Mar 29, 2024  
Graduate Catalog 2009-10 
    
Graduate Catalog 2009-10 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Public Administration


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Advisors:
Dr. Robert Peters (Battle Creek), Dr. James Visser (Kalamazoo), (TBD)(Lansing), and Dr. Barbara S. Liggett (all sites). 
Room 220E, Walwood Hall

The Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) integrates research, teaching, and service in a manner that enhances leadership skills, administrative capabilities, management practices, and an understanding of environmental constraints on policy in southwest Michigan public-serving organizations. Program content emphasizes the administration of local, regional, and state government agencies; health care organizations; and other public and nonprofit agencies. Reflecting the multi-disciplinary nature of the field, the M.P.A. draws upon the diverse talents of academic departments throughout the University in addition to the faculty of the School of Public Affairs and Administration. The M.P.A. is offered on the main campus in Kalamazoo, and at the University’s regional sites in Battle Creek and Lansing.

Admission Requirements


Applicants to the M.P.A. program must meet the Graduate College requirements of an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university with an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Students with an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5, and who demonstrate a record of relevant work experience and professional advancement, may be considered for conditional admission.

The following must be submitted in order to be considered for admission:

  1. The University’s Application for Graduate Admission, with the application fee.
  2. An official transcript from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended (except WMU).
  3. The School of Public Affairs and Administration’s “Departmental Information Form” (DIF).
  4. Responses to two essay questions listed on the DIF.
  5. A current resume.
  6. Two letters of recommendation.

Admission is based on undergraduate grade point average, work experience, letters of recommendation, and career goals. The M.P.A. Admissions Committee meets in February (Summer I & II admission), June (Fall admission), and October (Spring admission) to consider applications for the following term.

Program Requirements (39 hours)


The M.P.A. curriculum provides a foundation in the principles of administration, addresses the practical responsibilities of managers, and reflects on the task of administrative leadership. The 39 credit hour program includes three components: the Core Program, an Area of Concentration, and the Project Paper Seminar. Pre-career students (status determined upon admission) also complete a three credit hour (300 contact hour) internship. The curriculum assumes that candidates already have basic computer literacy and a working knowledge of the American political processes at local, state, and national levels.

Core Program (18 hours)


The Core Program includes course work in the theoretical foundation of public management, critical areas of administrative responsibility, and methods of administrative and policy analysis. Students complete each of the following courses:

Project Paper Seminar (3 hours)


PADM 6800 - Project Paper Seminar is the capstone course of the M.P.A. program. It provides an opportunity for students to integrate theory and practice in a significant problem solving exercise. The product of the seminar is a professional analysis of a management problem or an applied scholarly inquiry in the field of public administration. M.P.A. candidates who have completed at least 30 hours of M.P.A. course work, including all M.P.A. core requirements, are eligible to enroll in the Project Paper Seminar. M.P.A. advisors encourage students to enroll in this seminar as their last course, if possible.

Professional Field Experience/Internship (3 hours)


For pre-career students, the fourth major component of the M.P.A. is a planned professional field experience, or internship, equivalent to three credit hours (300 contact hours). The goal of the internship is to provide candidates with a work experience which will afford realistic exposure to their world of professional administration and to the organizational and bureaucratic environment in which the dynamics of an agency are developed.

Area of Concentration (18 hours)


Each Area of Concentration includes 18 hours of courses beyond the M.P.A. core program. Options for the Area of Concentration are health care administration, human resources administration, law, nonprofit leadership and administration, and public management. In the event that a student’s needs are not adequately addressed by one of the five areas of concentration, he or she may, with an advisor’s assistance and approval, design his or her concentration from the wide array of courses that are offered by the School of Public Affairs and Administration or by other departments in the University.

Health Care Administration Concentration


The 21 credit hour Health Care Administration (HCA) Concentration in the M.P.A. is composed of one three credit hour course from each of Areas I, II, III, IV, and VI and six credit hours from Area V. M.P.A. candidates completing the concentration in addition to all other degree requirements will have “Health Care Administration” noted on their official transcript.

Area I, Health Care Environment:


Area II, Budgeting and Finance:


  • PADM 6520 - Financial Management of Health Care Organizations Credits: 3 hours or
  • FIN 6620 - Health Care Financial Management Credits: 3 hours

Area III, Human Resources:


Area IV, Health Care Policy Development:


Area V, Electives:


  • PADM 6540 - Strategic Planning and Management in Health Care Organizations Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6550 - the Administration of Health Services Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6570 - Management of Managed Care Organizations Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6780 - Program Evaluation Credits: 3 hours
  • LAW 6880 - Health Law Administration Credits: 3 hours
  • LAW 6890 - Legal Problems of Health Care Organizations Credits: 3 hours

Other courses by permission of the M.P.A. Advisor.

Area VI, Capstone Project:


Human Resources Administration Concentration


The 21 credit hour Human Resources Administration (HRA) Concentration in the M.P.A. is composed of one course from each of Areas I, II, III, and V, and nine credit hours from Area IV. M.P.A. candidates completing the concentration in addition to all other degree requirements will have “Human Resources Administration” noted on their official transcript, beginning with those who graduate in the fall of 2001.

Area I, Legal Dimensions:


  • PADM 6110 - Administrative Law and Govermental Regulation  Credits: 3 hours or
  • LAW 6820 - Managerial Aspects of Labor Law Credits: 3 hours

Area II, Budgeting and Finance:


Area III, Human Resources:


Area IV, Electives:


  • PADM 6270 - Human Resources Administration Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6290 - Supervisory Skills for Administrators Credits: 3 hours
  • CECP 6400 - Principles of Human Resource Development Credits: 3 hours
  • CECP 6410 - Fundamentals of Needs Analysis Credits: 3 hours
  • CECP 6420 - Evaluation of Human Resources Development Transfer and Impact Credits: 3 hours
  • CECP 6450 - Practicum in Human Resources Development Credits: 3 hours
  • ECON 6160 - Collective Bargaining in Public Employment Credits: 3 hours
  • EDLD 6630 - Personnel Administration Credits: 3 hours
  • MGMT 6170 - Managing Human Resources and Behavior Credits: 3 hours
  • MGMT 6520 Strategic Human Resource Management Credits: 3 hours
  • PSY 6430 - Personnel Selection and Placement Credits: 3 hours
  • PSY 6440 - Personnel Training and Development Credits: 3 hours
  • PSY 6510 - Applied Behavior Analysis: A Systems Approach Credits: 3 hours

Other courses by permission of the M.P.A. Advisor.

Area V, Capstone Project:


Law Concentration


The 21 credit hour Law Concentration is composed of one course from each of Areas I, II, III, IV, and VI, and 6 hours from Area V.  M.P.A. candidates completing the concentration in addition to all other degree requirements will have “Law” noted on their official transcript, beginning with those who graduated fall of 2002. The Area I required law course and all Area V law electives will be taught by Thomas M. Cooley Law School faculty. Students must be admitted to the Thomas M. Cooley Law School JD program and complete the Introduction of Law School Online Course (www.cooleylaw.edu) prior to enrolling in any law courses and PADM 6000: Historical and Legal Foundation of American Public Administration, or another appropriate M.P.A. core course. Students are also urged to consult their advisor before pursuing the M.P.A. law concentration.

Area I, Legal Dimensions:


Federal Administrative Law (Thomas M. Cooley Law School course)

Area II, Budgeting and Finance:


Select one:

Area III, Human Resources:


Area IV, Cognate Electives:


  • PADM 6130 - Local Government Administration Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM - State and Local Government Finance Credits: 3 hours
  • BIOS 5120 - Environment and Health Problems Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 5560 - Studies in Urban and Regional Planning Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 5570 - Environmental Impact Assessment Credits: 3 hours
  • PSCI 6101 - Foundations of American Politics Credits: 3 hours
  • PSCI 6040 - American National Politics and Public Policy Credits: 3 hours

Other courses by permission of M.P.A. Advisor.

Area V, Law Electives:


Area VI, Capstone Project:


Nonprofit Leadership and Administration Concentration


The 18 credit hour Nonprofit Leadership and Administration (NLA) Concentration in the M.P.A. is composed of three required course and 9 credit hours of electives. M.P.A. candidates completing the concentration in addition to all other degree requirements will have “Nonprofit Leadership and Administration” noted on their official transcript.

Public Management Concentration


The 18 credit hour Public Management (PM) Concentration in the M.P.A. is composed of two options (local government administration or state government administration). Each option includes three required courses and three elective courses.  M.P.A. candidates completing the concentration in addition to all other degree requirements will have “Public Management” noted on their official transcript.

Students desiring to combine or blend the local government and state agency administration options into a more general public management concentration may do so under the guidance and special permission of the students’ advisor.

Local Government Administration Option


Required Courses (9 hours)

  • PADM 6120 - Principles of Public Budgeting   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6130 - Local Government Administration   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6270 - Human Resources Administration   Credits: 3 hours OR
  • PADM 6290 - Supervisory Skills for Public Management   Credits: 3 hours

 

Elective Courses (9 hours)

Select 9 credit hours from the following:

  • PADM 6110 - Administrative Law and Government Regulation   Credits: 3 hours 
  • PADM 6140 - Managing Community Growth and Development   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6150 - State and Local Government Finance   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6170 - Intergovernmental and Interorganizational Relations   Credits: 3 hours

 

Other Courses

With special permission from the student’s advisor, students may substitute a course for one of the elective courses noted above. Suggested course substitutes may include:

  • PADM 6400 - Nonprofit Governance   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6860 - State Agency Administration   Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 5010 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems   Credits: 4 hours
  • GEOG 5560 - Studies in Urban and Regional Planning   Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 5570 - Environmental Impact Assessment   Credits: 3 to 4 hours
  • GEOG 5690 - Intermediate Geographic Information Systems   Credits: 4 hours
  • GEOG 5700 - Cities and Urban Systems   Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 6690 - Advanced GIS Seminar   Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 6700 - Seminar in Urban Geography and Planning   Credits: 2 to 3 hours 
  • SOC 6600 - Theoretical Issues in Criminology   Credits: 3 hours
  • SOC 6610 - Seminar: Current Issues in Criminology   Credits: 3 hours
  • SOC 6640 - Studies in Criminology   Credits: 3 hours

State Agency Administration Options:


Required Courses (9 hours)

  • PADM 6120 - Principles of Public Budgeting   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6860 - State Agency Administration   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6270 - Human Resources Administration   Credits: 3 hours OR
  • PADM 6290 - Supervisory Skills for Public Management   Credits: 3 hours 

 

Electives Courses (9 hours)

Select 9 hours from the following:

  • PADM 6110 - Administrative Law and Governmental Regulation   Credits: 3 hours OR PSCI 5260 - Administrative Law and Public Relations   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6150 - State and Local Government Finance   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6170 - Intergovernmental and Interorganizational Relations   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6870 - Legislative Relations for Public Administrators   Credits: 3 hours

 

Other Courses

With special permission from the student’s advisor, students may substitute a course for one of the elective courses noted above. Suggested course substitutes may include:

  • PADM 6130 - Local Government Administration   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6140 - Managing Community Growth and Development   Credits: 3 hours
  • PADM 6400 - Nonprofit Governance   Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 5010 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems   Credits: 4 hours
  • GEOG 5560 - Studies in Urban and Regional Planning   Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 5570 - Environmental Impact Assessment   Credits: 3 to 4 hours
  • GEOG 5700 - Cities and Urban Systems   Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 6090 - Studies in regional Geography   Credits: 3 hours
  • GEOG 6700 - Seminar in Urban Geography and Planning   Credits: 2 to 3 hours 
  • SOC 6600 - Theoretical Issues in Criminology   Credits: 3 hours
  • SOC 6610 - Seminar: Current Issues in Criminology   Credits: 3 hours
  • SOC 6640 - Studies in Criminology   Credits: 3 hours

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