Full Course Description List:

PSPA Courses

(5 credits)

What is public policy? Who develops it and how is it made? In this course, students explore how the government makes decisions and the impact these decisions have on people and communities. Students learn how issues become important, how groups exercise power, and how government policies are evaluated and modified. Students also examine whether the public policy process is generally fair to the majority of citizens or whether it provides unfair advantage to certain groups. In this course, students have an opportunity to engage in the exploration of many of the questions and issues surrounding the development of public policy.

(5 credits)

Volunteers are one of the most important resources for nonprofit organizations. Through this course, students learn the crucial importance of volunteers to organizations and groups striving to build better communities and address important social problems. Students explore how successful leaders recruit qualified volunteers, retain their commitment over time, and empower them to act on behalf of shared goals. They identify the key challenges facing organizations that rely heavily on volunteers and the most effective means of addressing these challenges. Students also examine and discuss the particular leadership skills required in volunteer organizations and consider how they can develop these proficiencies to lead future volunteer efforts and effect positive social change.

(5 credits)

Ethics is a key element of successful government and nonprofit leadership. Ethically, on individual and institutional levels, many things can go wrong in government and nonprofit organizations. Students in this course gain insight into causes, obstacles, and barriers to ethical leadership. They explore how successful public sector leaders build organizations that reflect strong ethical values. Students examine qualities of ethical leaders, ethical organizations, and ethical decision making. They use practical tools for achieving ethical public leadership in case studies and real-life scenarios.

BS in Political Science and Public Administration

Pre-requisites

• PSPA 1002
• PSPA 1003
• PSPA 2001
• PSPA 2002
• POLI 1001

BS in Human Services Leadership and Administration Concentration

Pre-requisites

• PSPA 2002

All Other Programs

Pre-requisites

• None

(5 credits)

Globalization has brought with it a shared understanding of human rights and a new set of social problems. Students in this course examine the issues of social justice that are prominent in the new global community. They also explore the role of women, environmental justice, the responsibility of richer nations to poorer nations, the promotion of diversity, the protection of human rights, and other contemporary issues. Students learn about the international organizations dedicated to promoting social justice and consider the importance of social justice in international relations. Throughout the course, students reflect on and respond to personal questions regarding perspectives, responsibilities, and roles in achieving global social justice. Finally, students consider how their personal ideology on global social justice has changed as a result of course readings, discussions, and applications.

(5 credits)

Many of society's most intractable problems are resolved through the legal system. In this course, students examine issues at the foundation of many legal debates, such as immigration, abortion, reproductive rights, intellectual property, and the separation of church and state. Students engage in contextual and application-based assignments that highlight the legal aspects of several social issues. They share perspectives through peer discussions on topical issues, such as legal views and decisions, right to privacy, race, the death penalty, and the responsibilities of corporations as members of society. Students practice their research, persuasive-writing, and analysis skills through a final project on a contemporary legal debate.

(5 credits)

Contemporary public managers use a variety of new tools and strategies to implement public policy and conduct business. Students in this course learn about the new skills required of public administrators to be successful in a rapidly changing environment. They examine a variety of topics, such as team building, contracting, procurement, compliance, grant writing, and outsourcing/insourcing. Through this course, students also have the opportunity to explore job opportunities at the government level as well as in the nonprofit sector.

(5 credits)

In a society influenced by technological innovation and virtual spread of information, we can use technology to rekindle friendships with grade-school acquaintances and we can instantaneously follow every action of our favorite entertainers. But it is also our responsibility to know how to use these same social networking techniques and other more traditional means of communication as catalysts for positive social change. In this course, students learn how to use modern communication tools to promote positive social change and mobilize communities. They analyze the use of electronic tools for public and nonprofit sector organizations. Students also examine the key elements of a communication strategy—message development, target audience identification, selection of communication tools, and obtaining feedback—and apply these to current social issues.