Managers possessing the wide range of skills in public administration are meeting the challenges in government management at the local, state and federal levels. For practicing public administrators as well as those seeking entry into public administration, this specialization focuses on acquiring the administrative knowledge and skills in such diverse areas as budgeting, government relations, personnel policies, politics, and urban planning.

PUB5003 — Public/Urban Politics

Urban issues continue to dominate our national politics. Their far-reaching ramifications touch every walk of public life such as health, racism, public housing, poverty, unemployment, inner-city school systems, and many more. Because of the significance of these issues to the overall role of government in public life, this course deals with urban government politics and policies affecting urban areas. This course also deals with the issues of lobbying in Washington, D.C. and how the government tries to influence public opinion for the sake of providing public benefit.

PUB5005 — Public Budgeting and Finance

The major focus of this course is to acquaint the Learner with the administration and management of public funds for organizations in the public sector. Organizational units could be at local, state or federal levels, as well as in the private sector in the form of nonprofit organizations such as the United Way Agencies and a myriad of other organizations.

PUB5009 — Public Program Evaluation

The purpose of this course is to expose learners to the processes, techniques, and practices associated with program and public policy evaluation. The course is designed to create greater understanding of the policy analysis process, the challenges of program evaluation in the public sector, and to learn about specific policy analysis procedures.

PUB5010 — Complex Public Organizations

This course examines the principal conceptual and theoretical bases for understanding the structure and environment of complex public organizations. The course also explores the problems bureaucracy poses for democracy theory and vigorous economy.

PUB5013 — County and Rural Government

This course will teach learners about the organization, operations, roles, and responsibilities of rural and county government. Learners will become familiar with the organization of county governments, the county commissioner system, citizen-based government, local planning boards, local taxation principles, responsive government at the local level, and county government reform measures.

PUB5014 — The U.S. Federal Government

This course explores the organization, function, operation, and politics of the U.S. federal government by examining the foundations of federalism, discussing each of the three major branches of the federal system, and by investigating current political behaviors and political trends. Learners will more fully understand the roots of federal law, federal agency interaction within each governmental branch, and how political issues are addressed at the federal level.