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Application Deadlines

• Fall (March 15)
• Spring (October 15)
• Summer (March 1)

Important Information for Non-Degree-Seeking Students

In accordance with USF Graduate School Policy, students may take only 12 credit hours Non-Degree-Seeking. Students who have completed more than 12 credit hours without being admitted into the MPA Program risk losing the additional credit hours. Any student not admitted into the MPA Program, who has completed more than 12 credit hours, must apply for admission immediately, or will not be permitted to register for classes the following semester.

John Daly, Director of Public Administration
University of South Florida
Department of Government and International Affairs
Public Administration Program, SOC107
4202 East Fowler Avenue
Tampa, Florida 33620-8100
Telephone: (813) 974-0779
Fax: (813) 974-0832
Location: SOC398
Email: daly@cas.usf.edu

Graduation Checks

Graduation checks are designed to coordinate completion of graduation requirements between the MPA Program and the student. Students are responsible for requesting graduation checks two full semesters prior to the anticipated semester of graduation.

Students planning to graduate in spring (May) should request a graduation check prior to the beginning of fall of the previous year.

Students planning to graduate in summer (August) should request a graduation check prior to the beginning of spring of the same year.

Students planning to graduate in fall (December) should request a graduation check prior to the beginning of summer of the same year.

Typical Schedule of Required (Core) Classes
Most courses are taught one night each week, from 6:20 to 9:05 p.m., Monday through Friday. It is likely that each semester two required classes and The Practice Of Public Management will be taught on the same night. Please be aware of this when selecting classes. Please contact the MPA Director with any questions you may have. Elective courses will vary each semester.  **Course offerings subject to change as needed.**

Fall Courses		Spring Courses
PAD 5700	Research Methods in Public Administration	PAD 6703	Quantitative Aids for Public Managers (PR: PAD 5700)
PAD 6060	Public Administration Theory and Practice	PAD 6060	Public Administration Theory and Practice
PAD 6041	Ethics in Public Administration	PAD 6227	Public Budgeting
PAD 6275	Political Economy for Public Managers (New Semester)	PAD 6417	Human Resources Management
PAD 6417	Human Resources Management	PAD 6056	Practice of Public Management (Capstone Course)
PAD 6056	Practice of Public Management (Capstone Course)
Summer Courses
PAD 6710	Public Information management (New Semester)
PAD 6307	Policy Analysis, Implementation & Program Evaluation  (New Semester)

Foundation Skills

To be prepared for graduate work in Public Administration, students may first need to strengthen skills in computing, writing, and/or quantitative analysis.  Others may need to refresh their understanding of public service and its role in the American political system.  Students requiring additional skills are advised to consult the MPA Director for suggestions regarding which courses will be helpful in this endeavor. 

Students are expected to possess computer applications and software skills prior to entering the MPA Program.  Course assignments may require the use of Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint, and other common computer applications. In addition, students must have access to the Internet, and should be familiar with the basics of web browsing, posting messages to bulletin boards, and Internet searching.  Students who do not possess these basic skills should register for classes through USF Academic Computing at actrainers@lists.acomp.usf.edu.  Registration is also available on the Academic Computing website at http://it.usf.edu/.

The faculty communicates with students via email and class listserves, thus requiring email accounts for all students.  Students accepted to the University are automatically assigned email accounts by Academic Computing.  All student email accounts are designed to work with Blackboard.  Students uncertain of their assigned email address should contact Academic Computing at (813) 974-1222,prior to the beginning of the semester.

Scheduling Courses

Students should begin the Program with PAD 6060, Public Administration Theory and Practice. The order of additional core courses will be determined by the student's particular skills and interests.

Students planning to take more than one course in budgeting and financial management should take PAD 6227, Public Budgeting, early in the Program.

Students planning to take more than one course in public organizational management should take PAD 6060, Public Administration Theory and Practice, and PAD 6417, Human Resources Management, early in the Program.
It is also recommended that students take PAD 5700, Research Methods in Public Administration, followed the subsequent semester by PAD 6703, Quantitative Aids for Public Managers, early in the Program. The content of these courses provides a foundation for understanding the applied techniques taught in PAD 6275, Political Economy for Public Managers, and PAD 6307, Policy Analysis, Implementation, and Program Evaluation.

Students should combine required (core) classes, with elective classes of interest to them. Required classes are offered at least once each year, and many are offered twice each year. Electives, on the other hand, may be offered only once in a 1-2 year cycle. If an elective is missed, there may not be another opportunity to take it before graduation. Thus, it is imperative students consult the MPA Director for guidance in relation to course selection.

Required MPA Courses

PAD 5700 Research Methods in Public Administration provides students with the knowledge of how research is designed, implemented, analyzed, and utilized in public sector agencies, and the fundamental skills necessary to replicate the process. This course must be taken prior to PAD 6703, Quantitative Aids for Public Managers. Course is available only to admitted MPA, and Graduate Certificate (GCPM and GCNM), students. Students must be prepared to demonstrate proficiency in EXCEL, Access, and other relevant software programs.

PAD 6041 Ethics and Public Service provides students with an understanding of the ethical dimensions of public service with particular attention on the role, duties and responsibilities of the public administrator.

PAD 6060 Public Administration Theory and Practice provides an examination of the major theoretical and practical developments in public administration with an emphasis on organizational theory and current research trends in the field.

PAD 6227 Public Budgeting covers the development, authorization, execution and assessment of government budgets. Topics include current trends and issues in budget theory and practice, as well as in reform efforts.

PAD 6275 Political Economy for Public Managers is a course in applied public economics. The course introduces students to essential concepts in economic theory applied to current public issues. Students will be introduced to basic techniques of economic analysis such as economic base analysis, labor market analysis, cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, cost-revenue analysis and tax incidence analysis. Please note: PAD 5700, Research Methods in Public Administration, and PAD 6703, Quantitative Aids for Public Managers, will assist students in understanding the techniques taught in this class.

PAD 6307 Policy Analysis, Implementation and Program Evaluation provides an introduction to analyzing public problems and program development. Emphasis is placed on the methodological tools for analyzing public problems, and criteria to assess the value of programs in addressing public problems. Please note: PAD 5700, Research Methods in Public Administration, and PAD 6703, Quantitative Aids for Public Managers, will assist students in understanding the techniques taught in this class.

PAD 6417 Human Resources Management covers personnel/human resources management functions as applied to public and nonprofit organizations. The theory and practice of recruitment, selection, testing, compensation, training and the legal environment are discussed.

PAD 6703 Quantitative Aids for Public Managers provides students with techniques and models used to analyze managerial and policy problems. Provides general descriptive, inferential, and associational statistics, with which to evaluate and make recommendations relating to alternative policy and decisions options. (PR: PAD 5700; proficiency in EXCEL, Access, and other relevant software programs).

PAD 6710 Public Information Management introduces students to information management systems in public and nonprofit organizations. It covers the concepts behind information management, focusing on the major policy areas that the non-technical manager should know when thinking about the use of information technologies by the manager's organization. Topics such as planning for technology use, data management, application development issues, end user computing, security, technology procurement, privacy, public access, and Internet technologies are addressed in light of the knowledge needed by the non-technical manager.

PAD 6056 The Practice of Public Managementis the Program's capstone course. It is required for students who do not select the Problem Report as their exit option. This is an integrative course that applies the skills, knowledge and values taught in the core curriculum, to public issues or problems. To be eligible for this course, it must be either the student’s 14th or 15th course within the program to include at least eight of the nine required (core) classes. Please note, Public Admin. Theory and Practice cannot be taken simultaneously with the Practice of Public Management. To register for this course, students must first request a graduation check from the MPA Director or Program Assistant. Once the graduation check has been completed, permission will be given by the Public Administration Program for the student to register.

ELECTIVES

General Public Management

	PAD 5035	Issues in Public Administration and Public Policy
	PAD 5333	Concepts and Issues in Public Planning
	PAD 5605	Administrative Law and Regulation
	PAD 5807	Administration of Urban Affairs (Urban and Local Government Administration)
	PAD 5836	Comparative Public Administration
	PAD 5044	Environment of Public Administration
	PAD 6101	Public Organizations
	PAD 6105	Public Organizational Change
	PAD 6207	Public Financial Administration
	PAD 6222	Issues in Florida Budgeting and Finance
	PAD 6427	Public Sector Labor Relations
	PAD 6134	Project Management
	URP 6056	City and Regional Planning
	PAD 6231	Resource Development Fundraising and Grantsmanship
	PAD 6335	Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations
	PAD 6934	(Any Special Topics Course)

Students may choose to select a subset of courses which focus on a particular area. Below are some suggestions.

Public Organizational Management

	PAD 5044	Environment of Public Administration
	PAD 6101	Public Organizations
	PAD 6105	Public Organizational Change
	PAD 6427	Public Sector Labor Relations

Students may choose relevant electives from other disciplines such as Management, Psychology, and Communication with the consent of the MPA Director.

Budgeting and Financial Management

	PAD 6207	Public Financial Administration
	PAD 6222	Issues in Florida Budgeting and Finance
	PAD 5807	Urban and Local Government Administration

It is recommended that PAD 6227, Public Budgeting, be taken before PAD 6207 and PAD 6222.
Students may choose relevant electives from other disciplines such as Finance, Accounting and Economics, with the consent of the MPA Director.

Nonprofit Administration

	PAD 6146	Nonprofit Management and Leadership
	PAD 6335	Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Sectors
	PAD 6231	Resource Development, Fund Raising and Grantsmanship
	PAD 6208	Financial Oversight of Nonprofit Organizations

Students may choose relevant electives from other disciplines such as Social Work, Sociology, Criminology, Public Health, Anthropology, Africana Studies, Women's Studies, Marketing, Mass Communications, Environmental Science, and Political Science, with the consent of the MPA Director.

Non-Degree-Seeking Coursework

It is the responsibility of students who have taken classes Non-Degree-Seeking prior to acceptance to the MPA Program, to request the transfer of those classes into the Program once admitted. Failure to do so will result in an inaccurate academic record and GPA. Requests should be made of Sally Beynon Program Assistant, (813)974-0813, Public Administration Program. Requests for transfer coursework should be made upon acceptance to the MPA Program.