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    <h3><span> What is an MPA? </span></h3>
         
      

        The MPA degree is an internationally-recognised and well-regarded postgraduate qualification specifically designed for the public service managers and leaders of tomorrow. The MPA programme helps students to develop the capacity to effectively implement the policies and programmes that matter to society whilst dealing with the political, organisational and financial issues that this challenge brings. At RGU, we believe that this is best done through a programme which is specifically designed with the public service practitioner in mind. Master of Business Administration (MBA) programmes primarily prepare their graduates for leadership in the private sector. We believe that the political realities and public interest considerations of contemporary public administration require a distinctive approach for a distinctive set of challenges. <br/><br/>
        
        
        <strong>The MPA Vision </strong><br/>
        'The Robert Gordon Univerity MPA is an innovative and dynamic programme which prepares students to meet the challenges of 21st Century Government.' <br/><br/>
        The overarching goal of the MPA programme is to provide students with a dynamic and integrated approach to the study of public policy and management. As such, the MPA programme is uniquely placed to help students prepare for the challenges and opportunities of a career in public administration and management. <br/><br/>
        
        
        
        <strong>Public Administration degree</strong><br/>
        As governmental and non-governmental institutions increasingly overlap and evolve, the demand for well-educated management professionals to excel in public service continues to grow. Walden's Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree program prepares public/nonprofit professionals to excel in this increasingly complex, politicized, intergovernmental environment.<br/><br/>
        
        As governmental and non-governmental institutions increasingly overlap and evolve, the demand for well-educated management professionals to excel in public service continues to grow. Walden's Master of Public Administration (MPA) program prepares public/nonprofit professionals to excel in this increasingly complex, politicized, intergovernmental environment. This specialization provides a critical context within which organizations and individuals act in a democratic society. It will prepare you to function knowledgeably within this context and to help shape public policy development and implementation. Walden's MPA offers you an opportunity to directly apply the academic theories and skills to activities in your own community, making the learning experience personally meaningful and contributing to the betterment of society. You'll benefit from the time, resources and guidance needed to develop well-grounded new public policies and management practices.<br/><br/>
        
        Public administrators and aspiring professionals who want to pursue managerial or leadership careers in local, State, or federal government, should consider a degree in public administration. Earning a degree in public administration will help you develop the skills and gain the insights needed to plan and help formulate policy, and to manage, organize, and implement operations in the public arena. The curriculum for most public administration programs is designed to help student develop competencies in personnel management, policy analysis, budgeting, organizational behavior, business management, and research methods. Students also explore the legal, social, economical, and political contexts of public administration.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Course description</strong><br/>
        The course is aimed at those whose ambition is geared towards leading public service management and innovation. Students will consider regional, national, and international trends in governance, public policy and management and the role of public service and their partner organisations, in social and economic regeneration. The course will be taught jointly by staff from the School of Social Sciences and Manchester Business School. The cross-disciplinary research and teaching strengths inform the course design and provide an intellectually rigorous, relevant, and applied learning experience.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Module details</strong><br/>
        Typical compulsory course units include: Governance in the 21 st Century; Personal and Professional Practice; Reforming Public Management: International Trends and Issues; Politics, Power and Policy Making; Managing Strategic Resources in an International context: People and Information; and Financial analysis. With Optional courses in: Partnership, Intersectoral Working and Networks; New Infrastructure Development; Users, Consumers and Citizens: Public Involvement in Public Services; Performance Management and Improvement; Governance and Ethics, Capacity Building; and Democracy: Theory and Practice. <br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Why do an MPA?</strong><br/>
        There's an increasing awareness of the importance of the public sector in creating a cohesive society. There is also increasing pressure for public services to be run more like businesses, but at the same time to be accountable in a way that private sector organisations aren't obliged to be. <br/><br/>
        Therefore, the public sector is becoming an increasingly complex place to work. Our need to understand policy issues is as great as ever and the solutions are ever more complex to deliver on the ground. The demands of citizens have never been higher; governments are more intent on securing high quality, but at ever higher levels of efficiency in the use of resources. <br/><br/>
        The Manchester MPA is designed to help you deal with these challenges by building your skills, competence and confidence so that you can progress in any area of the public sector. <br/><br/>
        You'll consider trends in governance, public policy and management at the regional, national and international levels and the role of public service in leading organisational and community capacity-building to achieve socio-economic development goals. You'll be able to consider your own role in the workplace and respond effectively to changes that are going on around you<br/><br/>
        
        
        A leading edge Master of Public Administration qualification for managers throughout federal, national, regional and local government, the uniformed services, public and voluntary agencies, and social enterprises. It will be particularly relevant if you are involved in delivering policy, leading modernisation projects, and supporting innovation. At times, the programme will involve collaboration between managers working in all three sectors (public, private, non-profit). Reflecting the extent of international influences and policy transfer, it has a strong trans-national dimension. Nevertheless, the main focus is on enhancing your capacities in your field of work – and to that end it provides additional resources for most of the main fields of public service (such as Health, Criminal Justice, Education, Defence, etc.). It is also highly flexible: your options can be chosen from a wide list including courses relevant to such fields as international development, education, social policy or the environment. One of the compulsory courses, Current issues in public management and social enterprise (B857), is itself modular, offering further opportunities to ensure maximum relevance to the particular challenges you face.<br/><br/>
        The OU Business School is accredited internationally by the European Foundation for Management Development, through its EQUIS programme; and by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
        <br/><br/>
        
        <strong>What does the programme deliver?</strong><br/><br/>
        The MPA themes include an emphasis on:<br/><br/>
        <ul class="list1">
        <li>	leadership development – including enhanced interpersonal skills, confidence, resilience and clarity about public service values</li>
        <li>	performance tools and approaches – a solid grounding in the key ideas and techniques every senior manager needs to be familiar with</li>
        <li>	seeing the bigger picture and making local sense – understanding institutional renewal, policy discourse and processes, social and economic trends</li>
        <li>	networks and partnerships – being ‘professionally multilingual’, working collaboratively across boundaries.</li>
        </ul>
        <br/><br/>
        As with all OU Business School courses, you will be expected to draw on your past management experience and current work challenges, but additional emphasis will be given to collaborative learning through shared investigations.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Why do an MPA?</strong><br/>
        This exciting programme examines the rapidly changing public service environment in the 21st century and the challenge this poses for public managers. We analyse the most significant developments in public management including partnership working, new patterns of governance, reshaping of service provision and mechanisms for evaluating and scrutinising the delivery of services. At the same time, we place such developments within a local, regional, European and global context, and draw on both theory and practice to identify key trends and strategic opportunities for the future. <br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Who is the course for? </strong><br/>
        The course is relevant to managers, service providers and project workers in the public and voluntary sectors, and those working in partner organisations involved in the delivery of public services. This course will also be relevant to others who wish to develop their understanding of the process of public administration in contemporary society.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Duration</strong><br/>
        <ul  class="list1">
        <li> The programme can be studied full-time over one calendar year from September.</li>
        <li> It can also be studied part-time over two calendar years from September. All classes are scheduled in the evenings from 17.00 – 20.00.</li>
        <li> In 2007, the programme will also be available via online distance learning, which will run from January 2007 to September 2008 (21 months).</li>
        </ul><br/><br/>
        
        <strong>What will I study?</strong><br/>
        
        Students study three core modules and one option module. Each of the taught core and option units at Postgraduate Diploma level is worth 30 credits (total PG Dip 120 credits), and the Master’s Dissertation is worth a further 60 points (total MPA 180 credits). There will normally be coursework-based assessments during and at the end of the taught core and option modules.     <br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Core Units</strong><br/><br/>
        <strong>Policy Analysis in a Changing Environment</strong><br/>
        
        This module explores the complex relationship between public policy-making and contemporary public administration and management in the light of new patterns of governance, Europeanisation and globalisation and the academic debates such developments have generated.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Comparative Public Administration</strong><br/>
        This module aims to consider the context, theories and problems of comparing public administration. It will examine key developments and debates in public administration in a comparative context, paying particular attention to administrative reform in industrialized and developing countries. It is organized around themes such as new public management (NPM), the modernization of local governance, decentralization and regionalization, recruitment and human resource management, e-government and ethics and corruption in public administration.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Managing Strategically in the Public Services</strong><br/>
        
        This module will examine the theory and practice of Strategic Management giving students a wealth of readily applied knowledge. It will provide access to critical theoretical debate and techniques of evaluation, analysing them through the examination of real world examples in relation to Strategic Management in the public services. The focus will be on applying strategic management concepts to practical situations allowing appreciation of the different dimensions of Strategic Management in the public sector.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Dissertation (MPA only)</strong><br/>
        Preparation of a 15-20,000 word dissertation in an area of individual interest. Group workshops provide support for students in the preparation of their dissertation proposal. Each student is also allocated a supervisor for guidance and support throughout the whole dissertation process.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Option Units</strong><br/><br/>
        <strong>Choice from a list that includes modules such as:</strong>
        <br/><br/>
        <strong>Global Policy</strong><br/>
        This module provides an introduction to the context, theories, problems and prospects of global policy. It addresses changes in policy making associated with globalization, the rise of multi-lateral institutions, and the efficacy of existing global policy making with reference to case studies.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Local Governance: Modernisation and Management</strong><br/>
        This module reviews and critically assesses the ‘modernisation’ agenda in local government. It provides a particular focus on specific areas of local government, enabling students to develop a detailed understanding of the relationship between theory and practice.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>European Governance</strong><br/>
        This module examines the dynamics of politics and policy-making in the European Union and the interaction of sub-national, national and European actors. It analyses problems of governance in relation to questions of democracy in the EU, issues surrounding economic and monetary union and enlargement.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Voluntary Sector: Organisation and Management</strong><br/>
        This module critically examines the social, political, regulatory and economic context in which voluntary organizations function. It also addresses some of the key challenges related to organisation and governance facing voluntary organizations including managing volunteers, campaigning and fundraising, marketing and communications, networking and access to funding, including the consideration of the role of philanthropy and charitable foundations.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Flexible Learning (MPA via E-learning)</strong><br/><br/>
        The MPA via e-learning is a flexible learning programme which is delivered via Northumbria University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE):
        <br/><br/>
        <ul class="list1">
        <li> Teaching resources (e.g., lecture notes) are provided online.</li>
        <li> Group activities (e.g., discussion groups) are set up online.</li>
        <li> There are shared group areas where students can upload and share files.</li>
        <li> Support for students is also provided, e.g., library, study skills, tutor support.</li>
        </ul><br/><br/>
        Flexible learning offers students an opportunity to engage in postgraduate study at their own pace which means that learning can be easily combined with work and family commitments. Access to a computer and to online resources (email, internet) is essential. For further information, please see: 
        <br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Overview</strong><br/>
        The Master of Public Administration is designed for students who want to pursue the challenging career of government management at the federal, state, or local level and nonprofit management. With an emphasis on the proactive public administrator, it is for those public administrators who aspire to top-level positions. <br/><br/>
        
        The degree provides a wide range of skills in financial management, budgeting, quantitative methods, urban planning and redevelopment, personnel policies, politics and grant writing.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Program Learning Outcomes</strong><br/>
        
        Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:<br/><br/>
        <ul class="list1">
        <li>	Demonstrate critical thinking skills relevant to public administration in a global world. </li>
        <li>	Analyze and evaluate the concept of new public management within a historical context. </li>
        <li>	Identify and analyze the impact of political influences on the public sector decision-making process. </li>
        <li>	Explain the division of power within American government as established by the U.S. Constitution. </li>
        <li>	Describe, analyze and evaluate the various approaches to managing government employees. </li>
        <li>	Describe the basic concepts and methodologies of statistics and research in public administration. </li>
        <li>	Evaluate the effectiveness of public administration strategies for dealing with the media and issue networks. </li>
        <li>	Explain and evaluate community relations in reference to government support, justice and law enforcement. </li>
        <li>	Analyze and evaluate the impact of public administration decisions on urban planning and redevelopment. </li>
        <li>	Explain and evaluate public administration trends and strategies for financing local government. </li>
        <li>	Identify resources and approaches for developing grant proposals for community programs and services. </li>
        <li>	Describe the role and function of public administration in today's multicultural environment.</li>
        </ul>
        <br/><br/>
        <strong>Requirements</strong>
        <br/>
        (12 courses, 54 quarter units)<br/>
        For students in the BS in Criminal Justice Administration/MPA transition program, the University will waive two public administration courses taken as part of the bachelor's degree (see BS in Criminal Justice Administration transition program), but these students must still meet the residency requirements for the MPA. <br/><br/>
        
        To receive a Master of Public Administration, students must complete at least 54 quarter units of graduate work. A total of 13.5 quarter units of graduate credit may be granted for equivalent graduate work completed at another institution, as it applies to this degree and provided the units were not used in earning another advanced degree. Students should refer to the section on graduate admission requirements for specific information regarding application and matriculation.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Core Requirements</strong><br/>
        (8 courses, 36 quarter units)<br/><br/>
        
        ODV 600 Theory and Practice of Organizational Development<br/>
        PAD 620 Foundations of Public Administration<br/>
        PAD 622 Seminar in Urban Affairs<br/>
        PAD 626 Public Personnel Policy <br/>
        PAD 627 Quantitative Methods in Public Administration<br/>
        PAD 632 Financial Management and Grant Administration<br/>
        PAD 631 Urban Planning and Redevelopment<br/>
        PAD 644 MPA Project<br/>
        <br/>
        
        <strong>Program Electives</strong><br/>
        (4 courses, 18 quarter units)<br/><br/>
        
        For electives, students should select a general set of 600-level courses offered in the School of Business and Management, or those offered in other schools with the approval of the dean of the School of Business and Management. <br/><br/>
        
        <strong>MPA Areas of Specialization</strong><br/><br/>
        <strong>Specialization in Alternative Dispute Resolution</strong><br/><br/>
        
        (740-000-898) Faculty Advisor:  Jack Hamlin   (858) 642-8405   jhamlin@nu.edu<br/><br/>
        This area of specialization is designed for students who wish to complete an MPA program while focusing their graduate studies in Alternative Dispute Resolution, which is one of the fastest growing fields in the U.S. and the world at large. 
        <br/><br/>
        
        The program provides students with a broad knowledge of Alternative Dispute Resolution subjects and will enable students to not only become effective mediators and negotiators but to also use these skills to resolve conflict in the workplace. Expertise in Alternative Dispute Resolution is in high demand in the business community, local, state and federal governments, and neighborhood communities. <br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Program Requirements</strong><br/>
        (4 courses, 18 quarter units)<br/><br/>
        
        ADR 600 Alternative Dispute Resolution<br/>
        ADR 605 Negotiation<br/>
        ADR 610 Facilitation<br/>
        ADR 615 Mediation<br/>
        <br/>
        <strong>Specialization in Human Resource Management</strong><br/>
        (852)
        
        Faculty Advisor:  Bernadette Baum   (858) 642-8404   bbaum@nu.edu <br/><br/>
        This area of specialization focuses on managing people, the human resource of the organization. Moving beyond common sense and good interpersonal skills, these courses provide students with the knowledge to recruit, select, train, evaluate and compensate employees. <br/><br/>
        
        Students learn how changes in the workplace, such as governmental regulations, global competition, developing technologies and organizational transformations, influence the performance and productivity of workers. Technical knowledge and practical skills for dealing with a multicultural workforce offer students new ideas on leadership and effective tools for managing human resource.
        <br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Program Requirements</strong><br/>
        (4 courses, 18 quarter units)<br/><br/>
        
        Students electing to specialize in human resource management must select four of the following courses.<br/><br/>
        
        HRM 630 Legal, Ethical, and Safety Issues in Human Resource Management<br/>
        HRM 633A Seminar in Employee Relations, Labor Relations and Union Management<br/>
        ODV 600 Theory and Practice of Organizational Development<br/>
        ODV 601 Integrating Performance Management, Technology, and Organizational Communication<br/>
        ODV 606 Seminar in Training and Development<br/>
        ODV 610 Advanced Studies in Organizational Behavior in a Diverse Society<br/>
        HRM 637 Workforce Planning, Development, and Outsourcing<br/>
        HRM 667 Compensation and Benefits<br/>
        MGT 651 Managing Safety Issues and Regulations<br/><br/>
        
        
        <strong>Specialization in Organizational Leadership</strong><br/>
        (888)<br/><br/>
        Faculty Advisor:  Julia Buchanan   (858) 642-8453   jbuchanan@nu.edu<br/><br/>
        The purpose of the Specialization in Organizational Leadership is to provide students with the skills and theoretical concepts that will assist them when seeking promotions or positions in management and supervision. This specialization is designed to prepare diverse adult learners to become effective, change-oriented leaders in an international society by adding distinctive and challenging curricula.<br/><br/>
        The Specialization in Organizational Leadership is ideal for individuals who desire to understand the technical and reflective processes that often accompany opportunities to exercise leadership in profit and not-for-profit organizations.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Program Requirements</strong><br/>
        (4 courses, 18 quarter units)
        <br/><br/>
        LED 602 Developing and Implementing Groups and Teams<br/>
        LED 603 Organizational Leadership<br/>
        LED 604 Change and Adaptation within Organizations<br/>
        LED 605 Negotiation, Bargaining, Conflict Resolution<br/><br/>
        
        
        <strong>Specialization in Public Finance</strong><br/>
        (882)<br/><br/>
        Faculty Advisor:  Kenneth Goldberg   (858) 642-8478   kgoldber@nu.edu<br/><br/>
        In lieu of general electives, a student can choose a specialization in public finance. This specialization provides an opportunity for students to acquire specific knowledge and develop practical skills in public finance. It particularly emphasizes the areas of public/private partnerships and contract bargaining and negotiation – critical areas in public administration today. The population served is that of public employees working in the areas of public finance and/or human resource management or those interested in working in these particular areas.<br/><br/>
        
        <strong>Program Requirements </strong><br/>
        (4 courses, 18 quarter units)<br/><br/>
        PAD 640 Public Finance<br/>
        PAD 641 Local Government Budgeting<br/>
        PAD 642 Seminar in Public-Private Financing<br/>
        PAD 643 Contract Negotiation in the Public Sector<br/>
        
        
        


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