Graduate Courses in Political Science
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An analysis of the theory, basic principles, and practices o public administration in the U.S. through a study of organization, management, budgeting, personnel, administrative leadership, and characteristics of modern bureaucracies.
Hours:
3
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Study of the laws and traditions that determine the structures and operations of state and local governments in the U.S.
Hours:
3
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This course covers the U.S. Congress as an institution and explores its place in the political process. The goal is to provide the student with both a historical perspective asking. 'What was Congress intended to be?' and 'How has it evolved?', as well as a contemporary view asking, 'What is Congress today?'
Hours:
3
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This course provides students with both a historical and analytical perspective of the American presidency. The president's roles as chief executive, ceremonial head of the U.S. government, chief diplomat, titular head of his party, and others are examined. The president's relationship and interaction with the legislature are examined. The president's relationship and interaction with the legislative and judicial branches, other governmental institutions, interest groups, and the electorate will be studied.
Hours:
3
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A systematic study of the judicial system and its role in the administration of justice.
Hours:
3
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This course examines the formulation and implementation of legislation in the United States Congress and/or American state legislatures. The aim is to gain an insight into the legislative process and how the structure and dynamics of political institutions affect it.
Hours:
3
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A study of U.S. political parties, including their development, functions, and significance as democratic institutions and policy making instruments. The election process and voter behavior are also examined.
Hours:
3
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A general overview of how laws can affect society and how people's attitudes can affect the law. It will deal with several landmark cases and laws including Brown v. Board of Education (desegregation), Roe v. Wade (abortion), prohibition laws, drug abuse laws, and laws against Homosexuality.
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The study of gender and politics explores concepts of power found in governance. The course will examine how political power, institutions and actions can be gendered by using critical and analytical gender theories. Gender theories will be applied to an examination of gender equality in society, economics, and politics.
Hours:
3
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A survey of political socialization, the process through which a citizen acquires knowledge, opinions, and behavior about politics and government. The course explains how public opinion develops and evaluates whether public opinion influences public policy.
Hours:
3
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This course will focus on a variety of historical and contemporary figures to determine how their leadership styles and ideas on leadership have influenced and motivated both individuals and groups of people in the political sense. Assignments and discussion will center on what strategies, motivations, tactics, and actions constitute an effective political leader.
Hours:
3
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An analysis of major policy decisions and the impact of these decisions on the American political system.
Hours:
3
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This course examines marketing concepts, methods, and activities as they are applied in public and nonprofit organizations.
Hours:
3
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A part-time professional experience in a government agency, law office, or similar political environment. A research paper on a topic related to the theme of the internship is required.
Hours:
3
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A part-time professional experience in a government agency, law office, or similar political environment. A research paper on a topic related to the theme of the internship is required.
Hours:
6
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A full-time professional experience in a government agency, law office, or similar political environment, possibly for a period exceeding one academic term. A research paper or thesis on a topic related to the theme of the internship is required.
Hours:
9
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This is a seminar about the institutions established by the U.S. Constitution, the interrelationships among those institutions, and the rules and processes under which they operate.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar about the processes by which U.S. governmental institutions-including executive departments, regulatory agencies, legislative agencies, and the court system-operate. Roles and behaviors of those who manage and staff these institutions will also be examined.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar about the political philosophies and ideologies that have predominated in American society from the colonial period to the modern period. The European underpinnings of these ideologies will be examined, with focus on the development of those foundations into a unique American political thought.
Hours:
3
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The topic of this course will vary depending on timeliness and on instructor and student interest.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar about diplomatic and other processes in which sovereign governments interrelate to defend and promote their national interests.
Hours:
3
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A basic introduction into the area of research methods. The main areas of social research will be examined. Field survey evaluation, experimentation and content, and pragmatic and theoretical considerations will also be examined. A research project will be required of all students.
Hours:
3
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A brief review of the basis for inferential and descriptive statistics; statistical inference and the assumption of causality through specific techniques and procedures including correlation, regression, etc. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the concepts behind the techniques as well as the mechanical skills involved.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar about the governmental systems and philosophical perspectives in the nations of Eastern Europe.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar about the development of the foreign policy of Russia from the czarist monarchical period, through the era of Soviet communism, to the post- Soviet period.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar about the analytical approaches by which the governmental systems of nations can be compared in order to find common denominators and to distinguish their governmental formats.
Hours:
3
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This course is designed to analyze the way religion and politics influence one another in America and/or other countries. The course presents a history of religion, outlines major religious traditions and investigates how religious beliefs motivate individual political behavior.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar in which students study influential monographs in the subfield of American government and conduct related research.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar in which students study influential monographs in the subfield of state and local government and conduct related research.
Hours:
3
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This seminar will provide an introduction to the theories of international relations. This course will serve as one of your foundational courses on which the rest of the program will be built. It will introduce students to the major theoretical areas including an overview of the role of theory, realism, liberalism, constructivism, the democratic peace, deterrence, cooperation, and domestic sources of international relations.
Hours:
3
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This is one of the core seminars in the M.A. in International Affairs program. The course focuses on the theories, analytical approaches, historical evolution, and issues of international political economy (IPE). Economic theories of international trade and finance tell us that there are numerous benefits to be had from international economic exchange. Such exchange, however, creates 'winners and losers' internationally and domestically. Those actors that are hurt seek redress through political channels. Thus, we also need to use political theory to understand and explain the patterns of global economic activity that we observe.
Hours:
3
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The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the methods used by scholars of international affairs to study political events. This course will teach the student to properly frame a research question and create an effective research design to carry out original research.
Hours:
3
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Foreign policy is a historically based, dynamic process with many individual actors, global causes and overlapping concepts. We will study the Presidency and Congress, the State Department and Intelligence Community, the Economic Bureaucracy. Public Opinion and the Media, and issues such as the theoretical bases of policy-making and the tension between national security and democracy. This course explores how each of these operates and contributes to the making of U.S. foreign policy.
Hours:
3
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This course is designed a capstone experience for the international affairs masters degree. The course will require the student to adopt an in-depth focus regarding their particular regional or policy focus in the field of International Affairs.
Hours:
6
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This is a seminar in which students study influential monographs in the subfield of American political thought and conduct related research.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar in which students study influential treatises and cases concerning constitutional development and constitutional law and conduct related legal research.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar in which students study influential monographs in the subfield of Latin American politics and conduct related research.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar in which students study influential monographs in the subfield of comparative government and conduct related research.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar in which students study influential monographs and original sources in the subfield of international relations and conduct related research.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar in which students study influential monographs and original sources in the subfield of political philosophy and conduct related research.
Hours:
3
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This is a seminar in which students study influential monographs in the subfield of Eastern European politics and conduct related research.
Hours:
3
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This course is designed to introduce students to the main concepts, topics, and theoretical perspectives in comparative politics-one of the major sub-disciplines of political science. It provides the basis for subsequent coursework and research in comparative politics. The course also reviews major topics within comparative politics, such as elections and political parties, regime types, democratization, and political participation.
Hours:
3
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Although the absence of any overarching political authority characterizes world politics as anarchical, states and other international actors have coordinated their actions over the centuries. This course focuses on such cooperative efforts. It assesses different theories of international relations and discusses why states succeed or fail at creating institutions and rules for global governance and what effects those institutions and rules have. The course examines how international organizations attempt to accomplish cooperation. The major emphasis will be on the experience of the United Nations system. Yet it also takes a closer look at regional and specialized agencies and analyzes a broad range of issue-areas with which these organizations try to deal: collective security, economics, environment, social welfare, and human rights.
Hours:
3
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This course examines how people behave in organizations and how organizations function. We assume that the behavior of people in an organization ultimately determines the success or failure of that organization.
Hours:
3
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This course is designed as an examination of both traditional and non-traditional security concerns. The course will highlight the importance of context and the development of decision-making skills by those that craft foreign policy and military missions. All elements of security will be examined: military security, environmental security and resource security. The graduate portion of this course will expand discussions beyond traditional national borders to examine regional and global trends in security studies. The graduate student will be expected to synthesize the activities of their particular state within both regional and international security structures.
Hours:
3
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This course is an introduction to the profession of public administration. Topics covered in the course include the historical development of public administration, the role of politics and administration, and the central concepts and major theoretical orientations in the field of public administration.
Hours:
3
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The purpose of this course will examine the environment and emerging security structures within Europe. It will examine the changing nature of the European security environment since creation of NATO, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the development of a separate EU structure. This course will look at the institutional structures along with the internal and external influences which drive European security issues.
Hours:
3
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A survey of the political relationships that permeate bureaucratic organizations, especially government bureaucracies. The course will focus on relationships among levels and branches of government, government agencies, political parties, news media, and interest groups. Uses of power by government agencies, the role of expertise in enhancing administrative influence, the implications of governmental organization and reorganization, and ethical and unethical behavior in public service will be examined.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
POLS 7200 with C or greater
Hours:
3
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The aim of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the U.S. national security process and how it develops, executes and implements policy for the issues that face America in the 21st century. We will spend significant amounts of time discussing the major actors in the National Security Establishment (the Presidency, National Security Council, Congress, the Military, the Intelligence community, the judiciary, public and media) and how they participate in a process your textbook author Sam Sarkesian calls "somewhat of a mystery or `muddling through'" (181). Structure and theory are applied to organize, clarify and understand this process, and historical and modern-day examples are used in extensive class discussion to connect process to policy. A semester-long research project affords the student an opportunity to apply this process to a topic of specific interest in U.S. national security policy.
Hours:
3
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The course focuses on security issues of a particular region of the world (Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Central, Asia, East Asia, Middle East, etc.). The course content is variable. The course is designed to investigate sources and causes of security issues of a particular region of the world, the factors that influence them, and what policy responses can be proposed to address them. The course addresses the theoretical perspectives concerning security issues of a region of the world. The course focuses on political violence, civil war, insurgency, terrorism, drug trafficking, nuclear proliferation, or related security issues. This course is repeatable once for up to 6 hours of credit.
Hours:
3
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The course is a survey of the political systems of a particular region of the world (Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Central, Asia, East Asia, Middle East, etc.). The course content is variable. The course will consider the unique political issues affecting a region of the world, but also explain how and why countries within that region differ from each other in significant ways. Some sections of the course will compare and contrast a region's political systems in general, whereas others may be more specialized topically. Theoretical foci include political economy, institutions, policymaking, development, foreign policy, and political culture. This class is repeatable once for up to 6 hours of credit.
Hours:
3
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The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the impacts of terrorism and political violence on the world system. The pressures of globalization have caused significant changes in the abilities of terrorists to take on action of global importance.
Hours:
3
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A study of the impact that the public and private sectors exert on one another. The seminar will focus on governmental regulation of business, government's role as referee of commercial disputes, business's influence on public policy making, and the opportunity for the rank and file of the public and labor to influence decision making by elected officials and management.
Hours:
3
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A study of ethical and unethical behavior in the public service. Topics will include legal standards, mores affecting ethical behavior, corruption, whistle-blowing, privacy, equity, and the countervailing demands for government activism and individualism.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
POLS 7200 with C or greater
Hours:
3
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An examination of the development and structure of the public financial sectors, the principles and roles of operating and capital budgets in public organizations, and the relationships between funding mechanisms and public policy. The course includes an introduction to public economics and financial reporting.
Hours:
3
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A study of models explaining the development of public policies and of empirical methods of analyzing and evaluating public policy. The course includes discussions of principles of strategic planning and public economics, designs for conducting policy research, and ethics as a criterion of sound public policy.
Hours:
3
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This course examines strategic thinking in the international system from both a security and policy standpoint. Students will be exposed to such classic strategic thinkers as Clausewitz, Sun-Tzu, Mahan, and Jomini along with modern strategists as Colin Gray and Edward Luttwak. This course will also focus on how states create and use statements of grand strategy and the role of strategic culture for influencing how states act in the system
Hours:
3
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This course introduces the basic legal framework of administration organization and the rules governing administrative powers and their exercise. The legal procedures for the enforcement of bureaucratic responsibility in the democratic state will be examined. The course examines the ethical theories and applications in the public sector and values in the context of public administration.
Hours:
3
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Study of systems of employee recruitment, appointment, career development, reductions in force, and termination of employment in the public service. Employee-management relations, including public-employee unions, will be examined. Fair employment practices will be discussed.
Hours:
3
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This course is an introduction to research methods and techniques used by public administrators. The course covers descriptive statistics, contingency tables, and other statistical procedures such as simple regression that are commonly found in applied research and frequently used by public managers. This course emphasizes methods, design, analysis and application rather than calculation of statistics.
Hours:
3
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This course provides an examination and critical analysis of important theories, concepts, and current issues relevant in the field of public administration. The course is design as a culmination of the topics and issues covered in the MPA core curriculum.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: POLS 7202 and approval of MPA Coordinator
Hours:
3
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Seminar examining the laws, regulations, processes, and results that are involved in administering programs jointly involving the various levels of government in the United States.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
POLS 7200 with C or greater
Hours:
3
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An examination of the characteristic managerial problems of the several functions of local government such as police, fire, health, social services, transportation, traffic, public works, parks, recreation, and zoning.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
POLS 7200 with C or greater
Hours:
3
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Students will conduct research to address a specific public administration issue within their respective organizations or a public organization that the student and the MPA program coordinator choose for the research practicum.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisites: POLS 7202 and POLS 7400
Hours:
3
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A survey of methods and strategies of implementing a fund-raising program and applying successfully for grants. Students are encouraged to complete POLS 6380 before or while taking POLS 7580.
Hours:
3
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Study of quantitative methods oriented toward decision- making in the public sector. Probability and statistical inference will be introduced. Methods for determining associations between interval-, ordinal-, and nominal- level variables will be presented, including chi-square, gamma, lambda, and linear regression. Research methods and forecasting will be discussed.
Hours:
3
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Study of the use of computer technology in public management. Topics include operating systems, word processing, spreadsheet applications, statistical applications and the role of computers in such public-management functions as capital and human resource management. The impact of computers on management, labor and clients will be examined.
Hours:
3
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This course examines the linkages that have developed between the public and private sectors in the delivery of goods and services in the United States. The course examines the context of privatization and the different forms of public-private partnerships practiced in the United States. Topics covered in this course include the public-private dichotomy, the provisions of public goods, market and government failures, models of privatization and the future of public-private partnerships.
Hours:
3
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This course presents two approaches to operating a public or nonprofit agency productively. One approach involves the use of information technology with such software as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access. The other approach involves the application of operations management for optimizing the efficiency of the agency. Operations- management methods include linear programming, computer simulation, job design, facility location, forecasting, aggregate planning, inventory control, scheduling and quality assurance.
Hours:
3
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This course examines the fundamental concepts of intra-sectoral and cross-sectoral collaboration. Students examine issues pertaining to collaboration as practiced in, and by, the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Topics include distinctions between cooperation, coordination, collaboration, issues of public management within these arrangements, governance, accountability, and outcomes.
Hours:
3
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This course focuses on the purpose of nonprofit organizations, the impact that nonprofits have on society, the functions of nonprofit governance and management, and the relationship of nonprofit organizations with other entities in their environment. Topics include the management of paid and volunteer staff members, nonprofit marketing, public relations, fund-raising, and international nonprofit activity.
Hours:
3
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This course examines the leadership skills and styles that provide direction to military personnel during peacetime, crimes, and warfare. The course provides perspectives from experienced military officers and scholars about leadership. Topics include internationalization, management of operations, leadership approaches to turbulent environments, and delegation of authority.
Hours:
3
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This course explores policy made for and by military organizations and the manner in which military organizations administer the policies. Topics include the military's relationships with the political branches of government, decision-making, information and operations management, human-resource management, financial resources, accountability, and adaptation to changing environments. Readings and assignments will guide the student in assessing the appropriate management of civilians, troops, and resources in peacetime and combat situations.
Hours:
3
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This course explores the comparison between the two modes of professional activity. Students will explore the elements of military leadership that are transferrable to civilian public management and evaluate what an experienced military leader must do to transition to service as an administrator on the civilian side of national, state, or local government.
Hours:
3
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A seminar on a contemporary topic or a topic of specialized interest. The topic varies in light of current political events and literature.
Hours:
3
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This course is designed to further a student's knowledge of constitutional law and judicial processes. It assumes a basic understanding of these areas. Most work is conducted on an independent basis with guidance from the instructor.
Hours:
3
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Study of the basic legal framework of administrative organization and the rules governing administrative powers and their exercise. The legal procedures for the enforcement of bureaucratic responsibility in a democratic state will be examined.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
POLS 7200 with C or greater
Hours:
3
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Completion of other core courses and courses in concentration. A capstone course which integrates the study of managerial techniques to develop professionals who are capable of managing public service organizations effectively and ethically. Discussion and practice in strategic planning and financial reporting are included.
Hours:
3
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Determined by course content. A seminar on topics which will vary according to instructor and student interest. With a change in topic, this course may be repeated twice for up to 9 hours of credit.
Hours:
3
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Research conducted by a student under the supervision of a faculty member, with regular conferences between instructor and student. A written research report is required; a copy must be filed in the office of the MPA Program Coordinator before a final grade is recorded.
Hours:
1 - 9
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The student will conduct original research in an area of inquiry in political science under the supervision of a faculty member. An analytical, comprehensive research paper is required.
Hours:
3
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The advanced MPA student once obtaining a placement in a public service organization, will gain on-site experience and utilize skills obtained in the academic setting. The placement will involve a minimum of 10 weeks of full-time activity under supervision by a qualified manager.
Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Corequisite: POLS 7890
Hours:
3
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