The objective of this curriculum is to provide those in, or interested in, public service with an overview of available techniques and experience in applying these techniques to public policy decision making. The curriculum seeks to examine in depth the nature of public servants, the tools at their disposal, and various roles in public organizations. The 36 semester hours required for the master of arts must include the following courses for a major in public administration. If the requisite course is waived, the student must choose an elective course from this major or from the program curriculum of another major. The required courses and electives listed in this core may be taken as Directed Studies, subject to the conditions stated in the Directed Studies section listed under Academic Policies and Procedures.
Students participate in seminars designed to examine contemporary issues in public administration.
The professional seminar supplements the core and elective courses in the area of public administration by focusing on issues of current and special interest. Course may be repeated for credit if content differs. Graduate students may apply a maximum of 3 semester hours of these seminars as electives to meet the credit-hour requirements for graduation. This course may not be completed by directed study. This course introduces students to the basic methods of inquiry utilized in organizational planning and evaluation.