Areas

A s of Concen
C ntratiion:

Mas
M ster of P
Pubblic
Adm
minnistrratioon
Acad
demic Year
Y 20014-20115

Deparrtment of
o Public Adminiistrationn and Pollicy
Schoool of Pub
blic Affaairs – Am
merican Universsity
 Mission Statement

For the foreseeable future, the United States and other governments worldwide face the
challenge of discerning how best to harness the energy and expertise of public servants, the
passion and commitment of nonprofit organizations, and the dynamism and creativity of markets
in the pursuit of democratic and constitutionally informed public purposes.

Through our teaching and unique location in Washington, D.C., we seek to help meet this
challenge by enhancing the knowledge, professional skills, and leadership potential of our
students in their public service careers.

We educate students entering, engaged in, and interacting with government agencies in the U.S.
and abroad.

We treat administration and policy as interrelated subjects strongly influenced by the values of
public service and democratic constitutionalism.

Through our research and civic involvement, we also seek to enhance what is practiced and
taught in our field.

With these aims in mind:

The Master of Public Administration program provides students the knowledge, skills,
and values for functioning with distinction throughout their careers at different levels of
responsibility within the U.S. constitutional context and abroad.

We seek to attract a diverse group of talented students. We encourage their active involvement
in learning, research, and professional activity and strive to enhance their appreciation of the
responsibilities of public service.

1
 MPA PROGRAM CORE

The MPA degree program utilizes a three-tier system of requirements. MPA students are
required to take all six courses in Tier 1. Students are required to take three additional
management courses from a limited list of options in Tier 2, the choice based on their career and
individual goals. Tier 3 consists of four courses and encompasses the area of concentration. In
addition, students take an internship for 3 credits or an elective. The total program is fourteen
courses or 42 credit hours long.

TIER 1. REQUIREMENTS
1. PUAD 612 Introduction to Public Administration and the Policy Process (3)
2. PUAD 605 Quantitative Methods for Public Managers (3) OR
PUAD 601 Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis I (3)
3. PUAD 616 Legal Basis of Public Administration (3)
4. PUAD 630 Public Managerial Economics (3) OR
PUAD 670 Economics for Policy Analysis (3)
5. PUAD 684 Organizational Analysis (3)
6. PUAD 610 Management Analysis (3 )

TIER 2. REQUIREMENTS
A minimum of three courses from the following:
 At least one course in public finance, financial management, or governmental
budgeting – options include:
o PUAD 631 Financing Government Services (3)
o PUAD 633 Budgeting and Financial Management (3)
o PUAD 685 Public Finance in Developing Countries (3)
 PUAD 609 Topics in Public Management (3)
 PUAD 615 Public-Private Partnerships (3 )
 PUAD 617 Project Management (3)
 PUAD 650 Leadership in a Changing Workplace (3)
 PUAD 652 Facilitation and Team Development (3)
 PUAD 665 Managing Human Capital Assets (3)
 PUAD 696 Managing in the Information Age (3)
 PUAD 602 Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis II (3)

TIER 3. ELECTIVE COURSES REPRESENTING AREA OF CONCENTRATION

4 courses (12 credits)

INTERNSHIP OR ELECTIVE (3 CREDITS)

Pre-service students are expected to complete an internship, which may be done for credit or
non-credit. They may earn 3 credits by taking an internship course with a faculty internship
coordinator. Students may enroll in the internship course at any time after completing 9 credits
in the degree program. Please contact an academic advisor about the approval process and
registration for the internship course. As a NASPAA accredited MPA program, we will ask
students to complete a survey on their non-credit internship experiences prior to completing their
programs. Students who satisfy their internship requirement through a non-credit internship
must take one 3-credit elective course on a topic relevant to the MPA program.

2
CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE
Assignments in the capstone course (PUAD 610), including a major management analysis paper
and a reflective essay, fulfill the university requirement for a capstone experience. The capstone
course should be taken in the final semester of study, and is offered in fall and spring semesters
only.

3
 MPA AREAS OF CONCENTRATION

Each student constructs his or her area of concentration, suited to his or her individual career
goals. Students should consult department faculty and academic advisors for help in selecting
courses. Interviews with alumni and practitioners may also help students identify suitable
subjects. Some students select established concentrations; others assemble courses around their
own special needs. Students should plan their areas of concentration early in their programs,
since some of the courses may be offered only once or twice during the overall period of study.
Some areas of concentration offer an optional focus field - an additional layer of specialization-
for interested students.

Students who follow one of the established concentrations in this booklet may have the
concentration listed on their final transcript (for example, “Master of Public Administration with
concentration in Public Management”). These concentrations are:

1. Nonprofit Management
 Arts Management Focus
2. International Management
3. Public Management
 Management Consulting Focus
 Human Resources Focus
4. State and Local Administration
5. Public Financial Management
6. Policy Analysis
7. Policy and Management
 Social Policy Focus
 Health Policy Focus
 Environmental Policy Focus
 Science and Technology Focus
8. Applied Politics

MPA students may also develop a customized concentration with the approval of an academic
advisor and Associate Chair. In the past, students have developed such concentrations as Justice,
Law and Criminology, and Homeland Security. In addition, the Consortium of Universities of
the Washington Metropolitan Area offers a number of opportunities for the development of other
specializations not offered at AU. For additional information, consult your academic advisor.

Customized concentrations cannot be posted to a student’s final transcript, but we recommend

that it be listed on the resume.

Note: Course numbers and titles may change.

4
 1. NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT (12 credits)

Faculty Advisors: Professors Anna Amirkhanyan and Lewis Faulk

Nonprofit organizations play a substantial role in the formulation and delivery of public services.
This concentration introduces students to a variety of general management practices used in the
nonprofit sector: defining organizational missions, building effective governance structures,
acquiring resources, maintaining high standards of fiscal, legal and professional accountability,
managing human resources, and thinking strategically. More broadly, this concentration
educates students in the many administrative challenges faced by small community-based or
large professionalized organizations in today’s “networked economy” where organizations
increasingly interact, compete, and collaborate with other service providers, policy-makers and
regulators.

Required Courses (6 credits)

1. PUAD 681 Managing Nonprofit Organizations (3)
2. Select one of the following two courses:
a. PUAD 682 Nonprofit Resource Development (3)
b. PUAD 696 Nonprofit Policy Advocacy and Law (3)

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 613 Global Governance and Policy (3)
 PUAD 615 Public-Private Partnerships (3)
 PUAD 619 Ethical Issues in Public Policy (3)
 PUAD 633 Budgeting and Financial Management (3)
 PUAD 683 Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations (3)
 PERF 503 Technology and Fundraising (3)
 PERF 505 Grant Writing for Nonprofit Organizations (3)
 PERF 572 Introduction to Technology and Arts Management (3)
 PERF 573 Technology and Marketing the Arts (3)
 PERF 583 Legal Issues in the Arts (3)
 PERF 587 International Cultural Management (3)
 PERF 596 Arts Enterprise (3)
 PERF 675 Board Governance and Leadership (3)
 SIS 635 NGO Management: Best Practice (3)
 MGMT 670 Nonprofit and Social Entrepreneurship (3)
 ACCT 560 Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting (3) *(ACCT 607)

To complete this concentration, students may take other approved graduate level courses in
policy, management or small business administration.

___________________
*indicates prerequisite

5
Arts Management Focus
This concentration, a joint effort of the Department of Public Administration and Policy and the
Department of Performing Arts, prepares students for the administrative work associated with
the presentation of music, theater, and other arts. Professor Ximena Varela, Director of the Arts
Management program, advises students in this concentration.

Additional Required Course for the Arts Management Focus (3)

PERF 571 Marketing the Arts (3)

6
 2. INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT (12 credits)

Faculty Advisors: Professors Jeremy Shiffman and Daniel Mullins

Washington, D.C. is at the center of an increasingly interdependent global network of trade,

communication and security. The international management concentration helps students
understand the nature of management responsibilities that bridge different cultures, including
those involving foreign relations, international organizations (including NGOs), and social and
economic development. Students interested in this concentration have the option of taking
courses offered in the highly regarded School of Information Service (SIS).

Required Courses (6 credits)

1. PUAD 613 Global Governance and Policy (3)
2. PUAD 614 Development Management (3)

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 681 Managing Nonprofit Organizations (3)
 PUAD 685 Public Finance in Developing Countries (3)
 PUAD 685 Global Health Policy (3)
 SIS 635 NGO Management: Best Practices (3)
 SIS 635 NGO/Social Enterprise Management (3)
 SIS 636 Micropolitics of Development (3)
 SIS 637 International Development (3)
 SIS 642 Intercultural Relations (3)

Other options include courses from the School of International Service, the Department of
Economics and the School of Public Affairs, with approval of advisor or Associate Chair.

7
 3. PUBLIC MANAGEMENT (12 credits)

Faculty Advisors: Professors Anna Amirkhanyan, Jocelyn Johnston, Patrick Malone, Howard
McCurdy, David Pitts

This concentration strengthens the knowledge and skills of people called upon to work as line
managers or administrative support staff in public service organizations. It draws upon the
strengths of the department as a national center for the teaching of public management.

Required Courses (3 credits)

1. PUAD 617 Project Management (3) (Tier 2 course)

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 609 State and Local Management (3)
 PUAD 613 Global Governance and Policy (3)
 PUAD 614 Development Management (3)
 PUAD 615 Public-Private Partnerships (3)
 PUAD 619 Ethical Issues in Public Policy (3)
 PUAD 650 Leadership in a Changing Workplace (3)
 PUAD 652 Facilitation and Team Development (3)
 PUAD 654 Organization Diagnosis and Change (3)
 PUAD 658 Managing Conflict (3)
 PUAD 665 Managing Human Capital Assets (3)
 PUAD 681 Managing Nonprofit Organizations (3)
 PUAD 685 Urban Policy and Community Development(3)
 MGMT 660 Entrepreneurship and Innovation (3)

Other options include courses from the Kogod College of Business Department of Management,
with approval of MPA advisor or Associate Chair.

Management Consulting Focus

Persons with expertise in public administration are often asked to analyze and reform public
service organizations. Such persons may do so as external consultants, internal auditors, or
members of special task forces. Drawing on the broader group of course offerings in public
management, this concentration helps students exercise the responsibilities associated with
management consulting and institutional change. Professors Robert Tobias and Robert Marshak
advise students on this specialization.

Additional Required Course for the Management Consulting Focus (3)

PUAD 654 Organization Diagnosis and Change (3)

8
Human Resource Management Focus
Successful leaders of public service organizations recognize the importance of managing and
motivating their workforces. They know that developing human capital is critical for promoting
organizational effectiveness. This concentration helps students to understand the strategic role of
human resource planning, develop skills to prepare employees for change, and improve
management and employee relationships. Professor Edmund Stazyk advises students on this
concentration.

Additional Required Course for the Human Resource Management Focus (3)
PUAD 665 Managing Human Capital Assets (3)

9
 4. STATE AND LOCAL MANAGEMENT (12 credits)

Faculty Advisor: Professor Jocelyn Johnston

The State and Local Management concentration prepares students for the political and
administrative intricacies of delivering public services in an increasingly intergovernmental
context. Students are encouraged to include at least one relevant policy course and as many
finance courses as possible. Additional policy courses are available in the Department of Justice,
Law and Criminology.

Required Courses (3 credits)

1. PUAD 609 State and Local Management (3)

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 615 Public-Private Partnerships (3)
 PUAD 619 Ethical Issues in Public Policy
 PUAD 631 Financing Government Services (3) *(PUAD 630 or PUAD 670)
o Expenditure Analysis
o Taxation
 PUAD 633 Budgeting and Financial Management (3)
 PUAD 665 Managing Human Capital Assets (3)
 PUAD 685/696 Selected Topics:
o Environmental Sustainability and Public Policy (3)
o Education and the American Policy System (3)
o Public Policies for the Environment and Energy (3)
o Environmental and Natural Resource Policy Analysis (3)
o Healthcare Policy (3)
o Housing Policy (3)
o Race, Policy and Administration (3)
o Social Policy and Programs(3)
o Urban Policy and Community Development (3)
 SIS 635 Urban Development (3)

___________________
*indicates prerequisite

10
 5. PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (12 credits)

Faculty Advisors: Professors Jocelyn Johnston and Daniel Mullins

Program analysts, financial officers, budget officers, and financial analysts are found throughout,
and at all levels of government (national, state and local). They administer and design programs,
prepare and analyze budget proposals, evaluate programs, forecast revenues, collect taxes,
allocate monies, advise legislators, inspect programs, and prepare financial statements. The
financial management concentration helps to prepare students for the many responsibilities
involved with the management of public programs, operations and funds.

Required Courses (3 credits)

1. PUAD 633 Budgeting and Financial Management (3) (Tier 2 course)

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 619 Ethical Issues in Public Policy (3)
 PUAD 631 Financing Government Services (3) *(PUAD 630 or PUAD 670)
o Expenditure Analysis
o Taxation
 PUAD 685 Public Finance in Developing Countries (3)
 PUAD 671 Cost-Benefit Analysis (3) *(PUAD 630 or PUAD 670)
 ACCT 607 Financial Accounting (3)

Other options include courses in the Department of Economics, with approval of MPA advisor or
Associate Chair.

___________________
*indicates prerequisite

11
 6. POLICY ANALYSIS (12 credits)

Faculty Advisors: Professors Seth Gershenson, Alison Jacknowitz and Laura Langbein.

An increasingly large number of persons perform policy analysis, evaluate public programs, or
conduct research on behalf of the public at large. By merging required MPA management
courses with selected courses from MPP degree, this concentration combines knowledge about
the administrative functions essential to policy analysis with the skills necessary to conduct the
actual studies.

Required Courses (12 credits)

1. PUAD 602 Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis II (3)
*(PUAD 601. Note: PUAD 605 will not satisfy this prerequisite)
2. PUAD 606 Foundations of Policy Analysis (3)
3. Select two of the following five courses (6)
a) PUAD 604 Public Program Evaluation (3) *(PUAD 602)
b) PUAD 607 Economics and Politics of Public Policy (3)
*(PUAD 606 or PUAD 630)
c) PUAD 671 Cost-Benefit Analysis (3)
*(PUAD 630 or PUAD 670)
d) PUAD 672 Advanced Quantitative Methods for Policy Analysis
(3) *(PUAD 602)
e) PUAD 696 Qualitative Methods (3)

MPA students taking this concentration must substitute PUAD 601 Quantitative Methods for
Policy Analysis I for PUAD 605 Quantitative Methods for Public Managers and PUAD 670
Economics for Policy Analysis for PUAD 630 Public Managerial Economics.

________________
*indicates prerequisite
12
 7. POLICY AND MANAGEMENT (12 credits)

Faculty Advisors: Professors Daniel Fiorino (Environmental Policy), Alison Jacknowitz, Bradley
Hardy, and Jocelyn Johnston (Social and/or Health Policy), and Howard McCurdy (Science and
Technology).

This concentration combines the management and leadership strengths of the MPA program with
policy courses for students interested in either general policy or a particular policy area.

Required Courses (6 credits)

1. PUAD 606 Foundations of Policy Analysis (3)
2. PUAD 603 Public Policy Process (3)

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 685/696 Selected Topics:
o Social Policy and Programs (3)
o Healthcare Policy (3)
o Environmental Sustainability and Public Policy (3)
o Public Policies for the Environment and Energy (3)
o Environmental and Natural Resource Policy Analysis (3)
o Urban Policy and Community Development (3)
o Science and Technology Policy (3)
o Child and Family Policy (3)
o Education and the American Policy System (3)
o Race, Policy and Administration (3)
o Global Health Policy (3)
o Housing Policy (3)

Social Policy Focus

The social policy focus teaches students how to utilize governmental and
nongovernmental tools to address challenges imposed by poverty, hunger, educational
deficiencies, unemployment, and discrimination.

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 685/696 Selected Topics:
o Social Policy and Programs (3)
o Healthcare Policy (3)
o Urban Policy and Community Development (3)
o Child and Family Policy (3)
o Education and the American Policy System (3)
o Race, Policy and Administration (3)
o Global Health Policy (3)
o Housing Policy (3)

13
Health Policy Focus
This focus allows students to gain an appreciation for the issues confronting
policymakers and analysts working on health and related issues in the U.S. and abroad.

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 685/696 Selected Topics:
o Social Policy and Programs (3)
o Healthcare Policy (3)
o Global Health Policy (3)
o Child and Family Policy (3)

Environmental Policy Focus

This concentration allows students to gain an appreciation for the issues confronting
policymakers and analysts working on environmental issues in the U.S. and abroad.

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 685/696 Selected Topics:
o Environmental Sustainability and Public Policy (3)
o Public Policies for the Environment and Energy (3)
o Environmental and Natural Resource Policy Analysis (3)

Science and Technology Policy Focus

This concentration allows students to gain an appreciation for the issues confronting
policymakers and analysts working on scientific, technological, and environmental issues
in the U.S. and abroad.

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:

 PUAD 685/696 Selected Topics:
o Environmental Sustainability and Public Policy (3)
o Public Policies for the Environment and Energy (3)
o Environmental and Natural Resource Policy Analysis (3)
o Science and Technology Policy (3)

14
 8. APPLIED POLITICS (12 credits)

Faculty Advisors: Professors James Thurber and Candice Nelson (on the first set of courses);
Professor Jennifer Lawless advises students (on the second set).

The Applied Politics concentration incorporates two fields offered through the school’s
Department of Government. The first field covers politics, campaign management, and lobbying
and serves students aiming to involve themselves as managers in the effort to influence the
course of government through the electoral or political process. It draws upon the educational
programs offered by the school’s Campaign Management Institute and Center for Congressional
and Presidential Studies. The second field encourages students to think strategically about the
challenges confronted by policymakers concerned with women’s issues. It addresses women,
public policy, and political leadership and draws upon course work offered through the school’s
nationally renowned Women & Politics Institute.

Politics, Campaign Management and Lobbying Focus

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:
 GOVT 520 Advanced Studies in Campaign Management: Campaign Management
Institute (4)
 GOVT 521 Topics in Campaign Management (1)
 GOVT 523 The Art and Craft of Lobbying
o European Public Affairs Institute (3)
o Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute (4)
 GOVT 524 Topics in Public Affairs and Advocacy (1)
 GOVT 540 Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Lobbying (3)
 GOVT 541 The Politics of Mass Communication (3)
 GOVT 656 Voting Behavior, Elections and Campaigns
 GOVT 682 Women and Politics (3)

Women, Public Policy, and Political Leadership Focus

Suggested Courses/Recent Offerings to Complete Requirements:
 GOVT 682 Women and Politics (3)
 GOVT 683 Women, Politics and Public Policy (3)
 GOVT 684 Women and Political Leadership (3)
 GOVT 685 Topics in Women and Politics
(Various topics – 1-3 credits each)
 JLS 535 Gender and the Law (3)
 SIS 648 Women and Development (3)

Revised August 2014

15