Public Administration Certificate

Provides students with an overview of the theory and practice of public administration. Covers topics such as the historical development of public administration, public organizational dynamics, public personnel administration, public budgeting, public policy, and ethics. Applies analytical skills using case studies focusing on current issues.
 

Introduces tools and concepts in performing policy analysis. Focuses on critical thinking skills to synthesize and evaluate theoretical models and policy alternatives. Covers environmental policy, healthcare, welfare, terrorism, immigration, and foreign policy. Examines links between federal, state, and local public policy and public administration.
 

Familiarizes students with public organization management literature. Covers historically important works in the field, major current schools of thought, and writers in organization theory and behavior. Examines different ways to view organizations.
 

Exposes students to the theoretical foundations and applied practices of public budgeting and financial management of public organizations. Focuses on the issues of budgeting and finance in a broad sense and specifically as it pertains to public administration.

Introduces and explores the philosophical and practical issues related to ethical decision making. Emphasizes the analysis of ethical problems and the development of analytical skills and values. Incorporates case studies, journal articles, current events, and debates as practical examples of ethical issues.

Provides an overview of current environmental policies and practices at the federal, state, and local level as well as global environmental issues.  Covers such topics as environmental justice, sustainable development, resiliency; environmental risk, economic environmental issues; and the distributed effects of environmental pollution aross ethnic, racial, income and occupational groups.