Graduate Course Descriptions

The following directory lists the graduate courses which the University expects to offer, although the University in no way guarantees that all such courses will be offered in any given academic year, and reserves the right to alter the list if conditions warrant. Click on the links below for a list of courses in that subject area. You may then click “View Classes” to see scheduled classes for individual courses.

5300. Independent Study

1.00 - 6.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 24 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

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5301. Special Readings in Public Policy

1.00 - 6.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 24 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

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5303. Race and Public Policy

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Introduction to the public policy process using the salient, crossing-cutting cleavage of race.

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5304. Public Policy, Diversity, and Inclusion

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Overview of how laws and policies related to diversity and inclusion have evolved from equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, to diversity and inclusion. Topics include measurement of racial or gender bias; measurement of "diversity"; policies that organizations used to achieve diversity; policies to maintain diversity and achieve inclusion.

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5314. Causal Program Evaluation

Also offered as: ECON 5314

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Survey of the statistical methods and tools commonly used to evaluate causal claims about the impact of public policies and programs. This course is a required Master of Public Policy course.

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5315. Capstone in Public Administration I

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: PP 5370 and PP 5340; open only to MPA students.

Grading Basis: Graded

Development of project management skills and the research question, bibliography, and methodology for the capstone project. Open only to students in the Master of Public Administration Program.

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5316. Capstone in Public Administration II

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: PP 5315.

Grading Basis: Graded

Research and writing of the capstone project.

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5317. Capital Financing and Budgeting

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Examination of the municipal bond market, capital budgeting techniques, and related public policy issues.

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5318. Financial Management for Public Organizations

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Management of financial resources in public organizations. Topics include variance analysis, public sector accounting, financial statement analysis, and forecasting.

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5319. Program Development and Evaluation

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Techniques for evaluating and improving organizational performance and the ability to deal with the challenges posed by changing environments. Topics include strategic planning, program development, program implementation, evaluating effectiveness, and performance measurement and improvement.

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5320. Ethics in Policy and Management

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Ethics in public policy and management, including contemporary ethical dilemmas and decision-making tools and techniques.

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5321. State and Local Fiscal Problems

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Analytical tools and concepts to evaluate policies related to government revenues, the delivery of public services, and intergovernmental relations.

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5322. Evaluating Public Programs

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: PP 5376.

Grading Basis: Graded

The tools and concepts important to evaluation research.

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5323. Leading and Governing Nonprofit Organizations

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

The theory and practice of effective leadership and governance of nonprofit organizations.

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5324. Grant Writing and Government Contracting

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Introduction to writing for private grants and government contracts. Includes responding to requests for proposals for government and nonprofit service provision as well as writing and managing a formal proposal preparation.

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5325. Labor-Management Relations, Negotiation, and Contract Management

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Overview of the fundamentals associated with collective bargaining in the public sector.

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5326. Public Investment Management

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Key dimensions of investment decision making in government, including portfolio analysis and understanding of appropriate investment instruments.

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5327. Analysis for Management Decision Making

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Analytic approaches to decision making in a public management environment.

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5328. Business Functions of Nonprofit Organizations

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Management of financial resources in nonprofit organizations. Topics include variance analysis, nonprofit accounting, financial statement analysis, internal controls, cash management and forecasting.

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5329. Nonprofit Advocacy, Government Relations, and Law

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Legal landscape of nonprofit organizations; theory and application of effective tactics and approaches to advocacy and government relations by nonprofit organizations.

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5330. The Practice of Survey Research

6.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 12 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

The practice and use of survey research in the United States and throughout the world. The structure, culture and professional norms of the survey community. The role of public opinion polling in government and public policy-making.

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5331. Quantitative Methods for Public Policy

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Quantitative tools necessary to manage and evaluate public programs.

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5332. Advanced Quantitative Methods

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Advanced statistics for survey research analysis.

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5333. Principles and Methods of Survey Research II

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Advanced theory and statistics for survey research.

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5335. Nonprofit Marketing and Stakeholder Communications

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Approaches for creating effective nonprofit stakeholder communications and marketing plans to promote the mission and service of the organizations.

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5336. Fund Development and Nonprofit Sustainability

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Core elements of developing a fund development (revenue) strategy for nonprofit organizations, including common revenue models, philanthropic models, and earned-income methods for funding organizational sustainability.

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5337. Economics of Education Reform

Also offered as: EDLR 6322

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Examines a number of prominent education reform strategies, using economics as a lens through which to understand the motivations for and potential impacts of each. Economics enables us to focus on the incentives created by these policies, allowing us to predict their intended and unintended consequences. We will utilize this framework throughout the course as we read about and evaluate the effectiveness of various educational interventions and policy reforms. Topics include (among others): class size reduction, teacher quality and teacher certification, merit pay, school accountability, school choice, school finance reform, early childhood education, and topics in higher education.

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5340. Introduction to Public Policy and Management

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Open only to MPA and MPP students.

Grading Basis: Graded

Introduction to the fundamentals of public policy and public management in the United States with a focus on developing the communication skills required in a professional workplace.

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5341. Public Opinion and Democratic Processes

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

American public opinion in the context of democratic theory.

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5342. Policy Analysis

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Approaches and techniques used to evaluate public programs and public policy.

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5344. Social Policy

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Examination of the concepts and principles of public policy analysis, with applications to important social issues.

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5345. Project Management in the Public Sector

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Theory and techniques for successful management of public sector projects. This is a required MPA course.

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5346. Child and Family Policy

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed PP 4346.

Grading Basis: Graded

Theory and practice of child and family policy. Topics may include marriage and divorce, fertility, employment, and human capital.

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5347. Applied Policy Issues

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Overview of important policy issues in the United States and integrates a variety of analytical techniques used in the evaluation of public policies.

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5348. Urban Planning Principles and Methods

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Introduction to the urban planning process, including commonly used planning topics, practices, and tools that planners need to professionally conduct their tasks. Lectures, discussion and simulated planning projects.

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5349. Public Procurement and Contracting

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Principles of contract formulation and administration in public procurement, including practices in procurement activities from the identification of the need through the close out of contract activities; best practices for effective contracting relationships between the public and private and nonprofit sectors.

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5350. Urban and Regional Policy

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: PP 5331 and 5375.

Grading Basis: Graded

Theories and empirical analyses related to urban and regional policy challenges. Students will develop skills in employing analytical frameworks and empirical techniques to investigate urban and regional policy issues.

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5359. Crisis Management

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed PP 5397 when offered as Crisis Management. Recommended preparation: PP 5361.

Grading Basis: Graded

Overview of types and characteristics of crises, their impacts and challenges, and strategies for managing them. Topics include emergency management policy and doctrine, incident management systems, individual preparedness, and community resilience.

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5361. Theory and Management of Public Service Organizations

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Core management and behavioral concepts to effectively lead a public organization. Topics include leadership, strategic planning, managing organizational performance, and organizational structure, culture and politics.

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5362. Applied Management Project

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: PP 5370; open only to MPA students.

Grading Basis: Graded

Application of management concepts and theory, research and practice to problems facing public and nonprofit organizations.

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5363. Local Government Management and Leadership

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

An examination of the characteristic managerial problems of the several functions of local government such as police, fire, traffic, public works, parks, health, recreation. Designed for individuals planning to work with citizen agencies, in agencies for governmental management, or in journalism.

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5364. Public Finance and Budgeting

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Techniques, practice, and organization of financial functions in governmental organizations, including revenue analysis, budgeting skills, and financial statement analysis.

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5365. Human Resource Management

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

The structures, processes, and principles of human resource management and labor-management relations in the public service, and examination of contemporary human resource policies and challenges.

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5366. Public Service Executive Leadership

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Theory and application of tactics and techniques used to enhance effective leadership and strategic management.

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5368. Performance Management and Accountability

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Logic and application of measurement to managing the performance of programs. Topics include performance frameworks, including program logic models and results-based accountability, and performance data visualizations and dashboards.

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5370. Applied Research Design

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Research design for organizational management and policy analysis and evaluation. How to communicate, execute and evaluate research. Skills in selecting appropriate analytic procedures and properly interpreting and reporting results.

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5372. Capstone Portfolio

1.00 credits

Prerequisites: Open only to MPA and MPP students.

Grading Basis: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Provides a synthesis of basic skills and competencies important for future professionals in the public service. This is a required MPA and MPP course.

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5373. Budgeting in Public Service Organizations

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Processes and techniques of public budgeting; the principles and roles of budgets in public service organizations; analytic tools, concepts, and principles of budget analysis and decision making.

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5374. Topics in Financial Management

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Not open for credit to students who have passed PP 5397 when offered as Topics in Governmental Financial Management.

Grading Basis: Graded

Synthesizes the lessons in public sector financial management as they apply to the professional practice of the chief financial officer. Combines research literature, expert testimony, professional association position papers, cases, documentaries and discussion in order to expose students to the subject matter and the decision demands of leaders in this field.

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5375. Economic Analysis for Public Policy and Management

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Application of basic microeconomic analysis to public policy and management problems. Required for the MPA and MPP programs.

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5376. Applied Quantitative Methods

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Master of Public Administration or the M.A. in Survey Research programs.

Grading Basis: Graded

Statistical reasoning, tools, and techniques for effective public management.

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5377. Qualitative Methods in Public Policy

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Development and design of qualitative research.

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5378. Methods of Survey Data Collection

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: PP 5379.

Grading Basis: Graded

An exploration of project management techniques applied to survey research projects.

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5379. Principles and Methods of Survey Research I

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Open only to Master of Arts in Survey Research or Graduate Certificate in Survey Research students, department consent required.

Grading Basis: Graded

Exploration of the theory and practice of survey research, including sampling, questionnaire design, analysis and reporting results.

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5382. Project Management in Survey Research

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: PP 5379.

Grading Basis: Graded

This course will explore the application of project management techniques to the management of survey research projects.

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5383. Principles and Methods of Survey Research II

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Open only to Master of Arts in Survey Research or Graduate Certificate in Survey Research students, department consent required.

Grading Basis: Graded

Advanced exploration of the practice of survey research and questionnaire design.

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5384. Political Polling

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

The role of opinion polling in American political campaigns, journalism, and academic research, as well as the methodological aspects of scientific opinion polling.

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5385. Attitude Formation

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

Theories of attitude formation and attitude change.

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5386. Survey Research Analysis and Reporting

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: PP 5376. Recommended preparation: PP 5379.

Grading Basis: Graded

Analytic writing skills that apply specifically to preparing survey research reports.

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5387. Surveys for Market Research

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: PP 5379.

Grading Basis: Graded

An exploration of how survey research techniques and methods are used to address market research problems.

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5388. An Introduction to Multipopulation Survey Research Methods

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Open only to Master of Arts in Survey Research or Graduate Certificate in Survey Research students, department consent required.

Grading Basis: Graded

Methods for designing multilingual and multicultural survey research projects as well as key considerations for designing multinational surveys, including sampling, questionnaire design, fielding, data interpretation and analysis.

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5389. Capstone on the Future of Survey Research

3.00 credits

Prerequisites: Department consent. Recommended preparation: student is in the last or next to last semester of study in the Master of Arts in Survey Research program.

Grading Basis: Graded

Capstone research on problems and opportunities in the survey research industry for students nearing completion of the Master of Arts in Survey Research program.

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5390. Supervised Internship

3.00 - 9.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 36 credits.

Prerequisites: Open only to students in the Master of Public Administration or the M.A. in Survey Research programs.

Grading Basis: Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory

Experience in a public organization under competent supervision.

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5397. Special Topics in Public Policy

1.00 - 6.00 credits | May be repeated for a total of 24 credits.

Prerequisites: None.

Grading Basis: Graded

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