Online Master's in Public Administration

This course applies the tools available to UOPX graduate students and the competencies of successful managers to understand the functions of public administration. Students will understand the relationship between the political system and public administration in the creation and implementation of public policy. Other topics, at the state and local level, include executive & legislative branches of government, the evolution of public administration, intergovernmental relationships, and fiscal sources & uses.

This course prepares students to communicate with multiple stakeholders, elected officials and the public in the political environment. Students will apply communication concepts to create messages that are sensitive to the opinions and positions of disparate groups. Other topics, at the state and local level, include uniqueness of public sector communications, public involvement, and internal & external communications.

This course prepares students to apply legal concepts in public administration. Students will analyze legislative and judicial processes in the administration of state and local governments. Other topics, at the state and local level, include enabling laws, regulatory review, open-meeting/sunshine provisions, adjudication, and the Administrative Procedures Act.

This course prepares students to apply human capital development concepts in public administration. Students will create plans for managing human capital in public administration. The application of recruitment, development & retention of employees, compensation, motivation, performance evaluation, employee/employer relationship, personnel policies & politics, public service ethics, collective bargaining, employee/employer relations applied within government & non-profit entities will be analyzed.

This course prepares students to lead change in the public administration arena. Students will apply leadership change theories congruent to the unique role of shared decision-making between officials in public and non-profit environments. Other topics include culture in the public sector, power, group behavior, financial and nonfinancial motivation, and workplace conflict.

This course prepares students to analyze information and present it appropriately to diverse stakeholder groups. Students will collect and analyze primary and secondary data to measure effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of public sector goods and services. Other topics, at the state and local level, include pre-testing, post-testing, correlation, and forecasting.

This course prepares students to apply techniques to evaluate public sector programs. Students will be evaluating public sector programs using analytical tools. Other topics, at the state, county and local level, include measures of effectiveness, benchmarks, baselines, performance standards, and customized stakeholder communication and collaboration.

This course prepares students to leverage technology in support of effective and efficient administration of government and non-profit entities. Students will apply technology concepts to enhance self-service tools and social media for citizens while providing data security and respecting privacy concerns. Other topics include accessibility, mobility, database interconnectivity, Internet, intranet and extranet, and data maintenance and retrieval.

In this course students learn the accounting and budgeting tools and theories used in public administration. Students will analyze the relationship between public policy and the budget process. Other topics include budgetary decision making, basics of government and not-for-profit fiscal management, reporting, capital and operating expenditures, and inter-period equity.

This course prepares students to apply the principles of economics to public administration. Students will create a plan for a public-private partnership to deliver a public good or service. Other topics include analyzing revenue sources, income redistribution, multilevel government financing, bond issuance, role of nonprofits, and basic micro- and macroeconomic variables.

This course prepares students to trace the development of a public policy. For a selected policy, students will analyze the policy- making process and the challenges that accompany each stage. Other topics, at the state and local level, include public policy planning, policy alternative evaluation, and stakeholder conflicts.

Students will utilize knowledge learned in the entire MPA program to develop a comprehensive applied public sector policy and implementation plan. It is highly encouraged that students develop a current project in partnership with an actual public sector leader in their organization.