PBAD   2231   Introduction to Public Administration

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the history of public administration, its development as a field, and a survey of the critical theories and normative issues within public administration and the implication for practice.

PBAD   3331   Applied Public Management

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the historical and theoretical development of public sector management. The course also introduces performance management tools of contemporary public managers, including strategic planning, goal setting, project management, and performance management systems.

PBAD   3333   The Policy Process and Democracy

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course explores the frameworks, theories, and models used to explain how issues are conceptualized and brought to government and then subsequently designed, selected, and implemented. This includes an investigation into politics, focusing on how actors and issue networks interact and exercise power within the policy process.

PBAD   3334   Introduction to Public and Nonprofit Financial Management

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course provides students with the basics of financial management applicable to public and nonprofit organizations.

PBAD   3431   Public Budgeting

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course serves as an introduction to public sector budgeting providing students with practical knowledge about how the public sector budget process works, an overview of the technical aspects of public budgeting and various theories of budgeting.

PBAD   3731   Public Policy

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course surveys the topic of public policy including the historical foundations and theories of the field. Emphasis is placed on the the significance of public policy in addressing pressing social issues and the social, economic, political, and cultural contexts of public policy.

PBAD   3732   Policy Analysis

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course focuses on the evidence-based methods used to create, implement, and study substantive public policy problems. This includes an investigation into the process of policy analysis, as well as the tools frequently employed at each step. The intent is to improve the quality of policy-making by critically examining the design and relevance of policies, their implementation and execution, and their impact on households, communities, and the society at large.

PBAD   3733   Contemporary Policy Issues

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This class explores a number of core substantive policy areas that represent a substantial part of contemporary U.S. policy-making. It offers a comprehensive overview of each topic area that and then probes more deeply into each topic. This includes an overview of the major policies and programs within each area, how they came into effect, and current or likely reforms in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, equity, ethics, or political feasibility.

PBAD   4031   Selected Topics in Public and Nonprofit Management

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines specific topics in public and nonprofit management not addressed by other courses. May be repeated once as topics change.

PBAD   4231   Administrative Law

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course serves as an introduction to administrative law providing students with practical knowledge about administrative law procedures, how administrative law fits into the constitutional and legal framework, and the role of administrative law in policy. This course is designed to introduce students to decision-making based on a public agency's operating rules.

PBAD   4232   Public Service Values and Ethics

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course investigates ethical concerns found in the public and nonprofit sectors, including the underlying values and norms that comprise these sectors. An emphasis is placed on the relationship between democracy and administrative decision-making, a focus on accountability, and the role of ethical actors in the resolution of value conflicts.

PBAD   4233   Human Capital Management for Administrators

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course focuses on human resources management in a public sector context. Particular emphasis is placed on the past developments of and future challenges in the field. Topics such as employee recruitment, selection, and compensation, as well as more contemporary issues such as diversity management are addressed.

PBAD   4234   IT and E-government for Public Managers

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines organizational societal value structures and the ways in which technology creates rapid change and new alternatives in values. The impact of e-government initiatives and social media on the way governments interact with the public is explored.

PBAD   4235   Research Methods and Evaluation

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course familiarizes students with the basic approaches to social research as applied in public and service settings. Emphasis is placed on techniques for organizing and presenting data for policy and management decision-making.

PBAD   4331   Leadership & Managerial Innovation

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course introduces students to the literature on the successful leadership of people and groups in public service organizations. In order to lead well, managers need expertise in multiple areas, including personality, motivation, group behavior, power, leadership, decision-making, and change management. This course also examines the meaning and significance of managerial innovation.

PBAD   4334   Policy and Markets

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This class explores the rationales and explanations for government intervention in correcting social problems including political, moral and ethical, and market or economic rationales. Special emphasis is placed on collective action, market failures, and externalities as the predominant justification for public policy.

PBAD   4791   Field Internship in Public Administration

3-9 Credit Hours.   0 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

The internship in public administration is designed to provide students with meaningful experiences in public service organizations. Students are approved to intern in a public or nonprofit organization, serving in positions that allow them to gain exposure to the management of these organizations. No more than three credit hours can be counted towards completion of the Minor in Public Administration.

Prerequisite(s): A minimum grade of "C" and prior or concurrent enrollment in PBAD   2231.

PBAD   7030   Selected Topics in Public and Nonprofit Management

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines specific topics in public and nonprofit management not addressed by other courses. May be repeated once as topics change.

PBAD   7130   Ethics for Public Service Organizations

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the experiences, approaches, and strategies for confronting and solving the complex problems facing public and nonprofit organizations. An emphasis is placed on accountability and responsibility of public servants, the methods of moral reasoning and their connection to behavior, specific ethical concerns of public organizations, and ethical decision-making.

PBAD   7133   Administrative Law

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the intersection of public administration and the law, giving particular attention to U.S. Supreme Court decisions pertaining to the constitutional and statutory authority of agencies, rulemaking, policy enforcement, administrative transparency, judicial deference, judicial review, and the law of public employment. Extensive attention will be given to both the relationship between courts and modern administrators and the ways in which elements of administrative law and the practice of public administration can be integrated.

PBAD   7134   Advanced Management

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course provides the key insights and skills necessary to manage and lead in public service organizations. It focuses on contemporary practices of public and nonprofit management such as cross-sector collaborations, networks, negotiations, and other technical skills needed to lead in the twenty-first century.

PBAD   7230   Budgeting in Public Service Organizations

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines both the politics and techniques used in formulating and implementing budgets by governmental and nonprofit organizations. It provides a bridge between budgeting theory and practice and its relationship to the administrative processes of control, management, and planning. Attention is also given to understanding the complexities of designing a tax system that conforms to principles of good tax policy.

PBAD   7232   Financial Management in Public Service Organizations

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course provides a theoretical and practical introduction to financial analysis and management in public service organizations. Topics include processes, tools and methods used in financial planning and control of public and nonprofit organizations, including cost estimation, strategies for long-term and short-term investing, and financial statement analysis utilizing critical performance indicators.

PBAD   7233   Information Technology for Public Service Organizations

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course provides a guide to the electronic delivery of government information and services and the management of information technology in the public sector. Topics include the digital divide, information security, privacy, transparency and accountability issues, and evaluation of government’s use of social media in the provision of service to citizens.

PBAD   7235   Leadership of Public Organizations

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the extensive literature on successful leadership broadly and its existence within and application to public service organizations more specifically. Particular attention is given to identifying strong leadership practices and distilling principles of exemplary leadership. This include emphasis on conceptual, technical, and human skills.

PBAD   7330   Intergovernmental Relations

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

Examines the interaction between the federal, state, and local levels of government in the United States. Special attention is given to the constitutional and fiscal relationships between these levels of government and the historical evolution of the nature of the relationships. The concept of federalism and its relationship to effective intergovernmental relations is also examined.

PBAD   7331   Local Government Management

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the political and administrative processes of municipalities, counties, and other units of local government in the United States. Special focus is placed on the role and responsibilities of the city/county manager, enhancing manager-council effectiveness, managing citizen engagement, and implementing innovative service delivery strategies.

PBAD   7333   Social Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the ways in which differences in demographic characteristics affect the work of public and nonprofit managers, and explains how gender, race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, and other dimensions of diversity influence organizational behaviors and outcomes. Special attention is given to social equity, diversity and inclusion, representative bureaucracy, and implementing culturally competent strategies to address the challenges of serving an increasingly diverse public.

PBAD   7335   Urban Management

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the problems confronting public managers in large municipalities and the unique responsibilities of urban governments. Special attention will be paid to policy areas such as transportation, housing, social welfare, public safety, and infrastructure management.

PBAD   7336   Comparative Public Management

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines public administration through two differing viewpoints—domestic and international. Special attention is paid to the unique problems and circumstances surrounding domestic and international governments and how they relate to and differ from each other.

PBAD   7337   Environmental Management and Policy

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course provides an overview of environmental and natural resource management in the United States. Particular attention is paid to the topics of federalism and cooperation. Issues of regional importance are also covered, including water quality and availability, regulation and monitoring compliance, sustainable growth, and management within overlapping jurisdictions.

PBAD   7338   Managing Economic Development

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the strategies, tools, and techniques used by local, state, and national governments to generate economic growth in and revitalization of economically-depressed areas as well as maintaining economic growth in stable areas.

PBAD   7430   Public Human Resource Management

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the functions, policies, and techniques of human resource management in public and nonprofit organizations.

PBAD   7431   Organizational Behavior

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines human behavior in organizations, with a focus on practical application of theories related to the management of individuals and groups within public service organizations.

PBAD   7530   Research Methods For Public Service Organizations

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines quantitative techniques for public administration. Emphasis will be placed on understanding and using techniques appropriate to categorical analysis and the simple linear model. Students will also be exposed to research design, measurement, and the use of computer program packages appropriate to the public and nonprofit sectors.

PBAD   7531   Public Program Evaluation

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the design and implementation of policy and program evaluation in public and nonprofit organizations. Special attention is given to developing logic models, selecting appropriate research designs, and monitoring agency operations through performance measurement. The mechanics of benefit and cost effectiveness analysis are examined. Various evaluation methods are used in assessing the efficiencies and effectiveness of programs.

Prerequisite(s): A minimum grade of "B" in PBAD   7530.

PBAD   7532   Public Policy

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines how public policy is developed, implemented, and evaluated with special attention being given to policy formulation, analysis, and interpretation.

PBAD   7533   Geographic Information Systems and Public Planning

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the practice of urban, regional, and state planning with focus on the use of geographic information system (GIS) applications for state and local decision-making. Includes an introduction to the scope, theories, and politics of planning.

PBAD   7631   Foundations of Public Administration

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course surveys the field of public administration and explores the historical foundations and theories of public administration as well as the diverse political, social, and economic contexts within which they exist.

PBAD   7638   Capstone Seminar

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

In this course, students will prepare to sit for the comprehensive examination by undergoing a review of the major theories underlying the field of Public Administration. This course also addresses issues related to a student's professional development.

PBAD   7651   Organization Development

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course examines the theoretical basis of organization development (OD) and demonstrates how OD technologies can be applied to public and nonprofit organizations for improving organizational quality and performance.

PBAD   7730   Internship in Public Administration

3 Credit Hours.   0 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course requires students to intern in a professional capacity with a public service organization. The internship requires a minimum of 300 hours working in the organization and as approved by the MPA internship coordinator.

PBAD   7731   Local Government Practicum

3 Credit Hours.   3 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

This course provides students experience conducting research and policy analysis for local government. Projects are proposed by municipalities within Georgia and students are allowed to choose projects aligned with their interests. Students work individually, or in pairs on larger projects, under the direction of the course instructor. This course expands research skills, enriches understanding of local government policy processes, and exposes participants to issues they are likely to face when employed in local government.

PBAD   7890   Directed Reading

1-3 Credit Hours.   0 Lecture Hours.   0 Lab Hours.

A structured set of readings and assignments mutually designed by the student and the instructor on a specific area of public administration.