2021-2022 Course List

A broadly based introduction to the issues, processes, and techniques of public sector labor relations.

The development of public personnel management in federal, state, and local governments; strategic planning and policy making, position management, staffing, performance management, workplace relations.

This course explores topics in political institutions and process beyond what is covered in the existing curriculum. Students study specialized topics of current importance in the field. Specific topics will change depending on the term and instructor. May be retaken with a change of topic.

This course examines public opinion in American politics. Topics include the definition, nature, and consequences of public opinion; political socialization; public opinion on selected issues; intergroup differences in public opinion, and public polling methods.

United States Congress and state legislatures, with some cross-national comparisons. Legislative structure, powers; districting, elections, representation, constituency relations; committee system, parties, law-making process, rules and procedure, decision-making, relations with executives and courts. Reforms.

Examination of executive politics in United States at a federal and state level, with some cross-national comparisons. United States Presidency and executive branch, governors and state executive branches, mayors, and other local executives.

An examination of the structure, jurisdiction, and processes of federal and state courts. Emphasis is placed on selection of judges and justices and on the dynamics of judicial decision-making.

This course examines politics in the American South. It examines the historical and cultural roots of Southern distinctiveness: traditionalistic political culture, racial conflicts, hostility toward organized labor, religious fundamentalism, tolerance of state violence, and social and moral conservatism. Major attention is paid to the realignment of white Southerners toward the Republican Party.

Theories and practices of complex public organizations.

This course explores topics important to the study of American politics. Specific topics may change depending on the term and instructor. May be retaken with a change of topic.

This course provides advanced data analysis skills to students working on their final research projects (thesis/APP/capstone). This course includes instruction in methods beyond those offered in core courses, as well as analysis related to students' individual research needs.

This course explores topics important to the field of comparative politics. Specific topics may change depending on the term and instructor. May be retaken with a change of topic.

This course is designed as a theoretical and empiral overview and analysis of the politics, policy processes, and institutions of the developed and emerging welfare states around the world (incl. soc. security, health care, unemployment, family assistance and anti-poverty programs).

A capstone course designed to test the student's ability to synthesize and apply information and concepts from the various areas in public administration such as budgeting, personnel administration, finance, organization theory, and policy evaluation.-Ideally, this course should be taken at the end of a student's program in public administration.

This course explores topics important to the field of political theory. Specific topics may change depending on the term and instructor. May be retaken with a change of topic.

This course explores topics important to the study of public administration. Specific topics may change depending on the term and instructor. May be retaken with a change of topic.

Change is the constant in today's human resource management in public organizations. The technical framework for productivity improvement and employee development is placed in the context of the legal environment. Emphasis is on managing diversity.

An in depth study of public budgeting and fiscal management, with emphasis on the approaches to budgeting and background on public revenues and revenue management.

This course will focus on communication and leadership during crisis situations in a public safety agency. The crisis situations will include internal, as well as external, crises, and will address internal and external communications and leadership. This course will also focus on interagency cooperation, planning, communication, and leadership.

This course will focus on establishing an ethical work environment for employees as well as creating an ethical decision making environment in public safety. Along with ethics, this course will focus on addressing constitutional and legal issues that impact the leadership and management of an organization, as well as diversity issues.

This course explores topics important to the study of state and urban government and governance. Specific topics may change depending on the term and instructor. May be retaken with a change of topic.

Field placement with a governmental agency or related organization. Provides a learning experience in which the student can integrate and apply knowledge and theory derived from curriculum.

Advanced study and research on topics not currently available in existing courses. May be repeated with a change of topic. Requires advisor and instructor approval of topic.

For those choosing to do the capstone research project in a classroom setting.

For those choosing to write an alternate plan paper.