Master of Public Administration for Executives
Curriculum
Online Courses
- MPA 610: Seminar in Public Administration & Its Environment
- MPA 612A: Intergovernmental Relations
- MPA 620: Research Methods for Public Administration
- MPA 623A: Seminar in Effective Public Sector Management
- MPA 630: Seminar in Organization Theory and Human Behavior
- MPA 632A: Organizational Leadership
- MPA 632B: Strategic Management
- MPA 642A: Ethics and Professionalism
- MPA 642B: Public Sector Labor Relations
- MPA 644: Public Budgeting and Financial Administration
- MPA 650: Seminar in Public Policy Process
- MPA 697: Culminating Experience
Practitioner-Based, Executive-Workshop Series
(Three Saturdays at the CSAC Institute, Sacramento; details will be sent to students after program begins.)
Workshop No. 1: Succession Planning in the Public Sector
With nearly 25 percent of public-sector employees planning to retire within the next 5-10 years, the successful implementation of effective succession planning is essential in order for public organizations to fulfill their strategic planning goals.
Workshop participants will learn how to
- Identify employees who possess key competencies and talent required for organizational leadership;
- Conduct needs identification and assessments; and
- Design a developmental plan for future hiring.
Workshop No. 2: Action Research
Action research engages and empowers employees themselves as active participants in the needs-assessment processes of their own organizations.
Participants in this session will learn how to conduct deep inquiry into their own professional practices in keeping with the visions and goals of their organizations.
Workshop No. 3: Performance-Based Management
Because effective public-sector organizations must be responsive in addressing the needs of their communities, they are increasingly being compelled to develop and deploy effective performance-measurement and management systems.
Participants in this session will explore not only how such systems can be used most effectively but also how organizational cultures can be re-shaped to embrace performance-based practices.
MPA for Executives Culminating Experience/Project: "The Capstone Workshop"
While CSUN's MPA program has utilized both comprehensive exams and traditional graduate projects as culminating experiences, the new MPA for Executives program features a unique "Capstone Workshop" in which students assume the role of consultants and will choose/or be assigned to (1) conduct an analysis of an existing problem at a public-sector organization and (2) produce a policy- and/ or project-oriented solution to that organization.
Students will work with faculty to identify a substantive policy or organizational problem in a designated public agency and apply what they have learned in the program to the solutions that they recommend.
MPA Online Course Descriptions
| course | name | units | description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MPA 610 |
Seminar in Public Administration and Its Environment | 3 | In this seminar, students' personal experiences and insights create the base from which to explore the theoretical and practical aspects of public administration. This course examines the role of public administration in our society-and the role of society in public administration. |
| MPA 620 |
Research Methods for Public Administration | 3 | Sound research methods are an essential tool for helping public professionals gain an understanding of public needs and measure the success of programs. This course introduces students to the concepts, approaches and methods of research in public administration. Students explore different data collection methodologies (including experimental design, survey, observation, content analysis, case study, and evaluation) and use the computer lab (as needed) to compile statistical data for various projects and class assignments. |
| MPA 630 |
Organization Theory and Human Behavior | 3 | This course gives students a historical perspective on organization theory and examines contemporary approaches to the study of organization. The concepts discussed apply to public, private and nonprofit organizations. Students take an active role in bringing their own observations to the discussion of topics such as decision-making, power, conflict, communication, leadership, motivation, group effectiveness, organizational change, personal and organizational autonomy. |
| MPA 644 |
Public Budgeting and Financial Administration | 3 | The ability of public officials to manage budgets, distribute resources and predict costs is crucial to a community's well-being. This course gives students a solid grounding in the concepts, terminology and techniques in the art and science of public sector budgeting and financial administration. Students use real world examples to analyze various approaches to public budgeting and revenue planning, evaluate and problem solve fiscal activities in governmental units, and gain "hands-on" budget preparation and presentation experience. |
| MPA 650 |
Public Policy Process | 3 | Public policy often determines the core of our political and personal lives. This course examines the development of legislative and regulatory policies and the role of public administrators as active participants in the policymaking process by studying problem identification, agenda setting, policy proposal and adoption. Students develop the breadth, skill and knowledge, as well as the understanding of our diverse society, needed for comprehensive analyses of public programs. |
| MPA 612A |
Intergovernmental Relations | 3 | Relationships between governmental units are more important than ever in shaping and implementing policy in today's complex society. Students in this course participate in an in-depth examination and analysis of the dynamics of the legislative, political and inter-organizational processes while analyzing the relationships of different levels and branches of government. Students evaluate lobbying, change agents, decision-making procedures, and media impacts. They also develop skills to support change and influence decisions through the use of inter-organizational techniques. |
| MPA 623A |
Seminar in Effective Public Sector Management | 3 | This course is designed to introduce seminar participants to the effective functioning and management of organizations in the public sector. The course will focus on key management issues in public sector organizations, and how to more effectively function in leadership roles in those organizations. Seminar participants are encouraged to relate work-life issues to theoretical perspectives and to bring in examples from their professional experiences to seminar discussions. |
| MPA 642A |
Ethics and Professionalism | 3 | Ethical questions and challenges are part of professional life and are particularly present for those who work in the public trust. Students in this course prepare to analyze and confront ethical issues in their professional life studying professional relationships and responsibilities as well as questions of public power, violence, deception and justice. |
| MPA 642B |
Public Sector Labor Relations | 3 | Public administrators must deal with labor-relations matters on a regular basis. This course is an accelerated intensive study of labor-relations concepts through role-playing participation in labor/management negotiations and formal arbitration. |
| MPA 632A |
Organizational Leadership | 3 | How do leaders make sound, ethical decisions in today's ever-changing world? Students in the MPA program are the leaders of the future. This course is designed to make them familiar with the traits and habits of strong, ethical leaders-preparing them to rise to the top of today's dynamic organizations. Participants will evaluate the effectiveness of various leadership styles and explore their own leadership traits. |
| MPA 632B |
Strategic Management | 3 | Limited resources, competing priorities, rapidly changing needs and the call for innovative solutions all mean that strategic management is more important than ever. When done well, this process is open to all possible outcomes, as well as the input and influence of all stakeholders. Students in this course examine how managers guide the creation of goals, setting of priorities, coordinating of disparate activities, and adjustment to a changing environment. While exploring the concepts and models of strategic management currently used in the public and private sector, students will prepare and present a strategic plan to develop an understanding of the process involved in strategic management. |
| MPA 697S |
Comprehensive Examination Preparation | 3 | The comprehensive examination provides students with the opportunity to integrate their learning and demonstrate mastery of the material. Students selecting this option prepare for examination in General Public Administration and in two specialized subfields. Comprehensive Examination Requirements and Materials. |
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