PA Courses

Course Offerings in Public Administration (PA)

305. Organizations in Multicultural and Diverse Societies

Integrative, multicultural exploration of the challenge of ensuring that business and government organizations as they pursue their eco­nomic or public policy missions also promote societal goals of demo­cratic process and full inclusion of women and minorities. Examines the roles and powers of business and government organizations in meeting or failing to meet the rights and needs of citizens of all gen­ders and ethnicities. Prerequisite: junior or senior standing. (GE=G2) (4 units)

307. Public Relations in the Public Sector

Public relations as an inherent aspect of management in the public sector. Problems and techniques of administration of programs to manage and improve public relations. (4 units)

315. Government-Business Relations

Description and analysis of government policies affecting business development at local, state and national levels. Discussion of major international trade treaties, trading blocs, and international financial institutions and the impact of globalization on government's involve­ment with business. (4 units)

380. Introduction to Public Administration

An introduction to the purposes, methods and characteristics of pub­lic management, including organization of public services, roles and relationships of public administrators, accountability and the achieve­ment of public goals. (Also offered as PSCI 380. Students may not receive credit for both.) (4 units)

462. Public Personnel Administration

Definition, description and evaluation of government personnel sys­tems; classification, compensation, recruitment, examination, training, working conditions, incentives, performance ratings, public employee organizations and organizational development in the public service. Prerequisite: PA 380. (4 units)

463. Governmental Budgeting

Role of the budgetary process in government management, the pub­lic sector environment of budgeting, budget formulation and admin­istration. (4 units)

472. Administrative Law

Processes of administrative rule making, regulation, adjudication and appeal procedures; duties and liabilities of public officials, trends in regulation, overview of regulatory agencies. (4 units)

473. Public Transportation Planning, Policy and Regulation

Study of the impacts of local, state and federal planning, policies, rules, regulations, and programs on surface, marine and air transpor­tation systems. The focus is on interrelationships between business and the public sector in the strategic management of transportation applications. (4 units)

490. Senior Assessment Seminar in Public Administration

This senior-level capstone course develops an overall general per­spective on the field of public administration. It reviews and inte­grates knowledge from the Public Administration upper-division core and concentration courses. The class assesses and documents stu­dents' academic progress in the Public Administration concentration to demonstrate evidence of learning the core theories and practices of public administration as applied to topical areas. Prerequisites: se­nior standing, PA 307, 315, 380, 462, 463 and 472, or consent of instructor. (4 units)

501. Administrative Leadership

Theory and practice of leading public sector organizations. Top­ics include leader traits, skills, styles, behaviors, development and evaluation. Formerly a topic under PA 590. (4 units)

514. Management of Private Nonprofit Organizations

Analyzes the specific problems of management in private nonprofit organizations, including planning, personnel, financial and policy is­sues. (4 units)

516. Public and Non-Profit Project Management

Aspects of project management, including needs and feasibility as­sessment, project design, proposal writing, contract negotiation, fund­ing, developing project teams, managing team conflict, monitoring, and evaluation. Three hours lecture and two hours activity laboratory. (4 units)

521. Principles of Planning

Introduction to local and regional community planning; includes meth­ods of adoption and interorganizational relationships. (4 units)

540. Introduction to Tribal Management and Governance

Roles, responsibilities and structure of tribal governments. The his­torical and legal underpinnings of the inter-governmental relations between the U.S. government and Indian tribes. Also explores rel­evant organization and management theories, concepts and tools as applied to the management of tribal governments. Formerly a topic under PA 590. (4 units)

542. Tribal Government Gaming and Economic Development

The historical and legal foundations and practices of tribal govern­ment gaming in the United States with particular attention focused on California. Includes an analysis of tribal governance, economic development, social and economic impacts of tribal government gam­ing. Formerly a topic under PA 590. (4 units)

548. Management of Computers in the Public Sector

Designed to help students gain competency in computer related skills. Each topic may be taken once for credit. Three hours lecture and two hours activity laboratory.

A. Word Processing (4 units)

B. Data Base Management (4 units)

C. Spread Sheet (4 units)

D. Communication (4 units)

E. Networking (4 units)

F. Special Problems (4 units)

G. Geographic Information Systems (4 units)

557. Public Sector Labor Relations

Analyzes issues created by collective bargaining and unionism in public sectors. Examples: selection of bargaining agents, bargaining scope and obligation, impasse resolution and grievance procedure. (4 units)

564. Local Public Administration

Administrative characteristics and problems of public management in the urban area, including city, county, school and special district organization and functions. (4 units)

568. Accounting for Government and Not-for-Profit Organizations

Covers principles and practices of government fund accounting. Top­ics include governmental accounting concepts, types and structure of funds and accounts, application of generally accepted accounting principles to government and not-for-profit entities, presentation and uses of financial statements. (Also offered as ACCT 568. Students may not receive credit for both.) Prerequisite: ACCT 211 or 311. (4 units)

575. Internship in Public Administration

Supervised work and study in private or public organizations. May be repeated once for credit. A total of two College of Business and Public Administration 575 courses may be applied toward graduation. Graded credit/no credit. Prerequisites: consent of instructor and the department's internship coordinator. (4 units)

590. Seminar in Public Administration

An intensive study of some phase of public administration to be devel­oped by the instructor. May be repeated for credit as topics change. (4 units)

595. Independent Study

Special topics involving library and/or field research. A total of 10 units in any College of Business and Public Administration 595 may be ap­plied toward graduation. Prerequisites: a minimum overall grade point average of 3.0, consent of instructor and approval by the department of a written project/proposal submitted to the appropriate department in the College of Business and Public Administration on a standard application filed in advance of the quarter in which the course is to be taken. (2 or 4 units)

603. Research Methods in Administration

Principles of research design, development of research instruments, data accumulation and analysis of significant data integrated with use of computers in research. Critique of sample research studies from the literature and a research study conducted by the student. (Also offered as MGMT 603. Students may not receive credit for both.) Prerequisite: SCM 210. (4 units)

611. Public Administration Theory and Practice

A critical analysis of major theories of public administration and their application, including development of the discipline, evolution of insti­tutional forms both in the United States and in international settings, concepts of decision-making and role of public administration in so­ciety. (4 units)

612. Productivity Measurement in the Public Sector

Analysis of effective and efficient mobilization of agency resources. Includes examination of the environment, techniques, variables and perspectives in applying productivity measurements, particularly at the local level. (4 units)

615. Public Financial Management

Management of financial resources in public organizations with em­phasis on local government. Topics include evaluation and monitor­ing of financial condition and trends, fiscal policy analysis, revenue and expenditure forecasting, capital planning and financing, cash flow management, debt administration, cost allocation and integrated fi­nancial management systems. (4 units)

616. Comparative Public Administration

Cross-national comparison of administrative systems, structures, processes and practices of developed and third world countries. (4 units)

617. Management of Local Economic Development

An introduction to the forms, processes and effects of economic de­velopment. Topics include: the dynamics of urban change and revital­ization; the planning and financing of community economic develop­ment programs and projects; the role of public, neighborhood, advo­cacy and not-for-profit organizations, and social and environmental impacts of economic change. (4 units)

618. Local Government Development Finance

Explains and analyzes the major financing mechanisms for local gov­ernment economic and public works development, their working and effectiveness. Topics include the background of the budget process and pertinent documents, an overview of economic development and public works finance, assessment districts, fiscal impact analy­sis, capital budgeting and financing, revenue forecasting, financing of redevelopment agencies, financial indicators, and case studies of development financing. (4 units)

619. Diversity and Public Organizations

Exploration of the diversity challenges facing public, business and non-profit organizations as they pursue their public policy and eco­nomic missions. Topics include: diversity in the context of organiza­tional behavior; diversity's impact on leadership, management, peo­ple, organizations, economic development and public policy. (4 units)

620. Regulatory Structure, Policies, and Process in Water Law

Legal authority of water agencies, the procedures employed to exer­cise and limit that authority, the structure and process of administra­tive law, and the sharing of power in a federal system. Topics include powers and liabilities of water agencies, administrative procedures act, due process of law, licensing, environmental laws, rulemaking, negotiated rulemaking, interstate compacts, emergency powers, property condemnation, allocation of water resources, uses of water, and legal aspects of financing water projects. (4 units)

621. Water Resources Agency Management

Basic concepts and techniques of politics and public relations between water agencies, the communities they serve, and other governmen­tal entities. Problems and techniques in administering of programs to manage water politics and improve public relations, including the applications of political and communication theories and practices to water resources management. (4 units)

628. Intergovernmental Administration

Administration of governmental programs in an intergovernmental context. Development of the federal system, relationships among fed­eral, state and local governments, intergovernmental fiscal arrange­ments, practical problems in setting and implementing policies in an intergovernmental context. (4 units)

630. Program Evaluation

Purposes and methods of program evaluation in public and nonprofit organizations. Topics include selection of programs for evaluation, de­lineation of frame of reference, gathering of information, techniques of reporting, data analysis, comparative approaches of evaluation and ethical issues. Prerequisite: MATH 305 or SCM 210. (4 units)

641. Federal Indian Law and Administration

Overview of federal Indian laws and policies from treaty making to present. Historical overview of political and legal frameworks, execu­tive policies, and judicial decisions in the context of Indian affairs. Formerly a topic under PA 690. (4 units)

643. Public Policy Issues and American Indians

Public policy issues tribal nations face as they enter the twenty-first century, including: political sovereignty, economic development, constitutional reform, cultural and language maintenance and pro­motion, land and water rights, religious freedom, health and social welfare, and education. Emphasizes the breadth of issues that leaders must confront from health, education, and social services to politics, economics, and cultural change. Formerly a topic under PA 690. (4 units)

661. Government Systems Acquisitioning and Contracting

Introduces the principles and concepts that underlie successful ac­quisition management, as well as major systems development and production. Focuses on issues of large-scale acquisition systems and processes from the development of an initial capability or need through design, development, production, fielding, sustainment, and disposal. Formerly a topic under PA 690. (4 units)

662. Human Resource Management in the Public Sector

Analysis of the personnel function as it applies to public sector or­ganizations. Topics include development of modern public service, functions of personnel management, politics of the civil service, em­ployment discrimination, labor management relations, professional­ism and ethics, comparative public personnel administration, and computerization of human resources management. (4 units)

663. Public Budgeting and Finance

Budget concepts and their application in varied settings including fed­eral, state, and local governments in the United States and overseas. Includes economic, management and political approaches to bud­getary decision-making processes, and institutions, as well as major issues in contemporary budgeting. (4 units)

664. Management of Public Organizations

Issues in public management, including the role of the public execu­tive, theories of public organizations, human behavior in public orga­nizations, management of innovation and policy change, and infor­mation management. (4 units)

670. Emergency Management

Covers basic theory and practice in emergency management. Top­ics include approaches to emergency management, the political and administrative environment, administration of complex systems, be­havioral aspects, and establishing and implementing community wide policies. (4 units)

671. Defense Acquisition Program Management

Examines the application of acquisition theory in defense systems. Topics include work breakdown structures, program schedules, man­agement of risk related to acquisitions, contract planning and post-award activities, earned value tools, and evaluation practice. Prereq­uisite: PA 661. (4 units)

672. Administrative Regulation

Discretionary authority of regulatory agencies, the manner in which power is exercised by such agencies, and the administrative structure of the regulatory process. (4 units)

680. Public Policy Analysis

An integrative course examining the analytical, behavioral and sys­tems sciences approaches to public administrative systems with emphasis upon the development of evaluative skills in applied deci­sion-making. (This course is equivalent to SW 629. Students may not receive credit for both.) Prerequisites: PA 611, 662, and 663. (4 units)

690. Advanced Topics in Public Administration

Intensive study of an advanced topic in public administration. May be repeated for credit as topics change. (4 units)

695. Graduate Research Project

Required field study in public administration, including both literary and empirical research. Prerequisites: completion of, or concurrent enrollment in, all other courses for the Master of Public Administra­tion; and consent of instructor and college. (4 units)

999. Comprehensive Examination

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