MPA Curriculum

The MPA Program is a 42-credit hour program, comprised of:

• a core of seven courses (25 credits) where students are introduced to the knowledge and skills they need for professional public service
• 12 credits of electives
• 2 credit internship to practice application of learning
• 3 credit culminating experience course to demonstrate competencies.

It typically takes full-time students 2 years to complete our MPA Program.

Core Courses

• PAFF 510 - Research Design and Methods

  This course is intended as an introduction to research methods. It focuses on the ""logic of inquiry""--how one goes from theory or research interest to empirical results. Upon completion, students are able to: 1) construct a research hypothesis/research question; 2) identify appropriate quantitative and/or qualitative method(s) for investigating that question; 3) collect and analyze data; and 4) present research results. Offered: fall and spring. 4 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

• PAFF 520 - 21st Century Governance

  Governance focuses on leading and managing organizations in public and nonprofit settings. One key aspect of effective public service today involves understanding and successfully navigating across organizational boundaries essentially functioning within multi-organizational and multi-sectoral networks. In an environment of increased globalization, this requires public administrators possess multiple areas of cultural competency. Skill development will focus on negotiations, project and contract management and oversight. No prerequisites are required. Offered: fall and spring. 4 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

• PAFF 521 - Foundations of Public Service

  Concepts and issues of American public organizations and their administration, such as critical thinking and writing, decision making, public planning, budgeting, human resources and information management. Also includes political and environmental contexts and an introduction to international and comparative public administration as well as administrative practices in other countries. Offered: fall and spring. 4 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

• PAFF 526 - Managing Info and Technology

  This course focuses on the evolution of data into information and knowledge and the use of technology to support public service. We discuss establishing and complying with information policies and managing the collection, use and dissemination of information. Issues of privacy, security, access and transparency are considered. Offered: fall and spring. 2 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

• PAFF 527 - Budgeting and Financial Mgmt

  Introduction to modeling and problem solving from an economic perspective. Analysis of types of taxes used by local and national governments and the major attributes and consequences of each. Discussion of international financial institutions and market forces influencing the financial systems of not-for-profit organizations. Prerequisite: PAFF 510. Offered: fall and spring. 4 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

Evidence-based Decision Making, choose one:

• PAFF 515 - Program Evaluation

  This course focuses on the basic concepts, challenges, and methods in program evaluation. The primary objectives of the course are to develop: (1) an understanding of the role of evaluation in the policy-making process; (2) an ability to critically analyze various approaches and methods; and (3) an ability to craft an evaluation for an existing public or non-profit program. Meets the Evidence-Based Decision Making requirement. Prerequisite: PAFF 510. Offered: periodically. 4 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

• PAFF 516 - Performance Analysis

  This course focuses on the basic concepts, challenges, and methods in performance measurement. The primary objectives of this course are to: 1) learn the process and procedures of performance measurement, 2) understand how performance measurement relates to accountability in public and nonprofit agencies, 3) understand how performance information is used by public and nonprofit agencies, and 4) understand the benefits of/obstacles to and challenges associated with performance measurement. Meets the Evidence-Based Decision Making requirement. Prerequisite: PAFF 510. Offered: periodically. 4 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

• PAFF 523 - Intro To Policy Analysis

  Concepts and tools used in the craft of policy analysis including problem definition, development and analysis of policy alternatives and requirements of reporting the results of analyses. Introduction to economic and political criteria for evaluating policy alternatives. The roles of policy analysis in democratic governance and decision-making are emphasized. Meets the Evidence-Based Decision Making requirement. Prerequisite: PAFF 510. Offered: periodically. 4 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

Managing People, choose one:

• PAFF 532 - Project Management

  In the public and nonprofit sectors, projects range from small grants within an organization to major interorganizational activities involving many organizations. This course introduces students to a) the foundations of the project process including planning, implementation, and termaniation; b) managing factors that influence project success such as time, personnel, costs, communications, and risk; and, c) specific skills and software that facilitate project management. Meets the "Managing People in Organizations" requirement. Offered: periodically. 3 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

• PAFF 534 - Human Resource Mgmt: Pub/NonPf

  This course will examine procedures and problems of governmental and not-for-profit personnel administration. Included in the topics are classification, performance appraisal, hiring practices, affirmative action, and pay equity. Studies of governmental agencies are employed to give the students first-hand knowledge of personnel administration. Meets the Managing People in Organizations requirement. Offered: periodically. 3 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

• PAFF 535 - Organizational Theory

  This course approaches organization theory through individual, organization, systems and institutional levels of analysis. Focus will be placed on choosing the appropriate level of analysis to address current issues in the administration of public and not-for-profit agencies. Key topics include leadership, motivation, group behavior, work environment, power and organizational change. Discussion of the development of organizational theory concepts as well as current literature in the field. Meets the Managing People in Organizations requirement. Offered: periodically. 3 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

• PAFF 536 - Managing Networks

  In public administration, an increasing number of policy objectives are being accomplished through networks of people and/or organizations. This course focuses on both intra- and inter-organizational networks of people, the structure and function of networks, and skills needed for network management. Meets the Managing People in Organizations requirement. Offered: periodically. 3 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

Specialization or Electives

(12 credits)

Two certificates/specialization are available within the Department of Public Administration and Policy:

• Nonprofit Management & Leadership
• Local Government Management & Leadership

The Department also has relations with the Social Work, Higher Education and Student Affairs, Education, Sustainable Communities, the School of Nursing (for students interested in Health Policy Administration), and with the Department of Geography for students interested in Environmental Policy.  Additionally, students are offered the opportunity to choose elective courses suited to their specialized academic interests from various other graduate academic departments.

Recommended coursework for students interested in sustainable communities:

• SUST 500
• SUST 510
• any SUST elective
• any other elective as needed to fulfill 12 credits. (Note that SUST 500 and 510 are four-credit classes.)

Contact George Homsy (ghomsy@binghamton.edu) for more info about sustainable communities. 

Application of Learning

• PAFF 594 - Internship

  Internship in public or private non-profit agency in area of students specialization. Practical application and experience; academic analysis of subject area. Prerequisites: 17 credits in the MPA Program, satisfactory mid-semester evaluations, and MPA Faculty approval. Offered: fall, spring and summer. 2 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

Culminating Experiences/Demonstrating of Competencies

• PAFF 589 - The Reflective Practitioner

  This course is the culminating experience for MPA students and allows them to synthesize and apply material from across the MPA curriculum. Most MPA students were introduced to the ePortfolios in an earlier core course such as PAFF 520, 21st Century Governance. In this course, each student creates an individual ePortfolio that demonstrates their mastery of core competencies and specialization competencies (if applicable) that they have developed from coursework, their internship experiences or other work or volunteer activities. The course will also give all students an opportunity to reflect on how they have used their time in the MPA program to grow professionally, and to share with each other their insights and observations. During some class sessions, students will interact with leaders in the nonprofit and governmental sectors, and they will practice their own leadership skills. Prerequisites: successful completion 6 of the 7 MPA core courses and PAFF 594 (or a formal waiver of the internship requirement); students take the course in their final semester in the program. Offered: fall and spring. 3 credits. Levels: Graduate, Undergraduate

Basic Skills Courses

Students may complete one or more of the basic skills courses (PAFF 502: Basic Computer Skills; PAFF 503: Introduction to Administrative Systems) while matriculated in the MPA program. Additionally, the MPA faculty strongly encourages all students who receive feedback that their background or skills need development to request admission into these courses. These courses do not count towards the MPA degree and they can only be taken one time each.

Non-Matriculated Study

Would you like to take a class before applying as a matriculated student in the MPA program? Non-matriculated students may take up to 12 credits total, though some academic departments and schools limit that number further. Academic departments and schools may also restrict enrollment in their courses to degree- and certificate-seeking matriculated students. Degrees, certificates and graduate assistantships are not granted to non-matriculated students.