•Prospective
|
||
 |
||
|
Overview |
||
 |
||
| • Economics • Public Administration & Urban Studies |
||
 |
||
| •Current GSU Course Schedule |
||
 |
||
|
Academic Assistance Public Administration and
Urban Studies |
||
 |
||
M.P.A. Course Requirements
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
In This Document
Degree Requirements
The M.P.A. degree requires 39 hours of graduate coursework, which must include 24 credit hours of required courses, a minimum of 12 credit hours in a career track, and 3 credit hours of internship or practicum.
-
Required Core Courses:
PAUS 8111 Public Service and Democracy PAUS 8121 Applied Research Methods and Statistics I PAUS 8131 Applied Research Methods and Statistics II PAUS 8141 Microeconomics for Public Policy PAUS 8161 Public Budgeting and Finance* PAUS 8171 Public Management Systems and Strategies PAUS 8431 Leadership and Organizational Behavior PAUS Choose one 8000 level course (3) *Students specializing in nonprofit management are encouraged to substitute PAUS 8261, Nonprofit Financial Management.
Peace Corps Assignment and Returning Term
PAUS 8911 Directed Readings (3-6 credit hours of the non-core career track courses)
PAUS 8941 Internship (3 credit hours)
or PAUS 8981 Practicum -
Career Track.
Each student must develop special competence in a particular area of public administration by completing 12 hours in one of six career tracks. Students must formally declare the track they wish to complete prior to registering for their first elective course. The M.P.A. program includes career tracks in: criminal justice,management and finance, nonprofit management, planning and economic development, policy analysis and evaluation, and public health. Students also have the option of developing an individualized career track that must be approved by their faculty advisor prior to registration for appropriate coursework. Career tracks are described below.
Criminal Justice
Management and Finance
Nonprofit Management
Planning and Economic Development
Policy Analysis and Evaluation
Public Health
- Criminal Justice. This track is designed for M.P.A. students interested in careers within the criminal justice system.
Required courses:
CRJU 7010 Crime & the Criminal Justice System CRJU 8710 Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice Choose two courses (6 hours) from the following:
CRJU 6040 Comparative Criminal Justice CRJU 6070 Family Violence and Criminal Justice
CRJU 6920 Community Policing
CRJU 6960 Domestic Terrorism CRJU 7730 Workplace Law for Criminal Justice Managers CRJU 8210 Juvenile Justice Issues CRJU 8310 Correctional Issues CRJU 8410 Criminological Issues CRJU 8720 Legal Issues in Criminal Justice - Management and Finance. This
track provides an opportunity to learn more of the knowledge and
skills that are required to manage effectively in public and nonprofit
organizations. It is designed to prepare students to manage governmental
agencies and programs, or to pursue careers as management and financial
analysts in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors. The coursework
in this track has an analytical, problem-solving orientation, and
focuses on the effective management of people, programs, resources,
and information in complex environments.
Required courses:
PAUS 8501 Managing Public Money Choose three additional courses from the following:
PAUS 8351 Local Government Management PAUS 8451 Public Law and Public Administration PAUS 8461 Ethics and Public Administration PAUS 8521 Evaluation Research: Design and Practice ECON 8460 Economics of the State and Local Public Sector
- Nonprofit Management. Nonprofit
organizations employ one of every 15 workers in the nation and generate
more than $500 billion in revenues each year. This career track
prepares students to meet the challenges of a rapidly expanding
field. Its twin goals are to help nonprofit managers already working
in the field to advance their careers and to assist those just beginning
to gain the skills needed to become effective professionals.
Required courses:
PAUS 8210 Intro to the Nonprofit Sector PAUS 8231 Nonprofit Leadership, Governance and Ethics Choose two courses (6 hours) from the following:
PAUS 8010 Social Policy PAUS 8201 International NGOs PAUS 8203 Nonprofit Advocacy, Law and Policy PAUS 8221 Fundraising for Voluntary Nonprofit Organizations PAUS 8241 Nonprofit Marketing and Communications PAUS 8261 Nonprofit Financial Management PAUS 8271 Disaster Management PAUS 8281 Disaster Relief and Recovery A graduate certificate in nonprofit management is also available.
- Planning and Economic Development. The
planning and economic
development track prepares students to be better decision makers
on planning and development issues at the scale of the neighborhood,
city, county and metropolitan region, for individual private employers
and nonprofit agencies, for public agencies, and for elected or
appointed officials. It provides academic background for jobs responsible
for selecting locations, planning services and facility investments,
providing analyses on policy alternatives, and advocating change
and improvement within organizations and society. Students are exposed
to theory drawn from planning, economics and other social science
literature, and to critical views of current practice. They are
introduced to the history and professional culture of the planning
profession and to the planning process as a systematic approach
to problem solving; they become familiar with data sources and how
to use them appropriately.
Required courses:
PAUS 8021 Urban Policy Planning PAUS 8311 Planning Theory and Analysis PAUS 8321 Economic Development, Policy and Planning Choose one course (3 hours) from the following:
ECON 8300 Urban Economics GEOG 6532 Geographic Information Systems GEOG 6766 Urban Transportation Planning PAUS 8331 Urban Infrastructure Planning and Policy PAUS 8371 Environmental Policy, Planning and Evaluation PAUS 8391 Planning Workshop PAUS 8561 GIS Applications to Planning and Policy Analysis PAUS 8621 Urban Transportation and Land Use Economics PAUS 8701 Human Capital Development: Theory and Practice RE 8040 Legal and Regulatory Environment of Real Estate (same as Lgls 8040) A graduate certificate in planning and economic development is also available.
- Policy Analysis and Evaluation.
The Policy Analysis track provides students with the skills needed
to work as policy analysts and evaluators. Coursework includes a
foundation in evaluation strategies and analytical techniques that
are useful when assessing public programs and outcomes, as well
as in analyzing policy alternatives. This track also affords students
practical research experience in applying these skills.
Required courses:
PAUS 8521 Evaluation Research: Design and Practice PAUS 8531 Policy Analysis Choose two courses (6 hours) from the following:
PAUS 8010 Social Policy PAUS 8311 Planning Theory and Analysis PAUS 8501 Managing Public Money PAUS 8551 Survey Research Methods PAUS 8561 GIS Applications to Planning and Policy Analysis
- Public Health. This track is designed for M.P.A. students with career goals in the public health field that are primarily in the management and policy fields as opposed to health promotion or prevention science fields.
Required Courses:
Select two from the following courses (six hours):
One of the following coursesPH 7010 Foundations of Public Health Administration and Policy PH 7170 Research in Health Policy And one of the following courses
PH 7250 Health Care Finance PH 7530 Prevention Effectiveness and Economic Evaluation Adviser Approved Electives:
Select two from the following (six hours):PH 7010 Foundations of Public Health Administration and Policy PH 7012 Health Planning and Program Development PH 7130 Law and Public Health Practice PH 7140 Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health PH 7150 Environmental Health PH 7170 Research in Health Policy
PH 7250 Health Care Finance PH 7530 Prevention Effectiveness and Economic Evaluation
-
Internship.
Internships are required for all MPA students lacking significant prior administrative experience in a public or nonprofit agency or a related organization. Internship experiences provide students the opportunity to apply concepts and skills associated with their graduate curriculum. This opportunity for professional growth and development requires enrollment in 3 hours of PAUS 8941.
The department's internship coordinators and the student's faculty advisor assist in the search for an appropriate internship opportunity. Students are expected to take the lead in this search. Internship credit requires the completion of 200 hours of work. Students are free to work full-time or part-time, according to their needs and those of their internship sponsor. Many students find paid internships, but there are some unpaid internships available that are very desirable. Students should consider the value of the experience that an internship provides, in addition to the pay. Internship information and applications are available from the Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies, the PAUS internship homepage, or the Office of Academic Assistance.
Students with substantial prior administrative experience may petition to waive the internship requirement. Petition forms are available from the Office of Academic Assistance.
M.P.A. students also have the option to conduct a practicum, an applied research project, in lieu of the internship. The practicum represents an excellent option for students who are interested in additional research experience, especially students who intend to pursue doctoral studies subsequent to their master's work. It also represents an excellent option for working students who do not qualify for an internship waiver, but who could pursue a practicum research project in their employing agency. Any student who might be interested in registering for a practicum should talk with a possible practicum advisor (such as the student's faculty advisor) during the semester prior to the intended registration.
