Courses

This course enables independent research on a topic related to public administration under the guidance of a faculty adviser.

This course examines the field of public administration through historical lenses, focusing on the periods of development from "the Orthodoxy" to New Public Management and beyond. It emphasizes the challenges that the field has faced and continues to face with respect to its paradigmatic base, scope, and methods. Each student will be required to formulate a synthesis or "paradigm" for the field of public administration.

The MPA Program does not require an internship, but encourages internships for pre-career and career-changing students. Rutgers SPAA assists on-campus MPA students in locating internship opportunities with an expanding network of partners in the Newark urban area in local, county, and state government organizations, and among dozens of nonprofit organizations in the surrounding areas. Additionally, the school circulates information about available national and international internship opportunities via regular email announcements. Approval from the MPA Director is required before any internship taken for academic credit begins. Students are limited to one 3-credit internship; if a student takes an internship, the credits count toward the student’s concentration, which means he/she takes two elective courses from his/her concentration, rather than the customary three. An internship must be related to the student’s concentration. After the MPA Director approves the request, the student will complete the internship contract and submit it to the department for a special permission number to register for credit. An internship can only count for an elective and cannot replace a core course.

Requirements to receive credits for internship:

• Submit a completed contract
• Complete 150 hours of work within one semester
• Submit mid-semester and final evaluations (by the supervisor and the student)
• Submit a 10 to 20-page research paper relating the internship to the student’s concentration (if applicable) at the end of the semester

This course addresses labor relations in the public sector from multiple perspectives, including theoretical, legal, political, policy and practical. It examines several aspects of public sector collective bargaining between management and labor unions from the perspectives of union organizing (how labor unions are formed), bargaining (how union contracts are produced), and dispute resolution (how bargaining disputes and grievances are resolved). Students should gain knowledge and an understanding of the practices used by public sector unions at the federal, stated and local levels of government. Public sector unions are important vehicles for promoting fair, equitable and ethical practices in government workplaces.

This course explores the leadership opportunities, challenges, and complexities of managing diversity in public and nonprofit organizations. Starting with a rigorous examination of the values of diversity, inclusion, and equity (DEI) and their intricate links to critical facets such as management, ethical leadership, social justice, and representative bureaucracy, the course then introduces public policies relevant to DEI with a specific focus on gender, racial, and ethnic relations. The overarching objective of this course is to equip students with the skills necessary to foster equitable and inclusive working environments for professionals in the public and nonprofit sectors.

(Course updated as of Spring 2025; Formerly known as Leadership for Service Professions)

In this course students learn about different leadership typologies, traits, roles, and responsibilities. They are guided in developing leadership skills that include communication, conflict resolution, change management, adaptability, problem solving, and team building in the context of public and nonprofit organizations. By successfully completing this course, students are expected to be prepared to address leadership challenges that they will face as professionals in the public and nonprofit sectors.

This course addresses research and governance from the perspective of social equity, diversity and leadership. It begins with the historical treatment of women and people of color in the U.S. and the role of government and public policy in race, ethnic and gender relations. Topics covered include research on ethical leadership, equity discourse, and power and privilege politics. A key theme is the responsibility of government, society and public employers to create legal, ethical and diverse work environments.

This course explores theories of organizational behavior and performance as applied to public sector agencies. The course covers such topics as development and fulfillment of organizational mandates, legal and political constraints associated with leading public organizations, organizational authority systems, relationships between public and private sectors, and use of resources within organizations including information and communications technologies.

This course is a multidisciplinary exploration into the study of nonprofit organizations and philanthropy (increasingly referred to as Nonprofit and Philanthropic Studies (NPS)). In the course we will explore a broad range of topics relating to the study of nonprofits and philanthropy.

This course will focus on developing, monitoring, and evaluating budgets for nonprofit organizations. Students will be offered an opportunity to advance their theoretical and practical knowledge of nonprofit budgeting. In addition, basic accounting and fundamental financial management principles will also be examined along with internal and external controls, risk management, and reporting requirements to further broaden students’ comprehension of the intricacies of nonprofit budgeting.