|
||
 |
|
Public Administration (M.P.A.)
|
| View PDF of Public Administration Admissions Checklist Prospective students should use this checklist to obtain specific admissions requirements on how to apply to Graduate School. View PDF version of the Public Administration catalog description
FacultyJanet M. Bronstein , Professor (Health Care Organization and Policy): Health Services Utilization, Health Policy, Community-Based Organizations; Co-coordinator of M.P.A.-M.P.H. degree program, School of Public Health
Nevbahar Ertas, Assistant Professor (Government): Public Policy, Public Budgeting, Program Evaluation, Grants Management and Education Policy.
Akhlaque U. Haque , Associate Professor (Government): Public Administration Theory, Geographic Information Systems, Information management, technology and governance, health policy.
Michael Howell-Moroney , Assistant Professor (Government); Urban Planning, Microeconomics, Research Methods and Advanced Statistics
James D. Slack , Professor (Government); Human Resource Management, Ethics and Morality, Workplace Diversity Policy, Faith-based Management
Donna M. Handley , Assistant Professor (Government); Public and nonprofit budgeting, nonprofit management, intergovernmental relations, leadership in public administration. Adjunct Faculty
Sam Gaston, MPA. City Manager, Mountain Brook. (City-County Management)
Ellyn Grady, MPA. Senior Vice President, Agency Impact and Resource Development, United Way of Central AL (Nonprofit Management)
Raymond Goolsby, MPA. Recruitment Representative, Personnel Board of Jefferson County (Financial Management for Nonprofits, Leadership in Public and Nonprofit Sectors
Ray Morris, MPA. Director of Operations and Information Technology, Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (Information Technology in the Public Sector)
Sarah Newell, MPA. Vice President, Agency Impact Operations, United Way of Central Alabama (Program Evaluation) MPA Program Mission In line with the mission of the University, the MPA program is committed to excellence in graduate education through teaching, research and service. The program focuses on building the next generation of responsible decision makers by enhancing their intellectual capacities through knowledge and skills provided within the NASPAA-based MPA curriculum. The Master of Public Administration Program prepares individuals for positions of leadership in the public and nonprofit sectors. It is a professional graduate degree for both pre-career students and in-service administrators. The program is designed to develop the insights and skills needed to plan and formulate policy, and to organize, manage, and implement programs and operations. The MPA program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). Its Board of Advisors consists of internal and external stakeholders comprised of MPA Faculty, community members, Alumni and students (See recent presentation to the Board regarding UAB MPA Mission Building Process).
The MPA curriculum is designed to ensure that students: (1) understand the political, economic, social and legal context of the public service; (2) understand and appreciate the transcending values of ethics/morality and diversity in the public service; (3) achieve substantial competence in (i) policy-making processes; (ii) administrative theory and behavior, (iii) human resource management; (iv) budgeting; (v) research design; (vi) statistical methods; and (vii) information management in the public and nonprofit sector. To accomplish these objectives, students complete an eight-course core curriculum that provides a foundation for more specialized coursework as well as long-term development and advancement in public service management and leadership positions. UAB MPA Graduates tend to cluster in three general areas managers, analysts, and policy specialists. Degree Requirements Students in the MPA program must complete a total of 52 semester hours or the equivalent, with an overall grade average of at least B. Six of those hours are earned in an internship placement, although that requirement may be waived for students who have full-time paid work experience in public or nonprofit agencies. Previous graduate work at UAB or another NASPAA accredited MPA program may be credited toward the degree if it is directly applicable. Students may select the thesis option or the non-thesis option. For students who are interested in both public administration and the delivery of public health services, a coordinated MPA/MPH dual degree is offered; for students who are interested in both public administration and the law, a coordinated MPA/J.D dual degree is offered. For non-traditional students interested in managing non-profit organizations the program offers a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management. Admission Requirements Because of its multi-disciplinary nature, persons from all undergraduate majors are considered for admission to the program. The program adheres to a standardized admission score based on candidates GPA and GRE scores for admission. A combined score of 800 or higher (GRE times 100 plus average verbal and quantitative in GRE) is required for full admission. See admission critieria for details on the combined standardized score: Criteria. . Candidates may be accepted on probation if the standardized admission score is between 700 and 799. Candidates whose standardized admission score fall between 650 and 699 will need majority of the MPA faculty approval to get admitted to the program on probation. Candidates whose score fall below 650 are not accepted in the program. Three letters of reference are also required to enter the program. Application for admission should be made online through the UAB Graduate School website http://www.uab.edu/graduate (UAB, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1150; telephone 205-934-8227) Admissions will be made fall and spring semester. Financial Aid The Department of Government has four graduate assistantships, which can be awarded during any semester as vacancies occur. Graduate assistantships are competitive and awarded on a first-come-first basis according to merit. The MPA program also has a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide up to four two-year fellowships based on financial need. In addition, every year at least one MPA student is awarded a cash award for academic excellence from the MPA Alumni Association. Other financial resources are available through the Office of Student Financial Aid. Curriculum Core Courses All students are required to take the following eight courses:
*Pre-requisite MPA 606 (Research Design) **Should be taken last term
Specializations Students should select a specialization based upon their career goals and interests. The specializations that are available are Non-Profit Management, Community Planning & Development and Public Management & Policy. There are four specialization requirement courses for each track.
Nonprofit Management The majority of students who choose this specialization are mid-career and wish to improve their organizational management skills in the nonprofit sector including healthcare management areas.
Specialization requirements (four courses)
Community Planning and Development
Specialization requirements (four courses)
Public Management and Policy Those who plan to work as management, budget, or research policy analysts should choose this specialization. Other relevant professions include planning and development, human resource and productivity enhancement, and program evaluation.
Specialization requirements (four courses)
Generalist MPA Degree. An alternative to selecting one of the above specializations exists. Students may pursue a generalist MPA degree. This degree should be chosen if the student desires a broadly based degree and some familiarity with subjects in each of the specializations. Students who desire a public administration education transferable to many different public or nonprofit settings may want to take this course of study. To complete this degree, students must take the core curriculum and at least two (2) required courses from each of the three specializations, and one elective course.
Information Management An alternative to selecting one of the above specializations students may pursue an open specialization in Information Management. This specialization should be chosen if the student desires a broader understanding of the information management, technology and e-applications in the public sector and nonprofit sector. Program directors permission is required to enroll in this specialization. To complete the specialization students must take four technology-based specialization courses and three electives.
Coordinated MPA/MPH Program. The MPA/MPH is designed to train individuals for administrative positions in public health and related health organizations. The Master of Public Administration degree prepares students for careers as administrators in public and nonprofit agencies, and the Master of Public Health provides a background in public health principles and programs. Students must apply to, and enroll in, both programs, meeting each program's entry requirements.
MPA/MPH PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS Students are required to complete a total of 55 semester hours for the coordinated degree (includes 6 hours of internship). Core requirements of 18 hrs from the MPA program and 19 hrs from the MPH program is required Students can specialize in the Health Care Policy or Health Care Management track. The full-time students should be able to complete all degree requirements within three years. For more information go to MPA/MPH program.
Coordinated MPA/JD Program The M.P.A. program at UAB and the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University offer a coordinated MPA/JD program. The offering of this dual degree reflects recognition of the complex interrelationship between the legal system, public policy analysis, and public management. It will be particularly applicable to those pursuing careers in government and/or public interest law. For more information go to MPA/J.D program
Graduation Research Paper During the last semester of study, students opting the non-thesis (Plan II) must register for MPA 697, Graduation Research (1hr), and successfully complete a graduation research paper. Such a paper will require the student to synthesize material learned over the course of the program and apply that to a practical setting (area or agency). Should the student need to rewrite any part of the paper, he/she may be required to enroll again in MPA 697 for the subsequent term. Guidelines for writing the GRP can be found in the following link GRP Guidelines Course Descriptions Public Administration (MPA)
Unless otherwise noted, all courses are for 3 semester hours of credit.
600. Environments of Public Service. Introduction to the environmental forces that shape the nature and direction of the public service. Examination may include philosophical, historical, intellectual, constitutional, social and cultural, and ethical and moral environmental forces. 3 hours.
601. The Public Policymaking Process. Public Policy as a decision-making process. Examines environmental and organizational factors, the choice of alternatives, and the implementation and evaluation of public policy, with applied references to specific functional areas, e.g., housing, pollution, energy, and transportation. 3 hours.
602. Administrative Theory and Behavior. Theories of organization, management, and administration. Examines both institutional and behavioral elements of organizations as they apply to public, private, and nonprofit agencies. Covers administrative and organization behavior, decision-making and democratic values, along with a treatment of bureaucratic practices and behavior. 3 hours.
603. Public Budgeting. Examines the institutions, principles and techniques of governmental budgeting, including the practices and fundamental concepts of public budgeting, the budgeting process and financial management. Includes an interactive laboratory format which applies budgeting fundamentals to a hands-on budget experiment. 3 hours.
604. Human Resources Management. Examines the major concepts, theories, procedures and themes needed for effective management of human resources in the public and nonprofit sectors. Emphasis is on the urban and sub-national settings. Topics may include merit and civil service systems, organized public labor, recruitment, classification, performance appraisal, disciplinary and grievance procedures, training and staff development, diversity and anti-discrimination policy and strategies, ethics/morality and personnel law. 3 hours.
605. Managing Information in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors. Theory and applications of information management, technology applications and policy. Focus is on social, organizational, political and constitutional impacts of information today. Emphasizes policy and applications related to building knowledge economy, E-government applications and geographic information systems. 3 hours.
606. Research Design. Quasi-experimental and experimental research design, including exposition of several qualitative and basic quantitative methods. 3 hours.
607. Statistical Analysis. Using a pragmatic and applied approach, this course introduces more advanced statistical techniques including simple and multiple regression and techniques to analyze categorical data. Pre-requisite MPA 606. 3 hours.
662. State and Local Government Administration . This course is designed to introduce students to the study of state and local government administration. Introduces keys concepts related to state and local government political structures and institutions; regional, state and county economic performance and state/local government finance. 3 hrs.
667. Public and Administrative Law. Explanation of law in society and the legal setting of public administration. Examination of substantive areas of the study of law including regulatory process, administrative adjudication, the administrative procedures acts, administrative due process, judicial review, liability, and citizen's rights. 3 hours.
668. Intergovernmental Relations. The various relations among governments in the U.S. system. Focuses on understanding the interactions, attitudes, and behavior of elected officials and bureaucrats of two or more units of government functioning in their public capacities. 3 hours.
671. Special Topics in Public Management: Marketing and Fundraising. The use of marketing and fundraising strategies for nonprofits. Incorporates both theory and practice as students learn the fundamentals of marketing and resource development and apply them to hands-on projects in local nonprofit agencies.
672. Nonprofit Management. The day-to-day challenges faced by managers of nonprofit agencies, including the challenge of fund raising, balancing competing values as related to efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. 3 hours.
674. Geographic Information Systems. Examines the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using GIS software. It integrates theory and socioeconomic applications of GIS in the public and non-profit sector. 3 hours.
675. Ethics and Morality in Public Service. Ethical and moral foundations to public service behavior. 3 hours.
676. Financial Management for Nonprofits. Emphasis on the financial management systems used in the nonprofit sector. Topics include nonprofit leadership, financial budget analysis, accounting and operations techniques, and fundraising. The application of these concepts to the nonprofit sector is also conducted through group and/or individual projects working with local nonprofit agencies. 3 hours.
677. Urban Policy and Management. Examines American urban settings in historical and contemporary contexts. The course includes a broad examination of social forces and policies that affect urban places. 3 hours.
678. Strategic Planning. Presents the strategic planning process as it is utilized in contemporary settings. Focuses on how the strategic planning process is applied in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and the extent to which there is substantial variation. 3 hours.
681. Local Government Planning. Overview of theories, methodologies, and political aspects of municipal planning. 3 hours.
683. Public Economics. Application of microeconomic theory to the public sector problems and policy analysis. 3 hours.
689. Program Evaluation. Analytic tools for evaluating public and nonprofit programs and services. 3 hours.
690. Seminar in Public Service Issues. Special topics focusing on current pressing issues in government and governance, and the non-profit sectors. Students should contact instructors to get details on individual course-topics offered. 3 hours.
691. Economic Development. Develops an understanding of the impact of market and non-economic forces on local and regional economic development. 3 hours.
695. Special Topics in Public Administration. Special topics seminar based on the research and substantive interests of the MPA faculty and students. 3 hours.
696. Independent Study in Public Administration. One-on-one learning experience between student and an instructor with permission of the program director. 1 - 6 hours.
697. Graduation Research. The thesis or Graduation Research Paper (GRP) is the capstone project for the MPA degree. Every student is required either a thesis or GRP at the end of their course work. GRP Guidelines. 1 hour.
698. Internship in Public Administration. Supervised field placement in public or nonprofit agency for directed work experience arranged by the internship coordinator and as per the guidelines in the internship manual. 3-6 hours.
699. Thesis Research. Credit for research and writing of thesis. 3-6 hours. MPA ALUMNI ASSOCIATION An active alumni association welcomes graduates of the program into membership. The association makes both advisory and financial contributions to the program and seeks to elevate the level of professionalism in public administration through a variety of projects and services. For more information go to MPA Alumni INTERNSHIPS AND PLACEMENT Students may apply for an internship placement at any time following completion of MPA 600. You need to contact the MPA Faculty Internship Coordinator and register for MPA 698 (one to six credit hours). Several paying opportunities exist, although the majority of internships are non-paying. Typical placements are in city and county government, planning departments, public health agencies, social service agencies, state government agencies, and various nonprofit organizations. For more information about placement agency names please view the Internship Manual and other resources available online at Internship Page on MPA Program website. The Department has placed several students in the prestigious Presidential Management Internship Program, which provides an excellent opportunity for eventual employment in the federal government. Students are encouraged to use the services of the UAB Student Development Office in the University Center for career planning and placement. The faculty in the program also assists students in job placement. Additional Information
Contact Information For additional information refer to the web site of the UAB M.P.A. program: www.uab.edu/mpa. Also detailed information can be found in the M.P.A. graduate manual available at the program office. Questions concerning enrollment in the M.P.A. program should be directed to Dr. Akhlaque U. Haque. Director, MPA Program. Department of Government and Public Service. U 238, 1530 3rd Avenue South. Birmingham, Alabama 35294-3350. Telephone (205) 934-9680 or email: mpa@uab.edu Last updated 09/02/09 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|