Sample Curriculum Analysis
From the Master of Public Administration Self Study Report

4.21-C:  Curriculum Coverage

All of the core courses support learning objectives related to multiple curriculum components.  Below, however, we list only those core courses that have the component as a primary or principal focus.

BSU core courses – course w/ principal focus on the competency area	Enhance student’s values, knowledge, and skills to act ethically and effectively in these areas	NASPAA recommended topics - components
Introduction to public institutions and administration (POLI 501)	Understanding of the Public Policy and Organizational Environment	Economic and social institutions and processes; survey of all the issues listed below
Legislative-Executive Relations (POLI 541)		Political and legal institutions and processes
Administration Law and Regulation (POLI 542)		Political and legal institutions and processes
Organizational theory and behavior POLI 532)		Organization and management concepts and behavior
Introduction to research in public administration (POLI 510)	Application of Quantitative and Qualitative Techniques of Analysis	Decision-making and problem-solving
Program evaluation and policy analysis POLI 511)		Policy and program formulation, implementation and evaluation; permeates all courses.
Public finance (POLI 521)	Management of Public service Organizations	Budgeting and financial processes
Public personnel (POLI 531)		Human resources
Permeates core courses and modules – see discussion below		Information management, technology applications, and policy
Permeates core courses – see discussion above		Ethical action
Capstone seminar		Mix of all of the above

Information management, technology applications, and policy (IMTAP)
The MPA Graduate Curriculum Committee discussed at great length how we might ensure adequate coverage of this important topical area.  After lengthy discussion in the GCC and with the Department as whole, we concluded during Spring 2008 that we would take a three pronged approach:  (1) continue offering one-credit modules on at least an annual basis that addressed these important issues; (2) explicitly note relevant course syllabi where the topics were already covered and distinguish between use of technology and info policy and management syllabus; and (3) add segments to core courses in 2008-09 where appropriate, including guest speakers.

1.  One-credit modules annually:  For the 2008 spring term one-credit module (POLI 506), we worked with the co-directors of the geographic information systems (GIS) lab on campus (Dr. Uma Shama and Mr. Larry Harman) to prepare a course on GPS/GIS information management and technology, especially using the technology to support and inform decision making.  The course received rave reviews from the students and lobbying for more.  The syllabus appears in Volume II.

   For the 2009 spring term one-credit module, Mr. Patrick Cronin, BSU Associate VP for IT and Acting Chief Information Officer AND an alum of our program, has agreed to design and present a course on managing information and technology in the work place.  He will focus on the topic of crafting policy to deal with employee use of publicly owned and legally protected technology and information.  A draft of the outline for this course will be available Fall 2008.

   This fall, during our semi-annual strategic planning and curriculum review meeting(s), we will also discuss the advisability of requiring all students to take at least two IMTAP-related one-credit modules during their degree program.  We already require that three one-credit modules be taken, but we do not currently specify which those must be; instead, we encourage the student and advisor to determine which topics will be most useful for their career aspirations.  This flexibility is one of the many strong points in our MPA Program and is driven by and consistent with our mission.  The matter deserves serious consideration among our stakeholders on and off campus.  Such a change as this would also require approval by the Graduate Education Council.

2. 2007-08 Curriculum:  The following core courses included IMTAP segments or significant attention to the topic; a sampling of elective topics (special topics POLI 592) follows the core courses:

Information management and policy

• POLI 501:  November 19, 2007 Workforce Management in the Age of Technology (discussion and handouts)

• POLI 542:  During course discussion of notice and comment rulemaking, students explore how the internet allows agencies to solicit input from many more people than was possible in the past, and how principles of good governance now might make this form of submitting comments a “best practice” that agencies out to adopt.

• POLI 591:  March 5, 2008  Management & Decision-making

  (Cropf 2007, American PA:  Public Service for the 21st Century – chapter 5 [“Managing Information Resources in Public Organizations”)

• POLI 592 (special topics elective):  Public Policy Arenas Fall 2007 – Covers the use of information in the policy making process.  Specifically, the types of information and analytical techniques used in problems definition, policy formulation, policy analysis and choice, and policy evaluation are both discussed and practiced.  The principal texts used are Kraft & Furlong and Bardach, both of which have extensive coverage of the use of information and technical analysis.  Bardach in particular has important points on managing information for analytical support.  Further, depending on student interest, federal technology policy is an arena available for individual case analysis projects.  This course stops short of technological application because it is meant to augment, rather than replace Program Evaluation and Policy Analysis.

• POLI 592 (special topics elective):  Introduction to Civic Engagement Spring 2008 – this course combines elements of information management and technology application in the course design, which revolves around service learning projects:

  • Group Service Learning Project:  “New Board Training” Binders   1 @ 275 pts

  • (Part 1) Development of Materials (75 pts)
    Students will create materials or recreate materials (citations and permissions required) for the new board members. These materials will correspond with the training and will also provide the board member with accurate and up to date information pertaining to their associated nonprofit organization. Students will be graded on relevance of materials (purpose and level of use) (50 pts) and presentation (layout and design) of written material (25 pts).

  • Lead Chapter Discussant / Training Module (1 – 200 points – or 20% of your final grade)
    Students will be required to take the lead role as a chapter discussant during the semester.  Major points of the assigned chapter will need to be presented, translated, to the rest of the class in a “training module” format. Scoring of the assignment will be based on command of subject matter, ability to translate, and design of training module presentation.  A grading matrix will be provided.

  • Group Assignments (500 points or 50% of your final grade)
    Students will be assigned by the professor to a group.  A lead contact for each group will be identified by the professor. The group will be required to provide a work plan of the group project identifying the division of work (parties responsible), and timeline for completion.  Ongoing progress reports will be requested by the professor throughout the course of the semester. 

    • *Group 1:  Translators Conceptual
      8 members
      Definitions of Related Concepts

      • translation to two audiences (scholarly and general)

      • one to two page documents – web friendly format

      • a list of concepts will be given in class.

      Development of Reference “Library”
      Development of Reference “Web”
      Overall Development of Web-based “Literature”

    • *Group 2:  Translators Case Study
      8 members
      Organizational Description

      • Primary audience is general public

      • Organizational “Story” as Related to Course Concepts utilizing archive data, interviews

      • multi media (photos, video, web)
      • primary audience is general public
      • all materials should be in web friendly format

Technology application/skill building
GENERAL NOTE:  All core courses and virtually all electives we teach require active use of Blackboard and Microsoft Office software products (including Word, Excel, and Powerpoint).

• POLI 501:  Early in the term, students spend a class session in the library computer center (Ratna Room), listening to a presentation from the reference librarian on accessing the electronic data bases, conducting on-line research, and using technology (e.g., citation generator) and various search engines to conduct research.  The students practice during the session and then put their learning to work in term projects.

• POLI 510/511 (both Research Methods and Program Evaluation & Policy Analysis):  We are using SPSS 15 for Windows, Maptitude (a GIS research tool), and Excel.  Some of our students have also expanded to other technology tools as well, specifically our urban development students, who regularly use additional tools for land use research.  In addition, we occasionally use NVIVO for students with a qualitative research focused project.

• POLI 541:  Extensive 15-20 page term paper on the legislative history, program resources, and program implementation of a public law.  The assignment requires extensive use of online technology to acquire government documents and resource information.  See supplement to course syllabus in Volume II.

• POLI 542:  As in nearly all other core and elective courses, students are required to use Blackboard and e-mail, submit assignments in MS Word, conduct research using online sources, Lexis-Nexis, and Findlaw.

• POLI 591:  Requirement for demonstrating creative and appropriate use of technology in the final presentation.  Students must calibrate to communicate to intended audience, which we consider to be a fairly high-level form of information management.

• POLI 592:  June 9, June 11, and June 16, 2008.  Using Data for Decision Making, Measurement Tools Overview, and Risk Assessment and Data Collection.  Sue-Mot, Decision-making, Technology and Assessment in Sustainable Development, Entire Article.

3. 2008-09 Curriculum additions:

• POLI 531:  Planned for spring 2009, the course has an important section on the maintenance of personnel records and the various legal stipulations required of both paper and digital formats.

• NOTE:  Segments listed above for AY 2007-08 will continue for 2008-09.

4.22 Additional Curriculum Components

4.22-A:  Elective Design
A majority of BSU-MPA students are 39 or 42 credit students.  Less the 24 credits from the required courses, the three credits from the modules, and internships for the pre-service, 45 credit students, students take four or five elective courses, or twelve to fifteen credits.  Many of these electives are structured around the program’s two newly developed concentration areas: Civic and Nonprofit Leadership and Administration (CNLA); Sustainable Community Development (SCD).  These concentrations are described more fully in section C, below.  Students will also be able to take both of the Politics and Administration core requirements (POLI 541 and 542), and count the second as an elective.

4.22-B:  Elective Courses for Broad Advanced Training
The purpose of advanced coursework is to allow students to develop further skills and knowledge in areas of their choosing.  As indicated, the program offers two concentrations, but a student may elect to remain a “generalist.”  In the past, a majority of students have not chosen a concentration, and develop more general skills by drawing from various of these and the other elective courses.  Advisors and students report three primary reasons for selecting the generalist track:  (1) They consider themselves generalists and want a broad education; (2) they’re unclear about what courses could count toward the concentration and whether enough will be offered in time to graduate; and (3) the Program doesn’t offer a concentration that interests them.

In 2004-05 (the Program’s first self-study year), the Department received approval from the appropriate authorities to eliminate the graduate/under-graduate (“U/G”) designation in all instances.  Even so, the BSU-MPA Program offered few courses that were cross-listed with undergraduate courses, so the credits MPA students were allowed to take in undergraduate classes had not been an issue, in any case.  This has been largely due to two factors: the absence of an undergraduate public administration concentration*, and the largely day schedules of the undergraduate classes, and wholly night scheduling of graduate classes.  Administrative Law had been an exception, which had been cross-listed as a graduate/under-graduate class.  The instructor for this course (Professor Mark Kemper – member of MPA faculty nucleus) recommended the elimination of the designation and received unanimous support from Department faculty. 

The following elective courses are offered for MPA students.  Students who select the “generalist” track may draw from any of these electives, in consultation with their advisor.  Details on content can be found in the college catalog as soon as it is updated for AY 2008-09**, which accompanied the application submission, and in the syllabi contained in Volume II.  The newly updated MPA Handbook (Appendix I) also includes a brief description of each of the courses listed below.

Courses in bold italics were newly established in 2007-08 as a result of our curriculum review process:

POLI 502 – Research (credit to be arranged) – typically associated with the masters thesis option
POLI 503 – Directed Study (credit to be arranged)
POLI 506 – Public Administration Module (1 credit) – professional development module; topics for the self-study and preceding years can be found at Standard 5.3 and in Appendix G.
POLI 513 – Strategic Planning and Performance Measurement in Public Administration (new - previously a “special topics” course)
POLI 533 – Administrative Ethics
POLI 534 – Public Service Leadership (new – our mission now specifically calls for leadership)
POLI 543 – Executive Leadership and Decision-making for the 21st Century (new – previously a special topics course)
POLI 541/542 – One required for core; the other may be taken as an elective
POLI 551 – Managing Economic and Community Development
POLI 552 – Municipal Organization and Management
POLI 561 – Sustainable Development and Globalization in Public Administration
POLI 571 – Introduction to Nonprofit Theory and Management
POLI 572 – Nonprofit Resource Development and Management (new – previously a special topics course)
PO LI 592 – Special Topics:  This is the area that permits flexibility in providing generalist electives and concentration-area offerings.  If we elect to offer a particular “special topics” course more than once, we typically seek through the Graduate Education Council to establish a new course with a unique course number and title.  Note that a number of the electives for the concentrations were newly established from special topics offered in prior years.
POLI 598 - Internship:  Public Administration

4.22-C: Elective Courses for Specializations
In addition to the generalist track, the MPA Program has developed two new concentrations:  Civic and Nonprofit Leadership and Administration (CNLA) and Sustainable Community Development (SCD).  The purpose, learning objectives, and courses offered through the Program are listed below.  On a case by case basis upon recommendation of the student’s advisor, the MPA Coordinator may approve relevant graduate courses offered by other departments at BSU or on other campuses. 

During the self-study process, the Graduate Education Council approved the Department’s request to have the number of electives required in the concentration area increased from nine credits to twelve credits, consistent with NASPAA guidelines for the nonprofit concentration.  NASPAA does not currently publish guidelines for the Sustainable Community Development concentration; nevertheless, we thought it important to establish consistent requirements for the two concentrations.

The Program is committed to ensuring that at least one elective for each concentration will be offered each term.  See Appendix G for the rotating schedule.

As discussed under Standard 2, the Department received final approval for creation of the undergraduate Public Administration concentration, which enriches the undergraduate curriculum and provide a pipeline for attracting students into the MPA program, as does the interdisciplinary minor in Civic Education and Community Leadership.

The Registrar advised the MPA Coordinator that the catalog for 2008-09 would not be available until the end of August; BSU will provide it to NASPAA at that time.  In the meantime, the catalog for 2007-08 accompanied the August 15, 2008 submission. 

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* As discussed under Standard 2, the Department received final approval for creation of the undergraduate Public Administration concentration, which enriches the undergraduate curriculum and provide a pipeline for attracting students into the MPA program, as does the interdisciplinary minor in Civic Education and Community Leadership.

** The Registrar advised the MPA Coordinator that the catalog for 2008-09 would not be available until the end of August; BSU will provide it to NASPAA at that time. In the meantime, the catalog for 2007-08 accompanied the August 15, 2008 submission.

Last Modified: October 19, 2012