MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (M.P.A.)
On-campus MPA and On-line MPA Programs
Director: Dr. Daniel G. Barbee*/***
Faculty: Dr. William G. Albrecht*, Dr. James Frederick****, Dr. Fran Fuller**, Dr. Nicholas Giannatasio*/****, Dr. Michael Hawthorne*, Dr. Elizabeth Normandy*****, Dr. Mario A. Paparozzi**, Dr. Robert Schneider*
*Core Faculty
**CJ Concentration
***Emergency Management
Concentration
****Health Care Concentration
*****Supporting Faculty
The Master of Public
Administration Program (MPA Program) is a broad-based degree designed to
prepare students for leadership roles in public organizations. The MPA Program emphasizes the critical areas
of political institutions and processes, managerial and leadership concepts and
skills, and analytical skills and techniques.
It is anchored in both theory and application for those seeking to
leverage their career progress and enhance their leadership potential.
The MPA Program is intended
for practicing and aspiring administrators in public sector organizations, and
is also an excellent degree for those in non-profit and voluntary sectors, and
in private organizations that interact consistently with public agencies or
which maintain government or public affairs offices. The degree also is useful for those whose
career paths may move across sectors over a period of time. The degree—while based solidly in research
and theory—emphasizes the practical application of modern technical,
managerial, and leadership skills in a variety of settings.
For those currently in
administrative and managerial positions, the MPA Program will help refine,
update, and improve career potential and help add value to performance. For preservice
individuals, the program is an excellent way to build the educational
foundation for a career in management and leadership.
This graduate program is
devoted to public management, and also committed to serving the needs of those
whose careers are invested in the work of non-profit organizations and private
sector organizations that have public interest linkages. Given its emphasis on management, the
program is multi-disciplinary and
involves a significant mix of disciplines, all of which contribute to the value
of the program for individual students. This multi-disciplinary quality, along
with its public management base, is a significant and unique strength of the
MPA Program and degree.
The MPA Program offers three
choices beyond the initial required courses: The student may choose a series of
six guided elective courses in consultation with the Program Director. Students may also choose a concentration in
Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, or Health Administration. These options are designed to enable the
student to select courses that will enable meeting individual career and
professional goals and needs.
The MPA program faculty is a
distinguished, experienced group representing various disciplines. The core discipline of the program is political
science and public administration.
Contributing disciplines include business administration, criminal
justice, computer science, economics, and health administration. Other disciplines contribute to the MPA
Program on an occasional basis. All members
of the MPA Program faculty hold the earned doctoral degree and bring to their
courses and other work in the program a sound record of experience in
government, business, research, and consulting.
Students in the MPA Program benefit greatly from work in graduate
courses taught from a variety of disciplinary perspectives offered by the
faculty, and from the emphasis by the faculty on a blend of theory and
practical management and leadership skills.
PROGRAM-SPECIFIC
ADMISSIONS STANDARDS
All applicants for the M.P.A. degree
in Public Administration are required to submit an essay detailing their
professional experiences and their objectives in pursuing graduate studies and
to complete an interview with the program director. See also Graduate
Programs, Procedures, and Policies.
THE MPA PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Requirements for a Master of Public Administration
The major components of the MPA Program are: (1) the Required Core Courses; (2) the Guided Elective Courses, or required concentration courses and electives; (3) the Capstone/Professional Paper; and, for preservice, non-professional students, (4) the MPA Field Experience (Internship).
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Sem.hrs. |
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I. Required Core Courses: The 18-semester-hour core is required of all students. Additional assigned prerequisite courses may be required for some students, based on an assessment of qualifications in some areas. 1. PAD 5000 Leadership and Administration in Public Affairs 2. PAD 5010 Organizational Behavior 3. PAD 5050 Analytical Methods 4. PAD 5060 Human Resource Administration 5. PAD 5500 Public Institutions and Processes 6. PAD 5520 Principles of Budgeting and Finance |
18 |
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II. Public Administration Concentrations
(12 hours) Each concentration consists of four required courses, two
guided elective courses, and the MPA Capstone/Professional Paper in the area
of the concentration. (See below for information on Guided Electives and the
MPA Capstone/Professional Paper.) |
0-12 |
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Concentration in Criminal Justice (12 Semester Hours) This concentration, designed primarily for practitioners in criminal justice career fields, focuses on courses designed to provide value in the careers of those working in criminal justice. Required Courses: CRJ 5810 Victimology and Criminal Justice CRJ 5820 Criminal Justice Agencies and the Judiciary CRJ 5830 Image Management and Media Relations for Criminal Justice and Public Service Agencies CRJ 5840 Threat Management for
Criminal Justice and Public Service Agencies |
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|
Concentration in Emergency Management (12 Semester Hours) Emergency Management is a complex, multidisciplinary
array of critical planning and implementation activities that is directly
related to the functions of government and public administration. The purpose of this graduate concentration
is to provide professional education for in-service and pre-service graduate
students in public administration.
This concentration is designed to enhance the capabilities of those
currently involved in emergency management and those who aspire to such
careers. Of greater importance, this
concentration is designed for ALL public administration professionals whose
work is increasingly associated with the many dimensions of emergency
management. Required Courses (9 hours): EMG 5150 Introduction to Emergency Management EMG 5160 Hazard Mitigation Principles and Planning EMG 5750 Capstone in Emergency Management Required Elective Course—Choose one of the following (3 hours): EMG 5170 Private and Public Sector Continuity Planning EMG 5180 Social Dimensions of Disaster and Special Populations EMG 5190 Technological
Applications in Emergency Management |
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Concentration in Health Administration (12 Semester Hours) This concentration is designed for both experienced health care practitioners and those who aspire to careers in health administration. Required Courses: HAD 5710 Health Administration and Organization HAD 5720 Health Policy HAD 5730 Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Care HAD 5740 Health Economics |
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III. Guided Elective Courses (18 hours,
or 6 hours with concentration) Based on advisement, students not electing
to complete a concentration must complete a series of six guided elective
courses. These courses must be
determined on the basis of advisement with the Program Director or
designee. These courses may be taken
from the PAD courses listed in the UNCP Catalog. Additionally, specified graduate courses in
other graduate programs at the |
6-18 |
|
IV.
Capstone/MPA Professional Paper (3 hours)** PAD/CRJ/EMG/HAD 5620 Professional Paper |
3 |
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V.
MPA Field Experience (Internship) (3 hours) PAD 5340 Leadership/Managerial Internship *This requirement must be coordinated and arranged
with the Program Director and is required of all preservice
students (or for students who have not
had requisite professional work experience). |
3* |
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Total: 39-42 |
**Capstone/MPA Professional Paper
Each student must successfully complete a professional paper guided by MPA professors. Students taking the Criminal Justice, Emergency Management, or Health Administration Concentration will design and complete their papers in the appropriate topic/concentration area.
Overview: The Professional Paper is the capstone of the
MPA curriculum. As such, it is viewed as
a significant and rigorous work commensurate with the completion of a graduate
degree. In its strictest sense, the
Professional Paper can be interpreted as a research thesis; and, in this case,
the student can follow the guidelines of the
· A literature review of a significant topic that generates a hypothesis. The student might then construct a research design to test the hypothesis, with conclusions that could evolve and be applied.
· A feasibility study for an actual workplace project or one that the student feels would benefit an agency or not-for-profit institution.
· A series of articles that could be presented in some web-based format in the discipline or in the workplace.
· A report on the impact of a public policy or an agency function or program.
· The creation of a unified budget for a town, county, or agency.
· An agency history relating the literature and theory in the discipline to agency management and operations.
· A grant proposal.
It is important to note that the above list is not exhaustive of all the options available for the Professional Paper. Nevertheless, it is a good starting point for discussions with your faculty advisor on your proposed paper. All Professional Paper proposals are to be presented in the traditional format for approval by the MPA faculty member who is advising you and the Director of the MPA Program. All students will make an oral presentation of the Professional Paper to faculty and graduate students and one disk and one paper copy of the Professional Paper to the MPA Director. The Capstone Professional Paper is complete when the faculty advisor has approved the paper and any revisions. Following the Director’s approval, a grade is submitted.
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PROGRAM SUMMARY: |
Semester Hours |
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Required
Core: |
18 |
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Concentration/Guided
electives: |
18 |
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Field
experience: |
3 (Pre-Service only) |
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Professional
Paper: |
3 |
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MINIMUM PROGRAM HOURS: |
39 In-Service; 42 Pre-Service |
COURSES
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (PAD)
PAD 5000. Leadership and Administration in Public Affairs
This course deals with roles of public and non-profit managers and leaders in guiding organizations to meet the demands of changing domestic and global conditions. The course covers the evolution of modern leadership and administrative strategies and employs relevant research literature, case/scenario analysis, and diagnostic activities.
PAD 5010. Organizational Behavior
The course will examine explanations of individual behavior (perceptions, attributions, motivations, attitudes); the nature of human behavior in groups (group dynamics, power, leadership); and organizational structures and processes that affect human behavior (organizational and job design, communication, performance appraisal). Principles of organizational change and development will also be addressed. The course will employ case analyses and directed readings in relevant research literature as well as text materials.
PAD 5020. Legal, Policy, and Ethical Issues in Administration
This course analyzes current legal, policy and ethical issues which apply to administrators in both public and private organizations. Emphasis will be given to regulatory policy, statutory and case law in administration, the politics of regulation, along with administrative and legal processes pertaining to implementation and enforcement. An important emphasis will also be given to the ethical implications of the political, policy, and legal issues raised. Topics will include governmental practices, and administrative responsibility.
PAD 5030. Economic Analysis for Managers
An overview of methods of economic analysis applied
to the modern
PAD 5040. Financial Resource Administration
Financial processes and structures in organizations. Focuses on financial environment, financial concepts, financial analysis, financial dynamics of expansion and retrenchment, capital structure, capital budgeting, and dividend policy.
PAD 5050. Analytical Methods
Examination of methodologies used to analyze management problems and improve managerial decision making. Includes research design, modeling, measurement and observational techniques, using library and computing resources, analysis of quantitative data, and the evaluation and application of administrative and management research.
PAD 5060. Human Resource Administration
Study of how an organization secures, develops, maintains, and rewards employees to meet organization objectives. Topics include recruitment, selection, training performance appraisal, compensation, benefits, and labor‑management relations. Examines effective integration of human resource functions.
PAD 5070. Computer Technology in Administration
Study of computer technology in contemporary organizations. Primary emphasis is on developing a conceptual framework for selecting appropriate hardware and software configurations to perform different organizational functions. The limitations and complications associated with computer technology are also covered. Students will complete several individual projects involving direct experience with various categories of application software, including work processing, database management, statistical analysis, spreadsheet analysis, and decision making.
PAD 5080. Quantitative Analysis I
Intensive examination of statistical and graphical methods of analyzing quantitative information. Covers frequency distribution, probability, sampling, T‑tests, correlation, various graphic forms, methods of avoiding distortions in graphics, and an overview of regression analysis, factor analysis, and analysis of variance. Extensive experience working with administrative data, emphasizing the use of computer technology and software.
PAD 5100. Organizational Leadership Seminar
The concepts, principles, theories, and practices of organizational leadership will be examined. A combined emphasis is placed on the effectiveness of an organization and on the professional development of organizational leaders. The lectures and class discussions will be enhanced by various readings including biographies, live case studies, and research reports.
PAD 5110. Strategic Planning
This course is a study of strategic management as a function of leadership. The three primary components of strategic management, which are strategic planning, strategy formulation, and strategy implementation, are analyzed. A case‑study approach is used to examine applications in for‑profit, non‑profit, and public organizations.
PAD 5120. Decision‑Making for Leaders
This course considers the theory and practice of decision‑making in administrative and managerial settings. The emphasis is on the development of diagnostic, analytic, and choice skills that can be employed to improve decision‑making at the individual, group, organizational and interorganizational levels. Leading models and approaches to decision‑making behavior and its application and consequences in administration are covered. Scenario and case analyses from research literature will be used with lectures and class activities.
PAD 5300. Organizational Communication
Theory and practice of oral and written communication within organizations, from employee‑employer interpersonal communication, interview communication, serial (information dissemination) communication, small group communication, and formal and informal presentations within the organization. All students are expected to fully participate in all written and oral activities and presentations.
PAD 5310. Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting for Managers
The development and use of accounting information by managers. Includes financial and managerial concepts relevant to public and private sectors.
PAD 53200. Quantitative Analysis II
Study of modeling and other analytical methods to address problems and needs of administrative organizations. Describes the uses and limitations of quantitative models as well as criteria for planning and decision‑making, simulation, systems analysis, forecasting, analytical programming, and scheduling.
PAD 533. Leadership and Change
This course addresses the phenomenon of change, how it affects organizations, and the role of leaders in shaping the future of the organization by guiding change. The course covers types of change, the tools available to leaders for guiding both planned and unplanned change, and the effects, and consequences of change.
PAD 5340. Leadership/Managerial Internship
This course will involve the student in a seminar and planned field experience of professional development in an appropriate organizational setting. It will be supervised by a designated member of the faculty and an official representing the cooperating host organization. The scheduled seminar sessions will address a variety of issues designed to enable the student intern to gain knowledge and useful experience from the internship. The intern will apply the knowledge and skilled gained from course work to analyze administrative settings, issues, and problems, and generally to function effectively in an organizational setting. Appropriate readings and a structured written analytical report are required in addition to scheduled seminar sessions. PREREQ: Consent of Program Director.
PAD 5350. Small Business Management
Consideration of opportunities and obstacles involved in starting and operating a small business. Emphasis is placed on integrating major concepts from finance accounting, marketing, and operations as they apply to owning and operating a small business. PREREQ: PAD 5000, PAD 5040.
PAD 5360. Administrative Law
Administrative Law and its concomitant appeals process, judicial review or agencies and other facets of The Administrative Procedure Act of 1946, and our legislative review and constraint of agencies are the primary focus of this course. Additionally, the rules and regulations process of federal and state agencies and its effect of the public, private, and non-profit sectors are the secondary focus of this course.
PAD 5370. Policy and Program Analysis
Intensive study of techniques for use in program and policy evaluation and analysis. Topics include determination of program/policy objectives, examination of research designs and implications for assessments and evaluations, measurement issues, data collection techniques, and analysis of program information. Application of analysis efforts to benefit/cost analysis, modeling and forecasting, and other techniques will also be discussed. PREREQ: PAD 5050, PAD 5500.
PAD 5380. Conflict Analysis and Resolution
This course addresses the theory, concepts, research, and practice in conflict analysis and resolution. It deals with the kinds of conflict issues that are associated with the management and leadership roles and functions in public, non-profit, and business organizations, and hence focuses more on conflicts among organizations and, social groups, than within the organization. Some emphasis is on social and community settings and the conflicts in these settings involving organizations. Collaborative problem solving, scenario-based planning, negotiation, and mediation are explored and practiced using cases, role-playing, scenarios, simulations, and critical events. Lectures are used to introduce and explain key concepts and approaches as well as research findings.
PAD 5400. Operations Management
Managing the operation function is extremely
important due to strong competition nationally and internationally. Operations
management is responsible for systems that create goods and/or provide
services. The course examines the techniques required to operate the system and
points out potential problems. Global systems, with emphasis on
PAD 5500. Public Institutions and Processes
Seminar in American policy and institutional processes, including development of demands, agendas, and policy selection and implementation. Interactions between public institutions and policies and behaviors by private and non-profit institutions will also be examined. Student assignments will require analysis of policy problems and institutional responses.
PAD 5510. Advanced Public Administration
Focus on managerial, political, and legal theories and processes of public administration; examination of how these are used to fulfill legislative, executive, and judicial mandates for the provision of regulatory and service functions for American society in part and as a whole.
PAD 5520. Principles of Budgeting and Finance
Focus on the fiscal aspects of public sector administration including: analysis of the sources of revenue for public programs; review of budgeting processes and important budget functions (e.g., cost‑benefit analysis, capital budgeting and debt administration); examination of the strategies and tactics used by various governmental actors in their efforts to maximize agency policy objectives.
PAD 5590. Seminar in Public Management
This course is designed to provide focused work on a selected public management policy or program. Students, as directed by the professor, will study and report on the analytic, substantive, policy, and managerial dimensions of a policy issue or problem in public management. This seminar is intended to facilitate the application of concepts from the other courses in the Public Management option area. PREREQ: MPA Core Courses and PAD 5500 and 5510.
PAD 5600. Independent Study
Independent study in an area of administration and management relevant to the student’s needs and interests. Supervised by an MPA Program faculty member. Regular advisory and tutorial activities. Consent of the Program Director is required.
PAD 5620. Professional Paper (CRJ 5620, EMG 5620, HAD 5620)
A directed, supervised activity in which the student develops and analyzes a suitable topic, issue, or problem in leadership or management. The research subject must be one which can be addressed through the application of the knowledge and the research skill gained from course work (see Overview).
PADS 5xxx. Special Topics
The study of a particular topic of special importance, relevance, and currency to students of administration and management. The Special Topics course frequently is taught in seminar style, emphasizes content linkages with other courses in the MPA Program, and requires significant student activity. The content of the special topics course varies with each offering. Consent of Program Director required.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE (CRJ)
CRJ 5620. Professional Paper (PAD 5620, EMG 5620, HAD 5620)
A directed, supervised activity in which the student develops and analyzes a suitable topic, issue, or problem in leadership or management. The research subject must be one which can be addressed through the application of the knowledge and the research skill gained from course work (see Overview).
CRJ 5810. Victimology and Criminal Justice
Victimology is the study of personal and public issues associated with victims of crimes. This course will address the extent, nature and theories of victimization. Effects of crime on victims, services available to neutralize effects, experiences of victims in the criminal justice system, the victims rights movement, and alternative ways of defining and responding to victimization also will be examined.
CRJ 5820. Criminal Justice Agencies and the Judiciary
Taught in a seminar format and focusing on agencies with which the students are most familiar, the course will examine the manner in which public agencies do business with or within the courts. It will explore their working relationships with the judicial system, answering questions arising when the agency itself may be investigated and taken to court; dealing consent decrees, judicial take-overs and supervision of operations of agencies, agency and personal liability, public records and confidentiality, prepaying for and testifying at depositions and in court, and other current issues likely to be encountered in a criminal justice agency.
CRJ 5830. Image Management and Media Relations for Criminal Justice and Public Service Agencies
The mass media can be both an asset and a threat to the standing of criminal justice and other public service agencies. In this course the organization of the American mass information media, their history of involvement in criminal justice and public policy issues and themes, their influence on crime and social issues, and their legitimate interests in criminal justice and public policy activities and policies will be revealed. The techniques criminal justice and public service agencies can employ to keep or enhance a better public image via the mass media will be examined, as will the ways in which media outlets and criminal justice and public service agencies can cooperate in the public interest.
CRJ 5840. Threat Management for Criminal Justice and Public Service Agencies
Practical reactive and proactive strategies for wide-ranging crisis situations are assessed, including criminal attacks on criminal justice and public service organizations and their members, criminal malfeasance within the organization, and community disruptions including natural disasters. Organizational interfaces with specialists are studied, including FEMA, local police and emergency response agencies, private security companies, non-governmental agencies, and the mass information media. On-going staff training components and policy statements are considered.
CRJ 5850. Results-Driven Management in Criminal Justice
This course
is designed to call attention to six common benefits associated with
reinventing government organizations in order to enhance effectiveness and
efficiency: (1) moving beyond bureaucratic system maintenance constraints; (2)
better alignment of results-oriented goals with daily operations; (3)
collaboration across organizational boundaries; (4) opportunities to use
performance information to improve policies, practices, and programs; (5)
results-oriented basis for individual accountability and staff performance
evaluations; and (6) continuity of program goals during leadership transitions
that are politically driven and a fact of life in government operations. This course will focus primarily on the analysis and
application of results-driven management practices in local, state, and federal
criminal justice organizations; however, the substantive course content is generalizable to the full spectrum of government
organizations charged with delivering publicly valued services.
CRJ 5860. Use of Force Policy in Criminal Justice
This course will address a continuing concern in criminal justice. Subject control events such as Waco, Rodney King, and Ruby Ridge have been the subject of controversy. The riot at Attica Prison resulted in civil suits that took thirty years to settle. Use of force is the underlying concern with racial profiling and police misconduct. Criminal Justice professionals need to know how to design proactive policies that are agency-specific.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT (EMG)
EMG 5150. Introduction to Emergency Management
This course will introduce students to the fundamental elements of emergency management: its evolution, the history and growth of emergency management, and the contemporary practice of strategic emergency management. The multidisciplinary origins of emergency management will be explored along with its evolving status as a profession. The significance of emergency management to modern government will be addressed. The course will present the development of integrative concepts and phases in emergency management: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. The concept of comprehensive emergency management will be examined along with its multi-sector institutional base. Cases scenarios, and similar techniques will be employed throughout the course.
EMG 5160. Hazard Mitigation Principles and Planning
This course will address an assortment of issues related to sustainable hazard mitigation. The traditional planning strategies associated with structural mitigation and nonstructural mitigation will be explored along with the administrative and political factors that shape them. Of special emphasis will be the linkages between hazard mitigation and the value of sustainable hazard mitigation. Major federal hazard mitigation policy, grants, and programs will be featured. Local hazard mitigation planning along with mitigation tools and techniques will be explored.
EMG 5170. Private and Public Sector Continuity Planning
Private sector planning can provide methods for better preparedness, recovery and strategies for mitigating the effects of disasters. This course will address the wide array of issues associated with business continuity planning and mitigation in the private sector. Continuity of government, and associated planning activities, will be addressed. Critical infrastructure issues will include the protection of crucial information, utility lifelines, key public health and associated issues, tax, financial, and planning information. Strategies for response, recovery, and mitigation will be highlighted. Specific effective practices in continuity planning and implementation will be examined.
EMG 5180. Social Dimensions of Disaster and Special Populations
This course will present an overview of the social dimensions of disaster with a focus on the research relating to behavior of the public in disaster scenarios. A special emphasis will be placed on planning for the needs of special populations (groups or individuals in need of special assistance because of disability or other restrictive conditions) in emergencies and disasters. Students will learn the legislative requirements and the unique needs associated with disaster planning for special populations.
EMG 5190. Technological Applications in Emergency Management
This course will explore the emerging role of technology in effective emergency management. Specific applications and usages of modern technology, with an emphasis on information technology, will be addressed. Various software packages applicable to emergency management for modeling the effects of a disaster will be addressed. Among the topics covered: modeling the effects of disaster, risk analysis, the practical applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and the uses of information technology in the four phases (preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation) of emergency management.
EMG 5620. Professional Paper (CRJ 5620, HAD 5620, PAD 5620)
A directed, supervised activity in which the student develops and analyzes a suitable topic, issue, or problem in leadership or management. The research subject must be one which can be addressed through the application of the knowledge and the research skill gained from course work (see Overview).
EMG 5750. Capstone in Emergency Management
This seminar develops a synthesis of principles, theory, and practices in emergency management. Conducted in part as a practicum, the course will help students learn to apply (in principle) the theories addressed in other concentration courses. Specifically, the course will enable students to progress from theory to application by employing a variety of means: cases, scenario analysis and construction, and complex simulations. Group and individual projects will be developed, assessed, and analyzed to assist students as they seek to build a bridge between theory and effective practice.
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (HAD)
HAD 5620. Professional Paper (PAD 5620, CRJ 5620, EMG 5620)
A directed, supervised activity in which the student develops and analyzes a suitable topic, issue, or problem in leadership or management. The research subject must be one which can be addressed through the application of the knowledge and the research skill gained from course work (see Overview).
HAD 5710. Health Administration and Organization
A focus on how health care is delivered and the challenges facing health care administrators from the internal and external environment.
HAD 5720. Health Policy
The focus is on trends in health care delivery with emphasis on health care cost containment, access to health care, and recent efforts to invoke broad based systemic reforms to the U.S. Health Care System.
HAD 5730. Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Care
The focus is on the health delivery entity as a corporation, its relationship with physicians and other health deliverers and patients, and professional liability.
HAD 5740. Health Economics
The application of health care to economic theory, private and government insurance, cost containment theories and analysis.