Public Management
The Public Management concentration gives students the knowledge, skills, and experiences appropriate for management positions in a variety of public, private, and nonprofit settings. Students will develop skills in strategic thinking, planning, and management, personnel relations, technology, and the design, operation, and evaluation of successful work systems.
Careers
The Public Management concentration prepares students for a variety of careers. The following are a few examples of positions held by our graduates:
- Assistant Administrator, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
- Dispute Resolution Coordinator, American Bar Association
- Town Manager, Avon, Indiana
- Budget Director, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Senior Health Policy Analyst, U.S. Government Accountability Office
- Registrar, Oberlin College
- Executive Director of Labor Relations, University of California
- Special Assistant to the Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Legislative Services Analyst, State of Maryland
- Director of Public Works, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Vice President, Goldman Sachs & Co.
- Distance Learning Director, U.S. Customs
- Executive Director, Naval Undersea Warfare Center
- Management Consultant, Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc.
Curriculum for the Public Management Concentration
Like all students in the Master of Public Affairs program, students in the Public Management concentration begin building their skills in the 18-hour MPA core. The core courses are:
- Public Management (V502)
- Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (V506)
- Public Management Economics (V517)
- Law and Public Affairs (V540)
- Public Finance and Budgeting (V560)
- Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs (V600)
Students build on this core foundation by taking three of the following advanced courses in public management:
- Public Organizations (V504)
- Public Management Information Systems (V516)
- Strategic Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations (V602)
- Managing Workforce Diversity in Public Organizations (V652)
- Public Program Management and Contracting (V654)
SPEA also offers a wide range of elective courses to meet individual objectives. This broad range of possibilities enables you to focus your concentration on those aspects that you wish to pursue and to develop career-enhancing capabilities. With the approval of a Public Management advisor, students may select from many elective options, including the following:
- Intergovernmental Systems and Management (V518)
- Negotiation and Dispute Resolution for Public Affairs (V547)
- Public Human Resources Management (V561)
- Public Program Evaluation (V562)
- Public Sector Labor Relations (V570)
- Seminar in Government Budget and Program Analysis (V610)
- Law, Public Management, and Public Policy (V640)
- Seminar in Accountability and Performance (V662)
For complete details of the Public Management curriculum, please see the Graduate Bulletin.
Faculty Expertise
SPEA faculty are involved in meaningful research in numerous aspects of public management and publish in the leading scholarly journals. In addition to their academic accomplishments, our faculty bring a rich set of management tools based on real-world, hands-on experiences. They frequently serve as consultants to a broad range of nonprofit management activities on the local, state, and national levels.
Dual Concentrations
Dual concentrations with Public Management and other concentrations offered by SPEA – such as Information Systems or Public Financial Administration – offer unique advantages for those wanting to make a difference in particular areas of public affairs. Our faculty work to accommodate these specialized professional interests in the design of student programs.