PA301 Fundamentals of Public Administration (Fall)
This course is an analysis of major elements of management in the public sector (organization,
personnel, budgeting) with special attention to problems arising from
political imperatives generated by a democratic society. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA302 Public Sector Organizations (Spring)
This course focuses on organizational culture, organizational learning, conflict resolution,
leadership-followership, and motivation in decision making and
brainstorming for alternative solutions by a competent and diverse work
force. Specific skill sets are included for each topic, as well as
outcomes assessment. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA303 Research Methods (Spring)
Data analyses and communication of statistical
information for management decision making. Methods of modeling
relationships, comparing strategies, and assessing probabilities.
Instruction in computer use. Additional lab required.
PA305 Public Budgeting And Public Finance (Fall)
This course is an introductory
survey of public budgeting and financial management. The purpose of
this course is to explore fundamental ideas, concepts, and theories
that contribute to understanding public sector revenue and expenditure
decisions and to examine basic practices and techniques of modern
financial administration, budget preparation, and performance
measurement. The course will rely on readings, discussions and case
studies that focus on state and local governments and non-profit
organizations as examples. An effort will be made to cover federal
budget systems as well. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA306 Introduction to Public Policy (Fall)
This course helps students develop
an understanding of the stages in the policy process and an
understanding of the development of public policy in the
intergovernmental system. Participants also study the analytical
methods of effective policy in complex political and bureaucratic
environments. Students become more sensitive to the analytical,
political and substantive complexities of policy issues, develop
methods of coping with these complexities, and become acquainted with
the basic areas of policy formulation, implementation, and analysis. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA 295 Public Relations for Nonprofits
Nonprofits require a unique approach to public communication and
relationship building. PR for Nonprofits is a course designed to combine best
practices in public relations with the specific needs of a nonprofit
organization and the publics they serve. Taught by an experienced
PR researcher/practitioner, this class promises to provide students with
essential, practical skills in communication.
PA 295 Introduction to the Law and Legal Process
This course will be a general introduction to the American legal
system. It will serve three purposes. First, it will introduce students
to the structure and organization of the legal system, including the
distinction between federal and state courts, the distinction between statutory and
court-made law, and the broad contours of the process by which courts
resolve legal disputes. Second, students will study some of the basic
principles of American substantive and procedural law, concentrating on
constitutional law, civil procedure, and the law of contracts. Third, the course
will examine the role of lawyers in the legal system, with brief readings on legal
education, legal ethics, and the economics of practicing law in different
settings.
PA 295 Critical Issues in Transportation in the 21st Century (Fall)
The local, regional and global transportation systems are vital
to community, the economy, and economic development. Transportation
policies impact the environment, energy, culture, equitable mobility
between regions and groups, as well as overall quality of life. Critical
transportation issues and problems in the 21st century will require
multidisciplinary teams to design innovative solutions. Yet, the
majority of transportation-related courses at most universities are within the
Civil and Environmental Engineering or Geography departments. The
objective of this new course is to develop a multidisciplinary partnership to
spark a campus-wide awareness of critical issues in transportation.
PA 307 Administrative Ethics (Summer)
Administrative behavior with a focus on ethical dilemmas that rise in the bureaucracy. An examination of a number of moral issues and ways to resolve them.
PA 308 Decision Making Models
This course focuses on Systems Thinking to train problem-solving skills in a
Decision-Making context.
PA 311 Policy Analysis and Planning
A seminar providing hands-on knowledge in policy analysis and program
evaluation using case studies of current analysis projects and problems. Specific
techniques include planning, survey administration, forecasting, cost benefit
analysis, and impact assessment.
PA 313 Public Policy Implementation
A seminar considering aspects of the public policy implementation
process from initiation to completion and evaluation with regards to system design,
policy goals, communication, compliance, and political environment.
PA 314 Administrative Law
Examines legal foundations of public administration focusing on legal issues of
most importance to present or future administrators.
PA 318 Administrative Theory and Practice
Extensive examination of literature pertaining to the practice and
theory of public administration. Explores public/private partnerships,
intergovernmental management, ethics, and administrators as agents for organizational
change.
PA 319 State Administration Seminar (Fall, alternating with PA 395 Local Government)
This course provides students with an understanding of the roles of the
people in state government, what state government does and how it works.
PA 320 Local Government Administration
Students will gain an understanding of how local governments of all sizes
operate and interact with their constituents, state and regional governments, peer
municipal governments and NGOs. The instructor will use his past
experience as a local official, case studies and the literature to help
students learn the important role local governments in our society.
PA 321 Negotiation and Mediation
Students learn the scientific principles that guide quality negotiation and mediation, while practicing the behaviors that put those principles into action. Concentrated focus on conflict analysis, interest-based negotiation, and collaborative decision-making. Taught by E. Doris Anderson, Adjunct Lecturer, UVM MPA Program. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA 323 Non-Profit Administration (Spring)
This course will review the history of the non-profit sector in the United States, examine how
it is constituted and explore how these organizations work in contrast to and in concert with
governmental and business institutions. Students will explore the
nature of the sector, its impact on policy making, and obtain a solid introduction to
the legal, financial and management aspects of non-profit organizations. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA 325 Health Care Policy (Fall)
This course addresses policy, issues affecting structure, performance and change in the U.S. health care system. Historical, comparative, environmental, economic and policy
perspectives are considered, as well as recent and current reform efforts. The focus is
on policy challenges relevant to health care managers, policy makers,
providers and consumers. The course is intended to benefit students with an
interest in health services as well as those wishing to improve their understanding
of how the health care system affects other settings and systems. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA 326 Community and Economic Development
This course looks at how rural and urban communities address poverty,
unemployment and other economic problems through job creation and
retention, workforce training and support and other development strategies. We
look at local economic development constituencies and goal-setting, economic
analysis and planning, strategies and projects, resident participation and
organizational collaboration, and implementation and evaluation. We
address the links among community economic, social and physical development and
issues of sustainable development. Burlington, Vermont will serve as the
principal case study. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA 334 Organizational Behavior and Cultures (Fall)
Students learn scientific principles behind inclusive decision making and a cooperative work culture. Concentrated focus on work culture analysis and organizational learning. Team Taught: Robert B. Lawson, Professor of Psychology, UVM and E. Doris Anderson, Adjunct Lecturer, UVM MPA Program. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA 380 Internship (All semesters)
Supervised administrative experience culminating in a written report Credits:3-6.
PA 391 Masters Thesis (All semesters)
Research thesis topic must be approved by faculty advisor. Credits:6.
PA 395 Collaborative Management Institute:
Leading Through Partnership (summer)
Managers are increasingly asked to build relationships with people and
organizations that span governmental, business and non-profit settings to carry out their
jobs. The resulting networks may take the form of public-private partnerships, cross-sector collaborations, and strategic alliances. Leading and succeeding within these
settings requires collaboration skills, as well as attitudes and knowledge about how best
to function and succeed within networked environments. The UVM-Collaborative Management
Institute (CMI) provides graduate and executive leadership students with an opportunity
to learn how best to lead and succeed in settings that require partnering with others to achieve common goals and outcomes. The CMI draws on students' professional expertise and interests with
applications drawn from case studies, guest speakers and practice-oriented projects. More information about this course available here. >>
PA 395 Energy Policy
Debates rage about remaining oil reserves, much of it in the volatile Middle East. Is climate change a reality and does it require a policy
response? The US has withdrawn from the Kyoto protocol,
citing unacceptable impacts on the US economy. The price of energy is crucial to the economy, so few things are more critical than energy policy. International agreements, national
Legislation including the National Energy Policy Act, and statewide energy
legislation will be reviewed. Students will get a sense of the history of energy policy
within the US; gain an understanding of the major actors in energy policy; and explore
the implications for energy policy from local to global levels. A specific
focus will be placed on energy issues as they pertain to Vermont.
PA 395 Green Taxes
Green taxes are a growing trend in public finance
where taxes are used not only for raising revenue, but also to provide
incentives to correct environmental externalities. A Green tax shift
entails taxing resource use, land, and pollution more, and taxing labor
and capital less. This course researches green tax principles and
then applies them to devise an alternative revenue system for the state of Vermont.
PA 395 Fundraising Campaigns
This new course provides participants with the
basic foundations of fundraising campaign design and implementation. It
is an applied course in which an actual fundraising campaign and event will
be planned and executed. The process approach taken in the course can easily
be applied to other fundraising projects in a range of organizational
contexts including non-profits.
PA 395 Housing Policy (Fall)
The global downturn has drawn attention to the role and importance of the US's housing finance system. This course will be examining the history of that system, the strengths that made it a model, and its (now apparent) weaknesses. In addition, the class will discuss national and Vermont housing policy, the historical background, current movements, and future possibilities. Expect to learn about the importance of the housing industry in the US economy, subsidized housing programs, local incentives and barriers to housing creation (zoning, regulation, sprawl, land use), as well as creative models of housing including: land trusts, co-ops, green building, and supportive housing. Politics, policy tradeoffs, and power dynamics will be recurring themes. This class is a unique opportunity to take the academic theory learned in core courses and apply it to this important industry. Lively discussions and debates will be expected, and over a half-dozen practitioners working in various aspects of the housing industry will be guest speakers to round out your learning. This class is open to not only MPA students but ideally other departments as well (MSW, NR, CDAE, MBA). View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA 395 Selected Topics in Health Care
This class will take an in-depth look at a small number of critical health policy topics. Topics will be chosen as part of the class process, and may include such questions as cultural factors that influence the structure of national health care systems and the many roles of the pharmaceutical industry in the U.S. system. Students will be expected to present and lead a discussion on a topic of their choice. View/download syllabus (PDF). >>
PA 395 Human Resource Management
This course combines examination of the literature and the case study method
with twenty-five years of instructor experience to help students understand
how pubic and nonprofit human resource management (HRM) really works. This is
an evolving field that values the importance of understanding organizational
cultures and human nature, as well as systems and processes.
PA 395 Non-Profits and the Environment
Students explore the origins of the contemporary environmental movement and the response of the non-profit sector to the environmental crisis. Specific focus is given to civil society's
emergent role within public debates and legislation concerning
environmental policy.
PA 395 Organizational and Human Resource Development
This course examines the concept and practice of organization development, analysis of and laboratory experience in the utilization of human resource systems.
PA 395 The Reflective Practitioner
Research has shown that people who work in,
or intend to work in, non-profit organizations, social service
agencies, government offices and schools are likely to enter these fields because
of the extrinsic rewards they bring them. The primary purpose of this
seminar, The Reflective Practitioner, is to allow participants the opportunity
to explore and/or define their core professional values and promote the
sustainability of those values across a lifetime. One of the many struggles most professionals experience is how to blend their ideals with the realities of their work place. Concepts to be pursued within the seminar include: civic engagement, the pursuit of a vocation,
social entrepreneurship, professional development and leadership.
PA 395 Women, Power and Leadership in Organizations (Summer)
This course will use feminist theories to examine gender issues relevant to public
and nonprofit management, including an analysis of gendered female work,
stereotyping, and the use of power and assertiveness. The goal is
to gain an understanding of the historical context of women in nonprofit and
public leadership in order to effect change in current and future contexts.
PA 395 Public Relations for NonProfits
This course is designed to combine best practices in public
relations with the specific needs of nonprofit organizations and the
publics they serve.
PA 395/CDAE354 Advanced Microeconomics
Principles and applications of advanced microeconomics: consumer and market demand,
firm and market supply, perfect and imperfect markets, partial and general
equilibrium, and policy analysis.
PA 397 Readings and Research (All semesters)
Readings, with conferences, term paper, to provide graduate students with specialized knowledge in an area in which an appropriate course is not offered.
GRAD 397 Comprehensive Examination
Students must enroll for this examination. There is no charge providing
a student has not gone beyond the date set for completion of her/his
degree program.
Last modified April 13 2009 10:44 AM
