPP 5347. DEMOGRAPHIC METHODS. 3 Hours.
Examination of sources of data-census, vital statistics, special surveys, reports, special studies; techniques of analysis with particular emphasis on growth and projection models, interpretation of findings as a major policy area in urban analysis.
PAPP 5348. COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.
Reviews theory of cost-benefit and cost-effective analyses; explores the research, measurement and methodological requirements for the assessments of costs and benefits. It is recommended that students have completed at least one graduate course in research and one graduate class in public finance.
PAPP 5350. INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. 3 Hours.
This is a graduate level introductory course designed to give students an understanding of public administration as a field of academic inquiry and professional practice within the context of American federalism, democratic values, institutional dynamics, and bureaucratic politics. In addition to contextually defining public administration, the course addresses government reform, intergovernmental relations, public ethics, organizational dynamics and behavior, personnel issues, budgeting, and e-governance.
PAPP 5351. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN GOVERNMENT AND NON-PROFITS. 3 Hours.
The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with key functions of government and non-profit personnel systems, discuss various theoretical approaches and techniques, and understand the major legal requirements of public and non-profit personnel management. The course examines the structure, role, and evolution of the Civil Service, current personnel policies, and personnel management tasks such as examination, recruitment, position classification, and collective bargaining.
PAPP 5352. CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN THE PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT. 3 Hours.
Labor management at all levels of government and non-profits, ability to work together to solve problems. Emphasis on collective and interest based bargaining, mediation, labor management partnership. Simulation exercises teach dynamics of bargaining, negotiation, problem solving, and small group dynamics.
PAPP 5353. REFORM AND INNOVATION IN URBAN PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT. 3 Hours.
Designed to acquaint students with urban governance and non-profit reform and innovation. Course will explore how reformed government differs from traditional bureaucracy by contrasting it with entrepreneurial government and other innovations. Examines some of the areas most in need of reform, including service delivery, organizational capacity, and fiscal decentralization.
PAPP 5354. NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP. 3 Hours.
This course prepares students to be entrepreneurs, innovators and change leaders by using social entrepreneurship perspective to examine leadership and management practices of nonprofit organizations. Through hands-on experiential training, developing skills in needs assessment, and formulating interventions for social change, students develop a blueprint of a nonprofit organization that takes an innovative approach for sustainable solutions of social problems.
PAPP 5355. NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN PUBLIC POLICY. 3 Hours.
This course examines non-profits as community institutions with an outward focus: the political, economic, and inter-organizational environment, fund-raising and financial management, community relations and needs assessment, the role of the volunteers, boards and community leaders, marketing, and legal and government issues.
PAPP 5356. ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT. 3 Hours.
Public and non-profit entrepreneurship involves the use of public powers, and partnerships with individuals, firms and other organizations, to achieve public purposes. The focus will be on creative management techniques and methods employed in managing the public and non-profit sectors.
PAPP 5357. STRATEGIC MGT AND PLANNING IN PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT SERVICES. 3 Hours.
Readings and case studies of strategic planning and management in the public and non-profit sectors; application of principles to an actual situation, involving stakeholder identification, environmental scanning, and formulation of mission statements, goals, and strategies. Offered as PLAN 5312 and PAPP 5357. Credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5358. ETHICS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE. 3 Hours.
This course examines public service theoretical ethics literature to provide a basis for each student to both reflect upon and expand their comprehension of the values and processes of ethical decision making. Beyond theoretical works, it addresses the application and evaluation of theory against the professional, workaday reality of case studies, ethical codes and other relevant materials. Three major learning objectives are: 1) achievement of a solid understanding of the dominant theoretical perspectives in the public service ethics literature; 2) competency in the development of guidelines and procedures that encourage ethical behavior, and 3) enhancement of the reach and resiliency of each member's personal commitment to public service ethics.
PAPP 5359. ORGANIZATIONAL DIAGNOSIS. 3 Hours.
This class deals with tools and techniques necessary to manage public organizations. The learning objectives include ability to conduct an organizational diagnostic; and familiarity with group procedures and facilitation techniques involved in organizational change.
PAPP 5360. PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP. 3 Hours.
Designed to integrate work experience and coursework through a series of brief work-related assignments; presentations by local planning and management practitioners and class discussions and exercises. Enrollment is open to both pre-entry and in-career students. Formal internship placements with agency mentors will be arranged. P/F only.
PAPP 5361. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. 3 Hours.
The course focuses on the rise of governmental and nongovernmental organizations in geopolitics, international development, and environmental management. It analyzes their institutional histories, their organizational structures and cultures, and their role as institutional policy actors in the global diffusion of policy initiatives and managerial knowledge and practices.
PAPP 5362. URBAN DIVERSITY. 3 Hours.
Examines the growing spatial and social diversity of cities; how physical as well as socioeconomic urban structures have fostered race, class, and gender inequalities; how urban policies have addressed and can address these issues. Offered as PLAN 5362 and PAPP 5362.
PAPP 5363. CIVIL RIGHTS AND URBAN MINORITIES. 3 Hours.
Examines the changes in and growth of the civil rights of minorities in the United States from the close of the Civil War to the present. This is accomplished through the study of court decisions, legislation, and the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, as seen through the eyes of contemporary writers, including William Faulkner, Alice Walker, and Alex Haley.
PAPP 5364. URBAN POLITICAL ECONOMY. 3 Hours.
Examines the theoretical bases of economic paradigms and the different economic policies that logically flow from them. Comparison is made between the orthodox, or neoclassical, model of economics and alternative heterodox models, including comparing the growth and development of the urban system, land use patterns, and economic policy debates. Consideration will be given to how and why the neoclassical model remains the dominant model for economic policy in Western, capitalist countries.
PAPP 5365. FOUNDATIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. 3 Hours.
Explores how environmental controversy is rooted in conflict between a number of schools of environmental policy thought with divergent perspectives on issues such as how to define progress, how to balance the needs of economy and ecosystem, how to cope with environmental complexity, and what role science should play in environmental affairs. Also offered as PLAN 5343; credit will be granted only once.
PAPP 5366. US IMMIGRATION POLICIES AND PLANNING FOR IMMIGRANTS. 3 Hours.
A seminar course where weekly readings would include: perspectives on international migration theory; the evolution of US immigration policy and national security; theories and urban issues related to immigrant assimilation and incorporation; urban ethnic economies and ethnic enclaves; segregation and housing of immigrants; globalization and immigrant labor networks; governance issues with providing education and other public services to immigrants and their children; and social work issues regarding generational conflict in immigrant families.
PAPP 5367. STRATEGIC PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to acquaint students with the theory and practice of strategically developing, utilizing, and aligning human resources so that maximum contribution from each member of an organization is used toward the attainment of strategic long-range goals and objectives. Topics include HR strategy, diversity, leadership, selection, training and development, compensation, classification, performance appraisal, and future practices for public and non-profit organizations.
PAPP 5368. PRACTICAL EMPLOYMENT FOR PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT MANAGERS. 3 Hours.
The course examines the rights and obligations of employers and employees. It does this by examining the legal background pertinent to public and nonprofit management. Topics addressed include employee selection, promotion and discipline, anti-discrimination legislation, gender and family issues legislation, environmental, safety and health issues, whistleblower legislation, immigration law, worker's compensation, labor law, and drug and alcohol issues.
PAPP 5390. TOPICS IN URBAN THEORY. 3 Hours.
Different topics explored on an intensive basis, especially recent theoretical approaches. May be repeated for credit as topic changes.
PAPP 5391. TOPICS IN URBAN POLICY. 3 Hours.
Different topics and approaches in analysis of urban problems. May be repeated for credit as topic changes.
PAPP 5392. TOPICS IN URBAN MANAGEMENT. 3 Hours.
Selected topics on current management problems including small city management, community-neighborhood relations, citizen involvement programs and techniques, personal and professional effectiveness as a total person, intergovernmental strategies and styles, public-private sector collaboration and co-planning, privatization, and other alternatives to economic service delivery. May be repeated as topic changes.
PAPP 5394. SPECIAL TOPICS IN URBAN RESEARCH. 3 Hours.
Different topics each semester concentrate on a variety of methodological techniques and research strategies, such as demographic research and survey techniques. May be repeated for credit as topic changes.
PAPP 5395. CONFERENCE COURSE IN URBAN AFFAIRS. 3 Hours.
Reading and research in a specialized area of urban affairs under the direction of a member of the graduate faculty.
PAPP 5396. PROJECT REPORT. 3 Hours.
Student prepares report focusing on specific policy or professional issue, utilizing appropriate research techniques; subject area and design of project report with consent of instructor. Graded P/F/R only.
PAPP 5397. RESEARCH REPORT. 3 Hours.
Student prepares report comparable to a journal article focusing on research issue, utilizing appropriate theory and research techniques; subject area and design of research report with consent of instructor. Graded P/F/R only. Prerequisite: PAPP 5342.
PAPP 5398. THESIS. 3 Hours.
A thesis conforming to University and departmental requirements may be prepared by graduate students in urban affairs. Graded F, R.
PAPP 5399. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION CAPSTONE. 3 Hours.
This integrative applied research course assesses the student's ability to analyze, synthesize, and formulate cogent recommendations to solve a real public sector problem. Students will write the capstone paper using concepts drawn from the MPA core curriculum, their chosen emphasis track, and the student's professional public work experience. Students are required to successfully defend their capstone paper before a Public Administration Forum consisting of CAPPA faculty, students, and other interested parties. Prerequisite: Completion of all other course work required for the MPA degree, including core courses and emphasis area courses, unless an exception is approved by the MPA advisor.
PAPP 5698. THESIS. 6 Hours.
A thesis conforming to University and departmental requirements may be prepared by graduate students in urban affairs. Graded P/F/R.
PAPP 6301. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND PH.D. WORKSHOP. 3 Hours.
Explores the development and function of theoretical models and frameworks. Examines the major theories from the social sciences designed for framing urban planning or administration issues and public policy. Designed to assist doctoral students in preparing their dissertation research. Opportunities to present work in progress, share ideas, and interact with faculty. Prerequisite: PLAN 5346; and PLAN 5317 or PAPP 5342.
PAPP 6305. SEMINAR IN URBAN POLICY PROCESSES. 3 Hours.
Final course in urban policy field; focus on the political, economic, and sociological institutions in the policy process, including various theoretical approaches, and application of these multidisciplinary perspectives in the analysis of specific policy issues.
PAPP 6306. SEMINAR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. 3 Hours.
Final course in the public administration field, focuses on review and integration of the theories and principles of public administration.
PAPP 6310. MONETARY AND FISCAL POLICY: THE FEDERAL ROLE. 3 Hours.
Examination of the role of the federal government in maintaining economic stability, ensuring full employment and controlling inflation; exploration of liberal interventionist, conservative and radical theories of state economic management to assess the various policy alternatives and the importance of interest groups.
PAPP 6315. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THEORY. 3 Hours.
This course is designed to critically examine public administration theory through the lenses of various governance models that have been proposed beginning with Weber's "ideal"; bureaucratic model through Osborne and Gaebler's market model to Fox and Miller's postmodern discourse model. The course begins by examining each governance model's stated or implied assumptions (about man, government, state, etc.) Second, the course considers the political philosophy and conceptual pillars on which the models are theoretically founded. Finally, the course examines the ideas of what constitutes a state as it might be relevant to a particular model and public administration.
PAPP 6320. ADVANCED ORGANIZATION THEORY. 3 Hours.
The purpose of this advanced seminar is to examine the role of public agencies as organs of the State. It focuses on federal, urban, and nonprofit organizations. Learning objectives include understanding of interpretive, critical, and postmodern critiques of State's institutions; and application of power, knowledge, and gender lenses to the analysis of organizational practices, culture, and policy actions. Prerequisite: PAPP 5320 or PAPP 5323.
PAPP 6326. PUBLIC BUDGETING & FINANCE. 3 Hours.
The primary objective of this seminar is to provide students with the theoretical underpinnings of budgeting and financial management in the public sector. Students will engage in in-depth discussions of public budgeting and financial management topics drawn from economics, decision-making models, urban politics, federalism, and others to be able to have a sound understanding of how fiscal decisions affect public administration and policy.
PAPP 6340. RESEARCH DESIGN. 3 Hours.
Advanced course especially for Ph.D. students; covers logic of research design and problems of structure. Emphasis on empirical and quantitative studies.
PAPP 6346. ADVANCED DATA ANALYSIS IN URBAN AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS. 3 Hours.
An introduction to selected advanced techniques related to planning analysis. Subjects include advanced applied regression analysis, multivariate logit analysis, and multinomial logistic regression. Applications of projection techniques, land use and transportation models, and methods of regional analysis. Offered as PLAN 6346 and PAPP 6346. Credit will be given only once.
PAPP 6349. DECISION MAKING AND PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.
This course explores the theoretical, practical, and topical connections between public policy and public administration through a decision-making lens. The objectives of the course are to enable students to identify, critique, and connect the theoretical and meta-theoretical assumptions of decision-making models to models of public policy analysis and public administration. Course objectives will be pursued through readings, seminar discussions, and research-based assignments that focus on the intersection between decision-making, public policy, and public administration.
PAPP 6399. DISSERTATION. 3 Hours.
Graded F/R only.
PAPP 6699. DISSERTATION. 6 Hours.
Graded F/R/P/W only.
PAPP 6999. DISSERTATION. 9 Hours.
Graded P/F/R.
PAPP 7399. DOCTORAL DEGREE COMPLETION. 3 Hours.
This course may be taken during the semester in which a student expects to complete all requirements for the doctoral degree and graduate. Enrolling in this course meets minimum enrollment requirements for graduation, for holding fellowships awarded by The Office of Graduate Studies and for full-time GTA or GRA positions. Students should verify that enrollment in this course meets other applicable enrollment requirements. To remain eligible in their final semester of study for grants, loans or other forms of financial aid administered by the Financial Aid Office must enroll in a minimum of 5 hours as required by the Office of Financial Aid. Other funding sources may also require more than 3-hours of enrollment. Additional hours may also be required to meet to requirements set by immigration law or by the policies of the student's degree program. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office, other sources of funding, Office of International Education and/or their graduate advisor to verify enrollment requirements before registering for this course. This course may only be taken once and may not be repeated. Students who do not complete all graduation requirements while enrolled in this course must enroll in a minimum of 6 dissertation hours (6699 or 6999) in their graduation term. Graded P/F/R.