Public Administration and Policy

The Master of Public Administration and Policy (MPAP) program serves a diverse student body representing a variety of public service organizations. MPAP students are mainly mid-career professionals working in government or nonprofit organizations and committed to learning and developing as individuals, administrators, and policymakers. Our seminars are conveniently offered to accommodate full-time jobs. 

The MPAP curriculum emphasizes the integration of practical skills and knowledge with an understanding of the concepts and theories that help leaders adapt those skills in an ever-changing environment. Our classes will develop and improve your skills in policy development and implementation, as well as leadership, personnel, strategic management, fundraising, and program evaluation. You will engage with your peers coming from various backgrounds, learn from each others' professional experiences, and master your ability to work in different organizational settings with diverse groups of individuals. You will engage with faculty whose research, academic training, and professional experience covers a wide array of public administration and policy areas and whose primary goal is to build a cadre of high caliber public and nonprofit leaders to enable our region, state, and nation to address contemporary and future challenges successfully.

Major Requirements 

Required Courses
PAPP 502Politics of Public Policy3
PAPP 505Intro to Public Admin3
PAPP 540Government & Nonprofit Finance3
PAPP 560Admin of Human Resources3
PAPP 580Stat Method for Decisionmaking3
PAPP 586Ethics of Admin & Public Pol3
PAPP 650Admin & Policy Capstone3
Elective Courses (choose 5)15
Topics in Pub Admin & Policy
Govt & Nonprofit Leadership
Administrative Law
Pub Relations for Govt/Nonprof
Behavioral Public Policy
Grant Writing & Management
Fundraising
Network Collaboration
Organization Develop & Theory
Govt & Nonprof Labor Relations
Performance Appraisal
Strategic Mgt for Pub Admin
Policy Analysis & Development
Program Evaluation
Revitalizing Cities
Admin Tech in Organizations
Direct Study in Pub Adm/Policy
Pub Admin/Policy Internship
Total Credit Hours36

Optional Concentrations

12 credits required

Evaluation & Assessment

PAPP 537Behavioral Public Policy3
PAPP 564Performance Appraisal3
PAPP 580Stat Method for Decisionmaking3
PAPP 582Policy Analysis & Development3
PAPP 583Program Evaluation3

Human Resources

PAPP 520Govt & Nonprofit Leadership3
PAPP 555Network Collaboration3
PAPP 560Admin of Human Resources3
PAPP 561Organization Develop & Theory3
PAPP 562Govt & Nonprof Labor Relations3
PAPP 564Performance Appraisal3

Public Policy

PAPP 502Politics of Public Policy3
PAPP 523Administrative Law3
PAPP 537Behavioral Public Policy3
PAPP 582Policy Analysis & Development3
PAPP 584Revitalizing Cities3
PAPP 586Ethics of Admin & Public Pol3

Learning Goals

  1. Decision-Making to apply critical thinking skills to make decisions that enhance performance of governmental and nonprofit organizations or improve public policy and reflect awareness of key elements in these organizations’ external and internal environments
  2. Human Resource Management to effectively manage human resources within governmental and nonprofit organizations
  3. Financial Resource Management to effectively manage financial resources of governmental and nonprofit organizations
  4. Leadership to understand and exhibit behaviors that enable effective leadership of governmental and nonprofit organizations
  5. Effective Communication to communicate proficiently orally and in writing in a manner that facilitates shared understanding, growth, and high performance
  6. Ethical Standards to act in a manner that exemplifies professional ethical standards for governmental and nonprofit administration
  7. Appreciation for Diversity to demonstrate respect for the diverse cultures, values, and perspectives in society in the development, administration, and provision of public services
  8. Equity to uphold professional standards of equity in the development, administration, and provision of public services
  9. Theory-Practice Links to appreciate the role of political, administrative, policy, and organization theory in understanding and structuring practice in public and nonprofit administration and a continuously strive to improve practice through the application of theory

PAPP 500     Topics in Pub Admin & Policy     1 to 3 Credit Hours

This course will examine a major topic or set of related topics in public administration and/or public policy. The topics may change and, therefore, it is possible to take the course more than once. (OC)

Restriction(s):
Cannot enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 502     Politics of Public Policy     3 Credit Hours

This course explores how public policy is made in the United States, with a special emphasis on inter-relationship of policy and politics. We examine how political and other variables converge to create an often maddening, but inescapable, set of contradictions (a.k.a. paradoxes) that both hamper rationality and enable sustainability of our governmental systems. Policy and politics are inseparable. This course will help you understand why and assess the benefits and disadvantages of this reality. (W,YR)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Rackham or Graduate

PAPP 505     Intro to Public Admin     3 Credit Hours

This introductory course provides an overview of topics encountered in government or nonprofit administrator positions. Topics emphasized in the seminar include decision making, finance, human resource, leadership, performance, accountability, organizational responsiveness, and strategic management. (F,YR)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Rackham or Graduate

PAPP 520     Govt & Nonprofit Leadership     3 Credit Hours

This course examines the complex but critical top of leadership in public affairs. It examines leadership theories, styles, and practices and how these affect the way that public and nonprofit organizations operate. (F,AY)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Rackham or Graduate

PAPP 523     Administrative Law     3 Credit Hours

This class will focus on important legal and regulatory issues as they relate to public, education, and nonprofit organizations. It will consider the various court and administrative decisions which affect these. Numerous case situations will be used to facilitate the students' learning.

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate

PAPP 527     Pub Relations for Govt/Nonprof     3 Credit Hours

This seminar explores the interaction of government and nonprofit organizations with the public. It is particularly concerned with the way these organizations communicate with citizens and organizations and engage them in their operations and decision-making. (S,AY)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Rackham or Graduate

PAPP 537     Behavioral Public Policy     3 Credit Hours

This course teaches you to apply the insights from behavioral economics and psychology to public policy design. Empirically-based behavioral science offers policy makers the opportunity to decrease the impact of psychological limitations of lazy or boundedly rational individuals. In this course we consider various public policies that are informed by behavioral science research in the areas of retirement savings, household borrowing, health care, energy use and choice of nutrition. (S,AY)

Prerequisite(s): ECON 201 and ECON 202

Restriction(s):
Cannot enroll if Class is
Can enroll if Level is Rackham or Graduate

PAPP 540     Government & Nonprofit Finance     3 Credit Hours

This course provides a critical understanding of finance for governmental and nonprofit organizations. Students examine how revenue is derived and spent, how organizations craft and manage budgets, and how accounting and financial reporting aid operations and transparency. Special attention is given to the ways in which the publicness of government and nonprofit organizations creates significant differences between their finances and those of business. (F, W)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Rackham or Graduate

PAPP 545     Grant Writing & Management     3 Credit Hours

This course prepares students planning careers in public and nonprofit organizations to win and manage grants for their organization. Students will learn how to research and identify strong grant prospects, build relationships with foundation program officers, draft letters of intent and full proposals, and manage grant funds once they are received. Students will also become familiar with public sector risk management associated with grant stewardship. (S,YR)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Rackham or Graduate

PAPP 548     Fundraising     3 Credit Hours

The course provides a thorough grounding in the principles and practice of fundraising. It examines the lifecycle of fundraising from planning your fundraising strategy to reporting to donors about the impact of their support. Broad topics, such as the history of fundraising, ethics of fundraising, and donor behavior will, as well as specific practices, such as developing a case for support and developing relationships with donors will be covered. (F, YR).

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate

PAPP 555     Network Collaboration     3 Credit Hours

This course focuses on collaboration as a form of service delivery by government and nonprofits. It examines different types of collaboration across sectors, focusing on collaborative governance. Emphasis is placed on practical skills such as designing, managing, and evaluating collaborations, but critical conceptual aspects of network collaboration are also addressed. NOTE: The online course may require some synchronous participation in simulations and group exercises; dates and time will be determined by student groups. (GR)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 560     Admin of Human Resources     3 Credit Hours

This seminar will examine human resource administration activities in public, educational and nonprofit settings. Issues such as recruiting, selection, planning, performance appraisal, contracting and collective bargaining will be related to the overall administrative activities. Emphasis will be placed on the connections between human resource issues in public, education, and nonprofit organizations.

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate

PAPP 561     Organization Develop & Theory     3 Credit Hours

This course focuses on organizational change. Students will learn why and how organizations pursue planned change to improve outcomes. They will explore topics of organization theory, such as organization culture, structure, power, and environmental influences on organizations, as well as behavioral science theories on individual and group behavior. Students will apply this knowledge in examining specific techniques used to stimulate and guide organizational change. (F,AY)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 562     Govt & Nonprof Labor Relations     3 Credit Hours

The seminar considers conceptual and practical aspects of management-labor relations in public and nonprofit settings, with an emphasis on labor unions, collective bargaining, and civil service. It also develops initial competency in the various activities associated with collective bargained situations. (OC)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 564     Performance Appraisal     3 Credit Hours

Evaluating the performance of employees is crucial to the motivation of the individual and the success of the organization. Evaluating the performance of organizations helps leaders direct resources to areas where they can have the most impact. This class will consider the available methods for assessing individual and organizational performance in public and nonprofit settings. (S,AY)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 580     Stat Method for Decisionmaking     3 Credit Hours

This course introduces students to descriptive and basic inferential statistics and how organizational leaders can use them to aid decision making. (F,W)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Rackham or Graduate

PAPP 581     Strategic Mgt for Pub Admin     3 Credit Hours

This course examines concepts, tools, and actions used by administrators to ensure that their organizational resources are continually devoted to accomplishing the organization's mission. Crafting and communicating effective missions and visions, developing and implementing strategic plans, measuring & assessing performance, monitoring environmental influences, conducting needs assessments, and incorporating mission-oriented criteria into financial and human resources management are examples of the topics covered. (S,AY)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 582     Policy Analysis & Development     3 Credit Hours

Policy formulation involves two different activities: 1) identifying and assessing alternative courses of action, i.e., deciding what, if anything, needs to be done about a problem; and 2) developing the policy, regulation or law that will carry an agreement in principle into effect. Both aspects of policy development will be covered in the course.

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 583     Program Evaluation     3 Credit Hours

This class will examine procedures for evaluating programs in public, education and nonprofit settings. The concern will be to examine the various techniques available to determine whether a program is doing what it was intended to do. Students will utilize various techniques in examining a variety of case situations.

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Graduate

PAPP 584     Revitalizing Cities     3 Credit Hours

What have we done to address decline in city neighborhoods and downtowns? Why? How has it worked? Why? What's the hope for the future? This course uses a public policy lens to engage students in a quest for answers to these questions. (YR)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Rackham or Graduate

PAPP 585     Admin Tech in Organizations     3 Credit Hours

We examine strategies and practices used by government and nonprofit administrators to plan for and manage technology effectively within their organizations. (OC)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 586     Ethics of Admin & Public Pol     3 Credit Hours

This course critically examines ethical issues encountered by public administrators and policymakers. It examines ethical considerations related to managing people and other organizational resources and designing and implementing public policy. It seeks to help students identify, understand, and deal effectively with the ethical dimensions of leadership in the public and nonprofit sectors. (F,W)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 650     Admin & Policy Capstone     3 Credit Hours

This "capstone" seminar involves the assessing MPAP degree candidates' knowledge, skills and abilities in core program areas. Students complete capstone projects, finalize and present professional portfolios, and assess their experience in the MPAP program. (F,W)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 690     Direct Study in Pub Adm/Policy     1 to 3 Credit Hours

This course will permit students to explore subjects not currently offered in regular course but within the capacity of existing faculty and under that faculty member's supervision. To be elected only with the permission of the program director and an instructor. (OC)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate

PAPP 720     Pub Admin/Policy Internship     1 to 3 Credit Hours

Students who lack the necessary experience in responsible administration will be afforded the opportunity to gain the experience in the internship. The class and the number of hours will be arranged to fit the needs of the students as determined by their advisors. Credits for this course do not count towards the minimum credits required for core or elective courses to complete the MPAP program. (F,W,S)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Level is Graduate