Full Course Description List:

MMPP Courses

(5 credits)

Successful public sector organizations require high-caliber leaders who are accountable to multiple constituencies. A rapidly accelerating rate of change and blurring of organizational boundaries contribute to the need for leaders who are equipped to meet the challenge. Students explore the theoretical underpinnings of leadership and the important role of the leader in organizational change. By exploring leadership theory, current research, and practice within an area of public administration or nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations, students will demonstrate their understanding leadership in organizations that are increasingly complex in nature. Ethical dimensions, boundary spanning functions, and how leaders influence positive social change are key factors of this course. Historical and current events, as well as the personal experiences of students are used to examine the demands of leadership.

(5 credits)

In this course, students are introduced to the crafts of policymaking and policy analysis in the American democratic system. It covers the policy process—setting agendas, using policy analysis tools, managing the political process, implementing policy, and providing evaluations and feedback. Students develop skills in policy and economic analyses as well as in determining the political feasibility of proposed policies. Regulation as a policy choice will be discussed. Students completing this course will enhance their abilities to develop alternatives and to assess strategies proposed to achieve certain policy objectives. Policy areas of interest to students form the foundation of this course and may include communications, immigration, social, transportation, housing, labor, arts, and environmental policies.

(5 credits)

In this course, students are introduced to the tools used by policymakers and policy analysts to evaluate the impact of social programs. Topics include selecting programs to evaluate, crafting program descriptions, identifying stakeholders and their interests, developing logic models, framing evaluation questions, applying utilization-focused evaluation techniques, using quantitative and qualitative tools to complete formative and summative evaluations, and providing evaluation reports and feedback to decision-makers. By the end of the course, each student will develop a program-evaluation design for a social program.

(5 credits)

Students in this course cover microeconomic and macroeconomic models used in policy formulation and how public finance influences policy choices as well as implementation alternatives. Students examine tax policies and tax incentive models, budgeting, public/private models, market influences on policy, the impact of government expenditures on income redistribution, and economic considerations of welfare, food stamps, workers' compensation, and Social Security. Outsourcing of public programs is also examined.

(5 credits)

Students in this course receive an in-depth examination of the methods and processes policy analysts use to assist policymakers in identifying problems, formulating and evaluating alternative solutions, and implementing preferred policies. The course includes cost benefit analysis; econometric analysis; policy modeling; the role of economic and political factors in public decision-making and policy formulation; marshaling resources and advocacy; and various applications to specific public policy topics. The course focuses on various quantitative and qualitative techniques used by policy analysts.

(5 credits)

Ethics is a foundational element of leadership. Leaders face increasingly complex social and political challenges as they seek to meet the needs of diverse constituents. Students in this course explore ethics and social justice related to economic disparity, power, and privilege. Students use demographic data, current social trends, and themes to understand, analyze, and address ethical and social justice issues that impact service delivery in a global community.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine the theories and concepts underpinning contemporary emergency management and how to understand the phenomena of natural and human-caused disasters. Students examine the historical context of emergency management, the general process of risk assessment, the emergency management cycle, communications within emergency management and crisis planning, and the general policy and legal framework surrounding the process of emergency management in the United States with a focus on the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Case studies of major catastrophes are used to explore contemporary and practical hazard management. Students can complete the FEMA Emergency Management Institute courses IS-100.b - Introduction to Incident Command System and either IS-800.b - National Response Framework: An Introduction or IS700.a - National Incident Management System as part of this course. Nationally recognized certificates are awarded for successful completion of FEMA courses.

(5 credits)

Successful public sector organizations require high-caliber leaders who are accountable to multiple constituencies. A rapidly accelerating rate of change and blurring of organizational boundaries contribute to the need for leaders who are equipped to meet the challenge. Students taking this course explore the theoretical underpinnings of leadership and the important role of the leader in organizational change. By exploring leadership theory, current research, and practice within an area of public administration or nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations, students demonstrate their understanding of leadership in organizations that are increasingly complex in nature. Ethical dimensions, boundary-spanning functions, and how leaders influence positive social change are key factors of this course. Students draw on historical and current events, as well as their personal experiences, to examine the demands of leadership.

(5 credits)

Democratic principles are the foundation of modern life. In this course, students are provided an overview of democratic governance in public administration, public policy, or nonprofit/nongovernmental organizations in modern society. Students will examine the theoretical underpinnings of democratic governance and public policy in their chosen area of specialization necessary for doctoral-level research. Students will review fundamental theories of governance, research current literature on a specialized topic, and apply best practices within the area of specialization. The emphasis is on the context in which public and nonprofit leaders function and the social institutions that influence public policy and guide administrative decision making.

(3 credits)

Students in this course are introduced to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. They build a foundation for academic and professional success as scholar-practitioners and social change agents. Topics include the relation of mission and vision to professional goals, development of the program of study, strategies for online success, introduction to the online library, and an introduction to critical thinking, professional writing, and academic integrity. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and promote professional and academic excellence.

(5 credits)

This five-credit course is focused specifically on the process of writing the doctoral study prospectus. Students will use their preliminary research plan, developed previously, and develop a problem statement, to be used in the doctoral study. They further refine the problem statement and carry out the planning and the library research that will bring them to the formulation of a doctoral study prospectus. The prospectus is a brief paper, typically 15–20 pages in length, that lays out the background for the problem statement, the problem statement itself, a survey of the relevant literature (typically 25–75 references), and a research, implementation, and evaluation plan for the solution of the problem.

Note:  This course is for students who wish to matriculate into the PhD in Public Policy and Administration-PPPA 8115. 

(3 credits)

Students in this course are introduced to Walden University and to the requirements for successful participation in an online curriculum. They are provided a foundation for academic and professional success as a scholar-practitioner and social change agent. Topics include the relation of mission and vision to professional goals, development of the program of study, strategies for online success, introduction to the online library, and an introduction to critical thinking, professional writing, and academic integrity. Course assignments focus on the practical application of writing and critical-thinking skills and promote professional and academic excellence.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are introduced to contemporary views and theories of maladaptive and criminal behavior. They examine a broad conceptualization of criminal behavior from an interdisciplinary perspective as well as theories and application of criminal profiling. Students also explore specific views of criminal behavior germane to groups, such as psychopaths, serial offenders, and sexually violent predators. At the end of this course, students will have an understanding of the theories and practices that are the foundations of the field of criminology.

(5 credits)

Risk assessment and mitigation are key components to effective emergency management and all-hazard planning and response. Students in this course focus on the methods and techniques required to assess an organization or government's risk associated with the protection of human life and capital assets. They study ways to evaluate the social vulnerabilities to disaster and the special needs of at-risk populations, and they explore methods to reduce vulnerabilities and build capacity through structural and nonstructural mitigation. Additionally, students complete the FEMA Emergency Management Institute course IS-393.a: Introduction to Hazard Mitigation as part of this course.

(5 credits)

Justice is at the heart of the U.S. democratic system, yet opposing viewpoints surrounding and within the system often muddle interpretations of the law and the development of policies to promote and enforce justice. In this course, students examine events that have significantly changed how the legal system interprets the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Code, and the U.S. Patriot Act, for example, the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. They learn how social and historical changes have shifted perspectives and sparked debates on expanding the rights of government versus safeguarding personal civil rights and civil liberties. Through discussion with peers, assessment of contemporary articles, and examination of Supreme Course cases, students have the opportunity to reflect on and potentially broaden their own opinions and perspectives on current criminal justice affairs in regard to issues of law enforcement, public perception, policy development, and ethics.

(5 credits)

In consideration of modern technological innovation and the spread of knowledge through digital means, the relationship between technology and criminal activity is increasing. In this course, students explore this relationship and gain a comprehensive view of cyber crime, including current trends. They learn how law enforcement agencies use technology to track and apprehend criminals. Through real-world scenarios, students examine legal responses to cyber crime and learn different approaches and techniques for solving cyber crimes and handling related challenges. Students also have the opportunity to gain a comprehensive understanding of building cases and prosecuting crimes through practical exercises in identification, data mining, and the protection and gathering of evidence.

(5 credits)

Students in this course learn about the crafts of policymaking and policy analysis in the U.S. democratic system. They cover the policy process: setting agendas, using policy analysis tools, managing the political process, implementing policy, and providing evaluations and feedback. Students develop skills in policy and economic analyses as well as in determining the political feasibility of proposed policies. Regulation as a policy choice will be discussed. Students completing this course will enhance their abilities to develop alternatives and to assess strategies proposed to achieve certain policy objectives. Policy areas of interest to students form the foundation of this course and may include communications, immigration, social, transportation, housing, labor, arts, and environmental policies.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are introduced to the tools used by policymakers and policy analysts to evaluate the impact of social programs. Topics include selecting programs to evaluate, crafting program descriptions, identifying stakeholders and their interests, developing logic models, framing evaluation questions, applying utilization-focused evaluation techniques, using quantitative and qualitative tools to complete formative and summative evaluations, and providing evaluation reports and feedback to decision makers. By the end of the course, each student will develop a program-evaluation design for a social program.

(5 credits)

Students in this course cover microeconomic and macroeconomic models used in policy formulation and how public finance influences policy choices as well as implementation alternatives. Students examine tax policies and tax incentive models, budgeting, public/private models, market influences on policy, the impact of government expenditures on income redistribution, and economic considerations of welfare, food stamps, workers' compensation, and Social Security. Students also examine outsourcing of public programs.

(5 credits)

A major concern of disaster response professionals is meeting basic and humanitarian needs of disaster-affected populations. In this course, students explore a range of issues, including evacuation, relocation, and tactical and strategic decisions in the immediate aftermath of an emergency episode. Students study important federal policies related to disaster response and recovery, including the National Response Framework (NRF), and they can gain an understanding of how local, state, and federal policies mesh in response and recovery efforts. Through their exploration, they study how recovery begins once the immediate threat of the emergency wanes and the focus shifts to restoring disaster-affected areas. As part of this course, students complete the FEMA Emergency Management Institute course IS208.a: State Disaster Management.

(5 credits)

Students in this course receive a broad perspective on the history of the U.S. Patriot Act, similar terroristic legislation and immigration laws, and these policy implications on law enforcement, governmental entities, organizations, and individuals. Public administrators and public policy analysts who are charged with drafting and implementing public policy and enforcing and/or responding to potential terroristic threats build a basic foundation, while simultaneously upholding and protecting constitutional freedoms. Material for this course is drawn from contemporary texts, websites, case studies, and material representing international, national, and local governments and organizations. Students critically review and analyze the U.S. Patriot Act and similar terroristic legislation and policies, and they participate in online discussions about these laws and their implications on U.S. constitutional freedoms.

(5 credits)

Students in this course receive an overview of terrorism—local, national, and international—and the need to develop a systemic approach for emergency preparedness. Topics include, but are not limited to, terrorism overview, terrorism and public health, bioterrorism, biosecurity, cyber terrorism, risk assessment, implications for public health, and components of a systemic preparedness infrastructure. Course participants begin the development and/or analysis of a terrorism preparedness infrastructure and participate in online discussions.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine the principles of emergency planning, selection of leaders, specialized planning (e.g., schools, tourism), mutual aid, and leadership theories. Students build a basic foundation for public administrators to develop a critical incident plan and also understand leadership theories. Course participants critically analyze case studies, identifying weaknesses and potential solutions.

(5 credits)

Students in this course have an opportunity to explore and understand the cultural values and styles of communication, reasoning, and leadership unique to their home culture. Students apply their increased understanding to other cultures. They also identify and become familiar with the challenges U.S. nonprofits face as they work internationally or cross-culturally within the United States.

Pre-requisites

• A course or direct experience in nonprofit management is strongly advised.

(5 credits)

In this course, students study in depth the cultures, structures, and activities of NGOs in select countries and compare their activities, organizational cultures, structures, and working environments with nonprofits in the United States.

Pre-requisites

• A course or direct experience in nonprofit management is strongly advised.

(5 credits)

Students in this course gain knowledge and understanding about the geopolitical and economic contexts in which international, nongovernmental, and voluntary agencies function in other countries. Students analyze the historical, political, social, and cultural contexts in which NGOs work and the implications these contexts have on the work of local and international NGOs. Students identify strategies that make the international and cross-cultural efforts of NGOs successful.

Pre-requisites

• A course or direct experience in nonprofit management is strongly advised.

(5 credits)

Students in this course receive a broad perspective on the history of the U.S. Patriot Act, similar terroristic legislation and immigration laws, and the policy implications on law enforcement, governmental entities, organizations, and individuals. Public administrators and public policy analysts who are charged with drafting and implementing public policy and enforcing and/or responding to potential terroristic threats build a basic foundation, while simultaneously upholding and protecting constitutional freedoms. Material for this course is drawn from contemporary texts, websites, case studies, and material representing international, national, and local governments and organizations. Learners critically review and analyze the U.S. Patriot Act and similar terroristic legislation and policies, and they participate in online discussions about these laws and their implications on U.S. constitutional freedoms.

(5 credits)

Students in this course receive an overview of terrorism—local, national, and international—and the need to develop a systemic approach for emergency preparedness. Topics include, but are not limited to, terrorism overview, terrorism and public health, bioterrorism, biosecurity, cyber terrorism, risk assessment, implications for public health, and components of a systemic preparedness infrastructure. Course participants begin the development and/or analysis of a terrorism preparedness infrastructure and participate in online discussions.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine the principles of emergency planning, selection of leaders, specialized planning (e.g., schools, tourism), mutual aid, and leadership theories. Students build a basic foundation for public administrators to develop a critical incident plan and also understand leadership theories. Course participants critically analyze case studies, identifying weaknesses and potential solutions.

(5 credits)

This is a comprehensive survey of the issues faced by public safety agencies and personnel at the local, state, and national level, including police and sheriff, emergency medical, and fire services and related organizations. Students in this course emphasize communication and coordination between public safety organizations.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine how public safety leaders find solutions to major issues confronting their operating systems, both organizations and communities, through research, analysis, planning, and decision making. They adapt classic business management techniques and leadership principles to public safety operations. The concepts of "first planner" and "first responder" are introduced. Solutions and alternatives to varied situations confronting public safety managers are developed. Emphasis is on systems approaches, environmental analyses, contingency planning, implications for change, coordination, and controls.

(5 credits)

Students in this course apply the lessons of the first two courses in the specialization—management issues and planning solutions—to specific cases of leadership and personal responsibility in the public safety field. Using primarily the case study method, students analyze leadership and ethical issues that public safety officials encounter in their work and develop effective approaches for how standards and ethics can best be instilled throughout a public safety organization. Students analyze classic cases, including the federal 9/11 Commission report, for lessons applicable to any public safety agency and situation, including intelligence, planning, operations, command, interagency coordination, communication, and technology.

(5 credits)

An in-depth examination of the methods and processes policy analysts use to assist policymakers in identifying problems, formulating and evaluating alternative solutions, and implementing preferred policies is provided to students in this course. Students in this course learn about cost-benefit analysis, econometric analysis, policy modeling, the role of economic and political factors in public decision-making and policy formulation, marshaling resources and advocacy, and various applications to specific public policy topics. The focus of the course is on various quantitative and qualitative techniques used by policy analysts.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are introduced to the crafts of policymaking and policy analysis in the U.S. democratic system. They cover the policy process—setting agendas, using policy analysis tools, managing the political process, implementing policy, and providing evaluations and feedback. Students develop skills in policy and economic analyses as well as in determining the political feasibility of proposed policies. Regulation as a policy choice will be discussed. Students completing this course will enhance their abilities to develop alternatives and to assess strategies proposed to achieve certain policy objectives. Policy areas of interest to students form the foundation of this course and may include communications, immigration, social, transportation, housing, labor, arts, and environmental policies.

(5 credits)

Students in this course receive an introduction to the tools used by policymakers and policy analysts to evaluate the impact of social programs. Topics include selecting programs to evaluate, crafting program descriptions, identifying stakeholders and their interests, developing logic models, framing evaluation questions, applying utilization-focused evaluation techniques, using quantitative and qualitative tools to complete formative and summative evaluations, and providing evaluation reports and feedback to decision makers. By the end of the course, each student will develop a program-evaluation design for a social program.

(5 credits)

Students in this course cover microeconomic and macroeconomic models used in policy formulation, as well as how public finance influences policy choices and implementation alternatives. Students examine tax policies and tax incentive models, budgeting, public and/or private models, market influences on policy, the impact of government expenditures on income redistribution, and economic considerations of welfare, food stamps, workers' compensation, and Social Security. Students also examine outsourcing of public programs.

(5 credits)

Students in this course engage in collaborative study of the changing strategic context of public administration. Students apply a systems perspective to construct a public enterprise model of the public organization of their choice, as a way of understanding the strategic context for practical action and the stakeholder relations involved. This is an organization "mental model," which is similar to a traditional "business model," but which includes the three interrelated flows of money, knowledge, and influence. Emphasis in this course is on management and leading of the unknown—imagining and creating a future that works in a time of unprecedented and unpredictable change. Students apply strategic scenarios to organizational change for the public organization of special interest to them. Students also develop professional-action habits for pragmatic-action learning in the practice of public administration.

(5 credits)

Students in this course engage in a collaborative study of the nature and methods of transformative change in the complex human systems of contemporary public organizations. Students are taught a pragmatic-action learning process for studying the experience of transformative change in complex systems. The dynamics of complex adaptive systems are studied to gain an understanding of how large-scale and highly interrelated human systems change through self-organization. Appreciative inquiry and other selected methods of transformative change are studied and applied to a positive organizational change situation of special interest to the students. Students also develop professional-action habits for pragmatic-action learning in the practice of public administration.

(5 credits)

In today's complex environment, leaders engaged in shaping public policy must know how to use the emotional as well as the intellectual power of language to motivate, inspire, and competently manage their organizations. Dynamic leadership requires understanding and use of techniques that affect both conscious and unconscious influences on human behavior. Effective communication connects at many different levels. Students in this course receive both theoretical and practical information; demonstrate the necessary components for making such connections; and show why stories, symbols, and metaphors are essential elements in the language of leadership.

(5 credits)

In this course, students explore leadership models and theories, the core principles of public health leadership, and the application of systems thinking to public health. They examine how to create strategies and solutions that efficiently utilize public health and healthcare resources. Students also discuss descriptive and prescriptive systems, focusing on the application of these processes to current public health issues and challenges at the organizational and community levels.

(5 credits)

Ethics is a foundational element of leadership. Leaders face increasingly complex social and political challenges as they seek to meet the needs of diverse constituents. Students in this course explore ethics and social justice related to economic disparity, power, and privilege. Students use demographic data, current social trends, and themes to understand, analyze, and address ethical and social justice issues that impact service delivery in a global community.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine the application of economic principles to healthcare managerial decision making regarding the amount, structure, and distribution of healthcare resources and services. Because of the complexity and uncertainty of the healthcare system, as well as the scope of resources consumed by health and health-related organizations, managers must appreciate the economic implications of decisions regarding allocation of resources. Students advance their knowledge of economic principles as reflected in the population demand for health; the demand for healthcare and medical care; the supply of health organizations and practitioners; the role of insurance, moral hazard, and adverse selection; the practice of cost-shifting; the structure, competitive nature, and dynamics of markets; differing objectives of for-profit and non-profit organizations; variation in consumer access to and utilization of services; roles of uncertainty and information asymmetry; strategies for consumer cost-sharing; and the challenges healthcare organizations face in the pricing, production, allocation, and distribution of health and medical services. Special attention is devoted to understanding how health services differ in a variety of competitive markets.

(5 credits)

Sound financial practices are crucial to managing scarce funds in the public sector. Students in this course examine finance and budgeting concepts, policies, and practices related to organizations as well as the fiscal climate within which they operate. Students gain an understanding of theories underlying fiscal policy, and they read and analyze budgets, financial statements, and financial reports. Other topics include the use of auditing practices, tax systems, financial management, budgetary reform, and financial technology systems specific to government organizations. Students apply what they learn to developing budget and financial projects relevant to public organizations.

(5 credits)

Students in this course look at the evolution of crime—from lone criminals to worldwide syndicates—using the scientific rigor built into the selected readings and discussions. Among the topics examined are the philosophy of community- and problem-oriented policing, transnational crime, terrorism, and the new nexus between them. Current and future leaders will be equipped with the knowledge and depth of understanding to assess and manage the opportunities, innovations, and challenges in their profession.

(5 credits)

Students in this course review key court decisions and explore the tension between constitutionally guaranteed individual rights and crime prevention and public-safety efforts. Students also cover policy analysis and planning in the criminal justice field and gain an understanding of the policy context in which the criminal justice system functions.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are introduced to the problems that currently confront the administration of the criminal justice system as well as problems predicted for the future. To prepare to lead efforts to address these challenges, students learn powerful models for strategic, critical, and reflective thinking. Students immerse themselves in discussion about the major components of effective justice administration: organizational thought and theory, leadership, human capital, policy development and implementation, and collaboration with other public safety and community organizations.

(5 credits)

In an increasingly complex world, leaders and managers in public, private, and nonprofit organizations need to be strategic in planning and creating effective, collaborative programs and services. Students in this course explore the role and process of strategic planning with an emphasis on collaboration, cooperation, and coordination within and among organizations. Students apply these concepts to real-life situations and organizations.

(5 credits)

Nonprofit and public/government organizations need to be able to show positive evidence related to their mission and ability to effect social change to remain viable. By developing performance improvement evaluation plans that are structured with metrics, leaders can disseminate an organization's progress to build stakeholder engagement and collaboration. Students in this course will be introduced to a critical appraisal of levels of evidence, performance improvement and evaluation methods, and the importance of dissemination of organizational outcomes to help contribute to a positive future for social change.

(5 credits)

Public policy implementation can take place in various types of organizations. In this course, learners engage in a collaborative study of strategic planning, management, and leadership in the context of public and nonprofit organizations. Students in this course identify, analyze, and evaluate the intricate relationships among strategic planning, management, and leaderships from an international perspective. Students connect three key institutional elements: "Thinking-Acting-and-Leading" strategically. Students apply a management systems approach as they develop, adopt, manage, and lead a strategic plan for an international public or nonprofit organization or with an international focus. Students will understand the strategic context for practical decision making for international public and nonprofit organizations, emphasizing the central role of the environment in the strategic planning process. Students are offered a hands-on approach in this course that tests their ability to make effective and timely management and leadership decisions in complex and uncertain conditions.

(5 credits)

Effective community leaders must be familiar with a wide range of tools, strategies, and skills to create sustainable communities. In this course, students examine these elements to learn how leaders build capacity for community change; assess community needs and resources; create community visions; promote stakeholder interest and participation; analyze community problems; and carry out practices and interventions to improve sustainability in communities. They also explore sustainability frameworks and models, and they apply these and other concepts presented in the course to develop a proposal for sustainable community development, focusing on community assessment, stakeholder involvement, and development planning.

(5 credits)

Students in this course are engaged in a collaborative study of the nature and methods of transformative change in the complex human systems of contemporary public organizations. Students explore and employ a pragmatic-action-learning process for studying the experience of transformative change in complex systems. They examine the dynamics of complex adaptive systems to gain an understanding of how large-scale and highly interrelated human systems change through self-organization. Students explore and apply appreciative inquiry and other selected methods of transformative change to a positive organizational-change situation of personal interest. They also have the opportunity to develop professional-action habits for pragmatic-action learning in the practice of public administration.

(5 credits)

Students taking this course define natural and human-made disasters such as war, violence, genocide, and terrorist activities and review how they impact the psychology of individuals and groups. Topics include theories of trauma; actions and behaviors following a disaster; stress, coping, and adjustment difficulties; psychological disorders (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder); and available resources to deal with the trauma. Students focus on the importance and development of culturally appropriate service delivery programs and interventions for individuals affected and traumatized by disaster(s).

(5 credits)

Legal decisions and the law have an impact on the creation of public policy. Students in this course explore the relationship between laws and public policy and the impact that court decisions have on policy and policy leaders. Topics include legal concepts and terminology, legal jurisdictions, case law, seminal cases, and the Supreme Court's roles and procedures. Students apply fundamental legal concepts and principles to case studies and contemporary problems.

(5 credits)

There is a wealth of vital legal knowledge available to public policy practitioners. In this course, students will be introduced to a number of print and electronic resources available for legal research, and they will gain an understanding of how the law is used to inform the creation of public policy. Topics include navigating legal libraries, citing cases, and using research to support public policy. Students apply legal research to case studies and contemporary issues.

(5 credits)

Major issues in the Supreme Court have an impact on public policy at the state and local levels. Students in this course examine major past and current U.S. Supreme Court decisions and explore how these decisions affect public policy. Topics include individual rights, property rights, administrative law, immigration law, and foreign policy. Students apply legal research and verdicts to case studies and current issues.

(5 credits)

Creating and maintaining livable and sustainable communities require leaders who understand and can assess the interrelated elements that make a community viable over time. Students in this course explore demographics, health, education, employment opportunities, transportation, recreation, housing, natural resources, technology, and other elements necessary to sustain a thriving community. Students define and explore these concepts through case studies and local community examples.

(5 credits)

Effective community leaders require comprehensive tools and resources to create livable and sustainable communities. Students explore topics that include demographic analysis and forecasting, citizen engagement, economic forecasting and budgeting, acquisition of alternative funding sources, GIS (geographic information system) technology, comprehensive-use planning, and other tools and resources needed to meet the challenge of creating and maintaining sustainable communities. Students use case studies and examples drawn from local communities to identify and apply appropriate strategies.

(5 credits)

Local government leaders must understand and address complex and interrelated issues including public health and safety, urban sprawl, immigration, transportation, the aging of the baby-boom generation, affordable housing, living wage jobs, and the threats to natural resources. Students in this course explore current concepts with an emphasis on creating livable and sustainable communities through cooperation, coordination, and collaboration of community stakeholders. Students use local community examples to assess critical issues and identify problem-solving strategies.

(5 credits)

Since its inception, the Department of Homeland Security has profoundly impacted public policy and administration. Students in this course examine homeland security history, concepts, policies, and strategies of prevention and response. Topics include ethical issues, telecommunications, technology, threat assessment, contingency planning, and risk management. Students apply fundamental concepts and principles of homeland security to case studies and current issues.

(5 credits)

Strategic leadership is required to address the challenges and complexities of homeland security. To respond to critical incidents while and after they occur, leaders must plan tactically and understand how to obtain and mobilize resources. Students explore the roles of leaders in relation to activating or coordinating funding, personnel, jurisdictional issues, training, communication, information management, technology, and healthcare in order to create an effective response to homeland security needs. Course participants critically analyze case studies, identifying weaknesses and potential solutions.

(5 credits)

The events of September 11, 2001, resulted in a new and intense focus on the issue of terrorism in the United States and abroad. In this course, students explore the history of terrorism; laws, regulations, and legislation related to terrorism; and the roles of the media, governmental agencies, and entities in the prevention of and response to terrorism. Students apply their knowledge to case studies and current trends related to terrorism.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine the factors that influence and improve health outcomes of individuals and populations, with attention to the goals of Healthy People 2010 and the main components and issues of organization, financing, and delivery of health services and public health systems in the United States. Topics include management theories and processes, systems thinking, strategic planning and partnerships, quality and performance improvement, leadership, and organizational behavior. The policy process is addressed as well as the advocacy role of the public health professional in influencing local, state, and federal policy. The impact of global trends on public health practice, policy, and systems is also considered.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine the role of federal, state, and local government in the assurance of public health through legislation and regulation. Consideration is given to contemporary legal and regulatory issues arising in public health practice and emergencies with attention to public health security and preparedness in response to bioterrorism and disasters.

(5 credits)

Students in this course examine theories of leadership as well as the professional attributes, skills, styles, and strategies required to advance public health goals. Ethical choices, values, professionalism, opportunities for advocacy, and the application of principles of social justice implicit in public health decisions and practice are considered, with emphasis on a collaborative approach to working with diverse communities and constituencies.

(5 credits)

Nonprofit organizations serve as the foundation for many social change efforts. Students in this course explore the history, foundations, and types of nonprofit organizations and the diverse political, social, and economic contexts within which they exist. Students examine and apply marketing, public relations, and communication concepts and strategies to case studies and contemporary situations. Ethical, legal, and global lenses are applied to the study of the nonprofit sector. Students develop a concept paper guiding the development of a nonprofit organization.

(5 credits)

Volunteers are the "lifeblood" of many nonprofit organizations. These organizations rely heavily on their volunteer board of directors to govern and guide them toward their mission. The success of nonprofit organizations is largely dependent on the effective management of program volunteers and board members. Students in this course explore the volunteer management process, including volunteer recruitment, orientation, training, supervision, and evaluation, with an emphasis on creating and maintaining an effective board of directors. Students design a board development or volunteer management plan based on the concept paper they developed in the Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector course.

(5 credits)

All nonprofit organizations require financial resources. Obtaining philanthropic financial support is essential to program delivery and stability. Students explore the concepts of philanthropy and development, identification of funding sources, donor/prospect cultivation and education, and solicitation and appreciation strategies. An emphasis is placed on creating an organizational philanthropic culture based on ethics and donor relationships. Students create a resource development plan for the organization designed in the Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector course.

(5 credits)

In this course, students have the opportunity to reflect on and demonstrate integration, synthesis, evaluation and application of the knowledge, skills, and abilities developed over the course of the Master of Public Administration or Nonprofit Management and Leadership programs. Students complete a capstone paper designed to maximize the application of concepts and skills learned during their program of study, with particular emphasis on the knowledge base and literature of public administration, public policy, and/or non-profit management and leadership. The capstone paper documents the results of a literature review addressing a research question related to a specific public policy or nonprofit management issue. The course also challenges students to reflect on how this program has and will, impact their personal, scholarly, professional, and positive social change agent growth.