Public Administration (MPA)

This course introduces incoming MPA students to the study and profession of public administration with an emphasis on leadership and service. The focus is on how government and public organizations serve stakeholders; the manner in which services are provided; how organizational, financial, and human resources are managed; and how evaluation and change is accomplished. Students will develop skills to succeed as graduate students in the program.

• Examine public administration as a field of academic study and professional practice.
• Understand the contemporary framework for American public administration at the federal, state and local levels.
• Develop skills to succeed as graduate students in the program.

Course Hours: 3

This course investigates theoretical, structural and practical foundations of public administration in the United States. The complexity of real-world issues at federal, state and local levels will be addressed from multiple disciplines (e.g., social, economic, political, ethical). Students will interpret and critique American public service issues through the lens of leadership and service.

• Evaluate current and continuing challenges, controversies and tensions inherent in the field of public administration.
• Assess various solutions to public administration challenges through multidisciplinary measures.
• Critique American public service issues through the lens of leadership and service.

Course Hours: 3

This course addresses US public policy formation, process and analysis. Emphasis is placed on examining the implications of public policy on society, public institutions, private organizations and businesses as well as social structures, communities, families and individuals. Students will assess their own responsibility for leading in public policy.

• Articulate policy formation, processes and analysis at the federal, state and local levels.
• Analyze the influence of public policy on society at various levels.
• Assess personal responsibility for leading in public policy.

Course Hours: 3

This course provides the foundation of finance, economics and accounting for effective and ethical financial decision-making. Fiscal policies on a federal, state and local level are covered as well as their implications for non-public entities. Students will exercise financial intelligence in analyzing public planning and budgeting as it intersects with spending and accountability policies.

• Evaluate how financial administration reflects governmental processes and priorities.
• Explain how the budgeting process works at the local, state and federal levels.
• Assess tax regulations in the factors of equity, efficiency, adequacy and feasibility.
• Appraise the accountability policies associated with ethical financial decision-making.

Course Hours: 3

This course will provide students with an introduction to data analytic techniques that can be used in the field of public administration.  In addition to using Excel to perform various elementary and advanced data analyses, the class will also focus on how to interpret and use these findings to make informed decisions.  Major topics to be covered include: descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVAs, correlations, and regression analyses.

Course Hours: 3

Serves as the foundation for many of the proceeding courses in the program by providing a survey of key management theories and terminology. While contemporary conceptualizations of management are discussed, classical approaches are also examined. Special emphasis is placed in leadership, motivation, culture, team-building and organizational communication.

Course Hours: 3

This course explores the organization, function, operation and politics of the U.S. public sector. The focus of the course concentrates of the foundations of federalism; constitutional law; federal agency interaction and differentiation between federal and state/local government; the role of the three branches of government; civil liberties; and the political process.

• Understand the foundation for the U.S. governing structure and the nature of interactions between the different institutions within the public sector.
• Evaluate effective actions that benefit the common good in response to contemporary legal issues through applications of the U.S. Constitution and U.S. legal system.
• Interpret how legal and regulatory decisions affect, support and limit public policy and practice.
• Formulate options for how government and non-government entities successfully navigate legal frameworks through understanding the moral dimensions for upholding law in the decision-making process.

Course Hours: 3

This course examines the organization, operations, roles and responsibilities in state and local government. The focus concentrates on the different governing structures between state, county and city governments and the managerial distinctions for each of these governing bodies. The content also addresses applicable administrative law and managerial practices associated with economic development, education policy, criminal justice and social welfare.

• Understand the unique structures of state and local government and the interactions between these institutions.
• Discover the nature of public administration law that impacts the decision-making process within state and local governing.
• Evaluate the differences in governing approaches between urban and rural locations.
• Analyze the rules, procedures and best practices related to economic development, education policy, criminal justice and social welfare administration.

Course Hours: 3

This course introduces leadership theories relevant to strategic planning and change management. This involves using strategies for innovative thinking, conflict resolution and project implementation. Students are required to synthesize learning gained throughout the MPA program. Students will integrate scholarly theories, practical strategies, real-world experiences and ethical and value-based principles to address a customized case study.          

• Formulate communication plans and processes appropriate to the stage and type of organizational change.
• Analyze how key concepts and theories in strategic planning and change management formulate practical solutions to problems associated with administration.
• Develop strategies for appropriate integration of Christian principles in a public and nonprofit setting.
• Synthesize the knowledge and experience gained throughout the program to develop a professional plan for contributing to the common good.
• Demonstrate mastery of program learning objectives through completion of a capstone assignment.

Course Hours: 3

This course will expose students to the data analytic practices executed in the business world. Students will explore such key areas as analytical processes, how data is created, stored, and accessed and how the organizations work with data and to create environments in which analytics can flourish. This course will provide students with a strong foundation in all the areas that support analytics and will help students to better position themselves for success within their organization. Prerequisite: Earning a grade of a “B” or higher in Business Analytics (BUS 6073).

Students will be exposed to a number of analytical techniques originated in related fields of statistics and business. Applications of each of these techniques for decision-making applications will be explored. The use of other data analytics software will be also explored.

Students will individually design a data analytics project that can be leveraged in the business world. Students will be equipped to design, lead, and manage, real-world data analytic projects.

The delivery of health care has been influenced by the legal issues surrounding the delivery, security and research associated with the patient/provider relationship. The legal influences on the corporate health care environment will be presented. Discussions of the influences on the delivery process and policy will be reviewed, including—but not limited to—the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX).

Outcome-based health care delivery and case management have been topics of discussion for some time, and the influence on delivery and reimbursement will continue to impact the health care environment. Topics include the quality of care and the influencers (such as staff shortages, educational shortcomings and technology velocity) and their influence on health care delivery. Patient safety and patient satisfaction will be presented through current data on the topic and the results of quality initiatives such as the healthcare-focused Baldrige award and audit process. The influences of the organizational efficiencies on health care delivery and the opposing health care delivery process on organizational efficiencies will be reviewed and discussed.

The delivery of healthcare in the U.S. has been influenced and changed significantly through the legislative process at the federal, state and local levels. The strategic planning of healthcare delivery has been significantly altered by these changes. This course will present and discuss the strategies available to address the changing landscape of healthcare delivery through the use and study of healthcare issues and how they will influence the future of healthcare delivery. Case studies will be a major portion of this course to determine how others have approached the policies in the past and how they have been impacted by the choices made.

The development of the sequencing and timing of project components and the risks associated at every point within the project must be understood and addressed. Recognition of the risk and the influence of the costs associated with risk, the scope of challenges presented by the risk and the schedule complexity that adds to and is influenced by risk must be understood by the successful project manager. Quantitative and qualitative techniques for risk management are components of project management, but the ability to recognize the threat is perhaps more critical. Threats can take the form of human, operational, procedural and technical threats or they may be political in nature. In any case, addressing threats and risks associated with these threats must be a tool in the project management arsenal.

Many project managers are confused or sidetracked by the legalities of cost management issues when utilizing contract or outsourced providers for portions of project delivery. The procurement process is often subjugated to the purchasing group(s) within the organization. The responsibility for the project cannot, however, be transferred to others. Therefore, the process must be understood and managed by the successful project manager. Most projects have some contract and procurement component that will influence the overall success of the project. With competitive bidding, technology advancements and federal and state legal issues that influence the process of procurement, it is important that the project manager bring knowledge and awareness to this aspect of the project process.

Development of project scope, work breakdown structures, project planning and project budgets will be discussed and presented. Project Management tools and techniques will also be introduced to support the project development process. The Project Manager must maintain a knowledge of the current systems and solutions available to ensure successful project/product delivery. In addition to the waterfall techniques, the tools and processes that support Agile, Lean and Six Sigma will be reviewed and presented. Detailed discussions regarding the benefits and limitations of each technique and the supporting tools will be of value to the participant when presented with making choices regarding the selection, development and delivery of projects.

This course provides fundamental knowledge of legal concepts and principles important to business decision-making. Topics include the legal system, torts and product liability, contracts, agency, forms of business organization, employment law and government regulation.

The course surveys models and best practices for organizational strategic planning, including a leader’s role in the planning process and implementation of the plan at various operational levels. Various methods for analyzing and solving problems, as well as decision-making strategies, are examined for utilization as change in an organization’s operations becomes necessary. Using the servant-leadership model, learners will discern how to serve others while staying focused on achieving results in line with the organization's values and integrity.

Students analyze the policies and procedures of managing human resources such as job analysis, recruitment, selection, training, performance appraisal, compensation, and employee rights (discipline, OSHA, and unionization). Special attention is given to Equal Employment Opportunity.

This course analyzes the strategic role of the human resource management function. The following topics will be examined: the environment of HR, job analysis, HR planning, labor relations and health and safety considerations.

This course analyzes the steps necessary for recruiting and selecting the employees needed to effectively execute an organization’s strategy. Topics related to successful performance appraisal, training and development are also explored.

This course examines theoretical and practical issues of compensation and benefits including legally-mandated benefits (social security, worker compensation, unemployment, health insurance, family and medical leave, etc.) as well as voluntary programs (retirement, disability, life insurance, time off, etc.).

An introduction to the entrepreneurial mindset, intrapreneurship, and the different types of innovation. Includes such topics as developing entrepreneurial thinking in a corporate setting, managing entrepreneurial ventures within a larger corporate structure, the difference between sustaining and disruptive innovations, and developing processes for stimulating creative solutions to business challenges.

Provides processes and tools for developing and evaluating new business ideas including new venture ideation, business planning, financial forecasting, competitive analysis, target market identification, and basic marketing strategies. As part of the course, students will develop a modified business plan around a business idea of their choosing.

This course highlights the unique aspects of owning and managing a small business, particularly in the areas of marketing, finance, accounting, human resources, and strategic planning. Includes an introduction to various software packages and third party resources to help the small business owner in these areas.

An introduction to nonprofit organizations including issues of organizational structure, governance, finance, resource development, operations, and evaluation.

For nonprofits to thrive, leaders and managers must recruit human and financial resources adequate to serve the purposes of the organization. Fund-raising and grant-writing will be covered as well as recruiting human resources that align with the mission and vision of the nonprofit.

This course highlights the unique aspects of managing financial resources in a nonprofit setting. This includes topics related to nonprofit accounting, financial reporting, and resource allocation. The course will primarily concentrate on the fiscal management, financial reporting and strategic analysis in education, health care, churches, ministry and humanitarian organizations.

An introduction to the emergency management field, including preparations for dealing with a crisis that could threaten health, safety and economic functions. Strategic applications covered in the course assist organizations in designing quick resolutions for efforts to minimize the disruptions, damages or other effects from emergency situations.

The course features comprehensive emergency management planning on the public side and business continuity management on the private side. The course concentrates on the effective application of strategies designed to create timely responses to unpredictable events or unforeseeable consequences. The content includes risk-based planning, management of critical resources and collaborative partnerships.

This course highlights the unique aspects of utilizing contemporary messaging tools in various social media formats. Information management in the crisis and emergency management context is the primary focus. Widespread use of social media is prevalent for agencies, communities and businesses in their planning and responses to emergency needs. The content includes the management of technology and the creation of cybersecurity protections.