College of Health and Human Services
Schools & Divisions
School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Courses
- SPEA-E 162 Environment and People (3 cr.) An interdisciplinary examination of the problems of population, pollution, and natural resources and their implications for society.
- SPEA-E 272 Introduction to Environmental Science (3 cr.) P: Completion of the natural science and mathematics requirements for the bachelor's degree or equivalent, and ECON E103. Statistics may be taken concurrently. Application of principles from the life and physical sciences to the scientific understanding and management of the environment. Emphasis will be placed on (1) the physical and biologic restraints on resource availability and use and (2) the technological and scientific options to solving contemporary environmental problems arising from this use.
- SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies (3 cr.) An interdisciplinary consideration of specific environmental topics.
- SPEA-H 316 Environmental Health (3 cr.) An orientation to the broad concerns of environmental and health interactions. Topics considered include vector-control food sanitation, air-quality control, water and wastewater treatment and quality control, solid and hazardous waste management, industrial hygiene, radiation safety, and public safety, as well as related policy and administrative techniques.
- SPEA-H 320 Health Systems Administration (3 cr.) An overview of the U.S. health care delivery system. It examines the organization, function, and role of the system; current system problems; and alternative systems or solutions.
- SPEA-H 322 Principles of Epidemiology (3 cr.) P: SPEA K300, H455 (Emergency Preparedness) A basic overview of epidemiologic methodology and techniques. Both communicable and chronic disease risk factors will be discussed, along with data acquisition, analysis techniques, and current published epidemiological studies.
- SPEA-H 342 Community Health Education (3 cr.) A study of theory and practice in the field of professional health education; the process of behavioral change is examined; procedures for the planning, delivery, and evaluation of health education practice are considered.
- SPEA-H 352 Healthcare Finance 1 (3 cr.) P: BUS A201. A study of the financial management of health care facilities based on generally accepted business principles. Accounting and managerial control of cash, accounts receivable, inventory control, and budgeting and cost control, as well as accounting and evaluation of short- and long-term debt will be examined.
- SPEA-H 371 Human Resources Management in Health Care Facilities (3 cr.) This introductory course will provide a discussion of the management function, which is concerned with the intelligent acquisition, development, and use of human resources in the diverse field of health care delivery. Aspects of labor relations that relate to this field will be presented.
- SPEA-H 402 Hospital Administration (3 cr.) P: SPEA H320. The study of organization, structure, function, and fiscal operations within hospitals. The role of the hospital in the community, relationship to official and voluntary health agencies, coordination of hospital departments, and managerial involvement will be examined.
- SPEA-H 411 Chronic and Long-Term Care Administration (3 cr.) Nursing home regulations, legal aspects, and insurance; personnel management; medical records; diet and food service; rehabilitation; nursing services; psychiatric aspects in handling of geriatric patients; professional standards; use of volunteer groups.
- SPEA-H 416 Environmental Health Policy (3 cr.) P: Permission of instructor. Course is intended for intensive study of selected problems in the area of environmental health management. Enrollment for students having completed field experience in this area and for others with appropriate background and interests.
- SPEA-H 441 Legal Aspects of Health Care Administration (3 cr.) An overview of the liability and legal responsibility, as well as legal recourse that health care facilities may exercise. This course will discuss policies and standards relating to health facility administration. Included in this course is a discussion of financial aspects unique to the hospital/health care facility environment, such as third-party payments and federal assistance.
- SPEA-H 455 Topics in Public Health (1-3 cr.) Extensive discussion of selected topics in public health. The topic may change from semester to semester per resource availability and student demand.
- SPEA-H 465 Public Health Practicum (3 cr.) P: Senior standing. Supervised orientation, observation, and instruction with local and state level health-related agencies and facilities. Primary emphasis will be placed on the student's area of concentration.
- SPEA-H 466 Public Health Field Experience (1 cr.) P: SPEA H465. Supervised advanced training in professional and technical functions in public health functions. Individualized programs may be arranged to suit the student's area of concentration.
- SPEA-H 474 Health Administration Ethics Seminar (3 cr.) P: SPEA H320, H322, H441, V450 (Health Disparities) and senior standing or permission of instructor. This course will examine current issues in public health and governmental and private initiatives to resolve these issues.
- SPEA-H 501 U.S. Health Care Systems, Policies, and Ethical Challenges (3 cr.) Study of the individual and social determinants of health and disease, as well as the nature of the disease intervention process and provider and consumer roles. Description and analysis of resource, process, and control components involved in delivery of health services. Particular emphasis on quality care assessment, epidemiology, and medical terminology.
- SPEA-H 503 Principles of Health Systems Management and Policy Development (3 cr.) Examination of the functional role, organization, and structure of the health system, its components, and their organizational interrelationships. Course provides a broad conceptual framework for the delivery of health services through various organizations, and provides an opportunity to visit and to study a variety of health services systems components.
- SPEA-H 504 Quantitative Health Planning Methods (3 cr.) P: SPEA H5O1, SPEA H5O3. An examination of health planning theory, methods, and techniques, including quantitative and subjective forecasting, determination of health service area, identifying need/demand for health services, health resource allocation decision models, and standards for the design of services and facilities.
- SPEA-H 505 Health Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation (3 cr.) P: SPEA H5O1, SPEA H5O3, SPEA H5O4. Study and application of techniques to conduct, interpret, and present the design, implementation, and evaluation of health services programs. Includes collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting information. Emphasis on computer utilization and statistical analysis as a management tool. Field project required.
- SPEA-H 514 Health Economics (3 cr.) P: 3 credit hours of undergraduate economics or permission of instructor. Examines the principles and application of economic analysis in the health field and the economist's approach to health care issues; provides insights offered by economic analysis of specific health issues and problems.
- SPEA-H 515 Seminar in Health Policy: Special Topics (3 cr.) An examination of public policy-making in the health care sector since 1900, with emphases on policy analysis, process of governmental regulation, and character of American institutions. Special attention will be given to the constitutional, jurisprudential, legislative, and bureaucratic features of the American health care environment.
- SPEA-H 516 Health Services Delivery and the Law (3 cr.) Medical-legal concepts related to hospitals and other health services organizations. Course provides an in-depth understanding of the relationships of the law and the legal processes affecting the health services system. Presentation of the elements of administrative and agency processes, torts, contracts, facilities, physicians, patients, and personnel.
- SPEA-H 517 Public Health Epidemiology (3 cr.) An examination of basic epidemiology methods such as the design, administration, and analysis of observational and experimental studies involving human subjects. Emphasis will be on the application of epidemiology techniques, the assessment of health hazards and health requirements, as well as the evaluation of the effectiveness of health-related programs.
- SPEA-H 518 Public Health Statistics (3 cr.) This course presents data, description, and other statistical procedures used in the analysis of public health data. Topics include demographic techniques, life tables, hypothesis testing, and construction of confidence intervals. Standard statistical techniques such as contingency table analyses, analyses of variance, and regression analyses as applied to health research and program evaluation are also addressed.
- SPEA-H 601 Hospital Organization and Management (3 cr.) Study of the organization and management of hospital clinical, support, and administrative functions; examination of performance evaluation techniques for health managers; analysis of special operational problems; administrative ethics; requirements of the Joint Commission Accreditation of Hospitals emphasized.
- SPEA-H 602 Mental Health Services Organization and Management (3 cr.) Study of the organization and systems for delivery of mental health services; emphasis on the management and the financing of psychiatric services.
- SPEA-H 603 Nursing Home Organization and Management (3 cr.) Study of the purpose, organization, and management of nursing homes, personal and residential care facilities, and institutions needing long-term specialty treatment. Emphasis on personal and professional skills necessary to provide a wide range of services and quality care in those environments.
- SPEA-H 604 Ambulatory Care/Managed Care Programs (3 cr.) Study of the organizational and managerial aspects of ambulatory health services delivery. Focus on delivery strategies and organizational models and on the operational issues of financial control, personnel, regulation, and evaluation.
- SPEA-J 101 American Criminal Justice System (3 cr.) Introduction to the criminal justice system of the United States and its function in contemporary society
- SPEA-J 102 Special Issues in Crimial Justice (3 cr.) Course examines selected aspects of the causes and characteristics of crime in America. Reviews three components of the American criminal justice system: law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Focuses on juvenile justice, drugs, terrorism, and international issues, while examining also the delicate balance between community interest and individual rights.
- SPEA-J 150 Public Safey in America (3 cr.) The protection of persons and property involves a number of public and private organizations. The course examines the roles that agencies working within fire service, emergency management, criminal justice, and the private security sector play in securing public saftey in the United States.
- SPEA-J 201 Theoretical Foundations of Criminal Justice Policies (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. This course examines the impact of sociological, psychological, biological, and economic theories of crime and the practice of criminal justice. Focus is upon the nature and importance of theory, context of theoretical developments, methods for the critical analysis of theoretical developments, and policy implications of the varying perspectives considered.
- SPEA-J 202 Criminal Justice Data, Methods, and Research (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Course examines basic concepts of criminal justice. Students become familiar with research techniques necessary for systematic analysis of the criminal justice system, offender behavior, crime trends, and program effectiveness. Students will learn to critically evaluate existing research. Students will become familiar with existing sources of criminal justice data and will learn to assess the quality of that data.
- SPEA-J 215 Concepts of Forensic Science (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Forensic science and the criminal justice system. Evidence collection and analysis. Forensic chemisty including drugs and trace evidence, biology including blood splatter and DNA, pathology, entomology, anthropology, and forensic science and the law. Credit not given for both SPEA J215 and SPEA J322.
- SPEA-J 222 Murder in AmericaL Causes and Consequences (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. An investigation of homicide in the United States. Focus on the level and nature of homicides as well as domestic homicides, serial, and mass murder, race, ethnicity and gender, drugs and alcohol, school and workplace homicides, investigation, profiling and the death penalty, and homicide prevention and intervention programs.
- SPEA-J 260 Topics in Criminal Justice (1-3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Study of selected issues in criminal justice. Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for credit.
- SPEA-J 272 Terrorism and Public Policy (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. This course surveys terrorism in democratic societies, with an emphasis on public policy responses designed to combat terrorism. Overview of terrorist organizations in various countries are interspersed with analyses of significant terrorist events and public policies, and legal and public safety responses the events create.
- SPEA-J 275 Diversity Issues in Criminal Justice (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. This course examines the influence of diversity issues such as race, ethnicity, class, and gender on crime and the treatement of the underrepresented groups throughout the American criminal justice system.
- SPEA-J 301 Substantive Criminal Law (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102, J201, J202. The development, limitations, and application of substantive criminal law using the case-study method.
- SPEA-J 302 Procedural Criminal Law (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102, J306. Criminal law application and procedure from the initiation of police activity through the correctional process using the case-study method.
- SPEA-J 303 Evidence (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102, J306. The rules of law governing proof at trial of disputed issues of fact; burden of proof; presumptions and judicial notice; examination, impeachment, competency, and privileges of witnesses; hearsay rule and exceptions; all related as nearly as possible to criminal as opposed to civil process.
- SPEA-J 304 Correctional Law (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Legal problems from conviction to release: presentence investigations, sentencing, probation and parole, incarceration, loss and restoration of civil rights.
- SPEA-J 305 Juvenile Justice (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. This course is designed to provide an overview of the justice system's response to abused, neglected, and dependant children, juvenile misconduct; and delinquent behavior. An extensive review of the development of recent legal changes to the court, options for prevention, treatment of juvenile offenders, and possible system reforms.
- SPEA-J 306 The Criminal Courts (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101. J102, J201, J202. An analysis of the criminal justice process from prosecution through appeal. The organization and operation of felony and misdemeanor courts are examined. Topics include prosecutorial decision making, plea-bargaining, judicial selections, the conduct of trials, sentencing, and appeal.
- SPEA-J 310 Introduction to Administrative Processes (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Introduction to principles of management and systems theory for the administration of criminal justice agencies. Credit not given for both SPEA J310 and V270.
- SPEA-J 312 White Collar Crime (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. White collar crime is an examination of the definitions, theories, laws, and policy responses that shape crimes by corporations, government agencies, professionals, and others engaged in legitimate occupations.
- SPEA-J 320 Criminal Investigation (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Theory of investigation, crime scene procedures, interviews, interrogations, surveillances and sources of information; collection and preservation of physical evidence; investigative techniques in specific crimes.
- SPEA-J 321 American Policing (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. J201, J202. A broadly based study of the operations and interrelationships of the American policy system, including discussion of the limitations of the police function, interjurisdictional matters, and intra-agency processes.
- SPEA-J 322 Introduction to Criminalistics (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Evidence developed through the investigative process and methods of identifying and establishing validity and relevance through forensic laboratory techniques.
- SPEA-J 331 Corrections (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. J201, J202. A survey of contemporary correctional systems including analysis of federal, state, and local correction; adult and juvenile facilities and programs; probation and parole.
- SPEA-J 355 Global Criminal Justice Prespectives (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. An international review of select criminal justice perspectives and systems within the primary legal traditions of common, civil, Islamic, and social systems, as well as those that do not fit into established categories, such as Native American and African tribal justice.
- SPEA-J 370 Seminar in Criminal Justice (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Selected contemporary topics in criminal justice. May be repeated for credit.
- SPEA-J 376 Principles of Public Safety (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101, J102. Examination of threats to public safety and governmental response at various levels to those threats. Treatment of such areas as transportation and highway threats; occupational safety and health; criminal threats; emergency and disaster planning; consumer protection; and fire control and suppression. Discussion of techniques to identify and measure risk, the acceptability of risk, and governmental attempts to control risk.
- SPEA-J 380 Internship in Criminal Justice (3 cr.) P: Permission of instructor. Open to interested students who qualify upon approval of the faculty. Students may be placed with various criminal justice agencies for assignment to a defined task relevant to their educational interests. Tasks may involve staff work or research. Full-time participants may earn up to 6 credit hours. May be repeated for credit. Course is graded S/F (satisfactory/ fail).
- SPEA-J 410 Criminal Justice and Information Systems (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Records, their use, maintenance, analysis, and interpretation. Use of computer applications and other automated techniques and devices in the criminal justice system.
- SPEA-J 433 Institutional Corrections (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101. The history and development of the jail, penitentiary, prison, and reformatory. Analysis and evaluation of contemporary imprisonment.
- SPEA-J 439 Crime and Public Policy (3 cr.) P: All criminal justice concentration courses, senior standing and instructor consent. A detailed examination of the major efforts designed to control or reduce crime. A review of existing knowledge is followed by an investigation of current crime control theories, proposals, and programs.
- SPEA-J 440 Corrections in the Community (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. A detailed analysis of correctional alternatives to incarceration that focus on the reintegration of the offender while remaining in the community. Because of their extensive use, considerable attention is given to probation and parole. Other topics include diversion community residential programs, restitution halfway houses, and home detention.
- SPEA-J 445 Trends in Correction (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. Analysis and evaluation of contemporary correctional systems. Discussion of recent research concerning the correctional institution and the various field services.
- SPEA-J 460 Police in the Community (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102. In-depth examination of crime as an urban policy problem, focusing on the role of police and victims in defining crime as a policy problem, and their roles in seeking to reduce the incidence of crime.
- SPEA-J 470 Senior Seminar in Criminal Justice (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, J102, and senior standing or consent of department. Emphasizes current developments in legal, administrative, and operational aspects of the criminal justice system.
- SPEA-J 480 Research in Criminal Justice (1-6 cr.) P: junior standing, five courses in criminal justice, and consent of departmental chairperson. Individual research under guidance of faculty member.
- SPEA-J 501 Criminological Thought and Policy (3 cr.) This course provides an intensive introduction to the theoretical literature on crime and delinquency. Its purpose is to develop students' ability to critically evaluate and compare theories of crime as they apply to public policy and the criminal justice system.
- SPEA-J 502 Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Public Affairs (3 cr.) This course examines research techniques necessary for systematic analysis of the criminal justice system, offenders' behavior, crime trends, and program effectiveness. The course requires that students actively pursue such techniques as conducting interviews, coding data, and designing studies. Criminological research will be critically examined.
- SPEA-J 550 Topics in Criminal Justice and Public Safety (3 cr.) Selected research and special topics in criminal justice such as violence; history of criminal prosecution; and alcohol, drugs, and crime.
- SPEA-J 582 Criminal Justice Systems (3 cr.) P: SPEA V586. Detailed examination of operations of police, courts, and correctional agencies. Study of management problems in systems response to criminal activity. Development of understanding of interrelationships among system components. Examination of major policy issues in criminal justice with emphasis on decision-making techniques.
- SPEA-J 587 Criminal Violation: Problems and Characteristics (3 cr.) Commonalities in criminal behavior. The criminal act: circumstances leading to commission and subsequent perceptions of them. Family, community, and other environments affecting criminal behavior. Behavioral consequences of crime control processes.
- SPEA-J 588 Law and Control in Society (3 cr.) The role of law versus other forms of social control. How social change and social institutions shape the law. Social factors influencing the administration of law.
- SPEA-J 666 Criminal Justice Policy and Evaluation (3 cr.) An empirical assessment of the foundations of contemporary and historical attempts to control or prevent crime. Major policies, programs, and strategies are reviewed and critically analyzed. Specific topics and policies will vary in this capstone seminar.
- SPEA-J 682 Planning and Management for Criminal Justice and Public Saftey (3 cr.) P: SPEA J582. A seminar addressing selected issues in criminal justice. Topics may include management, planning, organized crime, juvenile delinquency, law enforcement, courts, corrections, and other issues. Topics will vary each semester. Different sections may address different topics. The course may be taken more than once.
- SPEA-K 300 Statistical Techniques (3 cr.) P: MATH M014 or equivalent. R: MATH M118. Introduction to statistics; nature of statistical data; ordering and manipulation of data; measures of central tendency and dispersion; elementary probability. Concepts of statistical inference and decision: estimation and hypothesis testing. Special topics include regression and correlation, analysis of variance, nonparametric methods.
- SPEA-V 100 Current Topics in Public Affairs (1-3 cr.) Readings and discussions of current public issues and problems. May be repeated for credit with different topics.
- SPEA-V 170 Introduction to Public Affairs (3 cr.) Broad coverage of public affairs through critical and analytical inquiry into policy making at national and international levels of government. Particular emphasis on intergovernmental relations as they affect policy in the federal system.
- SPEA-V 252 Career Development and Planning (3 cr.) P: SPEA J101, V170. Course highlights include identification of work values and personality preference, a career research assignment, networking assignments designed to prepare students for contact with employers, in-depth tutorial and feedback concerning how to craft a marketable resume and cover letter, and development of an overall career plan.
- SPEA-V 260 Topics in Public Affairs (3 cr.) Selected topical courses that are specifically chosen as appropriate to fulfill the SPEA requirement of "public affairs option." Topics vary from semester to semester.
- SPEA-V 261 Computers in Public Affairs (3 cr.) An introduction to computer applications in public affairs. Topics include basic terminology, core concepts, and issues associated with managing operating systems, designing networks, and applying user information technology to public affairs problems. Issues of security and ethics in computing are also considered.
- SPEA-V 263 Public Management (3 cr.) Managers in the public sector must operate under special constraints that are different from those in the private sector. This course examines the management process in public organizations in the United States. Special attention will be given to external influences on public managers, the effects of the intergovernmental environment, and peculiar problems of management in a democratic, limited government system.
- SPEA-V 264 Urban Structure and Policy (3 cr.) An introduction to urban government and public policy issues. Topics include urban government structure, intergovernmental relations, social and demographic trends in urban patterns, urban economic structure, selected urban problems, and policy alternatives.
- SPEA-V 270 Survey of Administrative Techniques (3 cr.) Introduction to principles of supervisory management and systems theory for the administration of public agencies. Credit not given for both SPEA V270 and SPEA J310.
- SPEA-V 340 Urban Government Administration (3 cr.) Structure of local government in the United States, federalism and intergovernmental relations, policy problems faced by local officials, and the implications of those problems for local government and administrators.
- SPEA-V 346 Introduction to Government Accounting and Financial Reporting (3 cr.) P: BUS A201 or consent of instructor. No previous knowledge of accounting is assumed. An introduction to government accounting, including comparison with accounting for the private sector, intended as background for use of financial administrators. The course deals primarily with municipal accounting. It also includes accounting by and for the federal government, auditing practices, and financial reporting.
- SPEA-V 348 Management Science (3 cr.) P: MATH M118 or MATH M125, SPEA K300. Introduction to management science models and methods for policy analysis and public management. Methods include decision analysis, linear programming, queuing analysis, and simulation. Computer-based applications are included. Prior familiarization with computers (e.g., CSCI C201) is recommended, though not required.
- SPEA-V 352 Personal Career Planning (1 cr.) P: Junior standing. Investigation of careers, the world of work, and the career planning process. The focal point is the student and his/her goals. Provides assistance in developing practical, meaningful, and realistic insight into the nature of making a public-career choice in today's world. Course is graded S/F (satisfactory / fail).
- SPEA-V 365 Urban Development and Planning (3 cr.) P: SPEA K300 and SPEA V264. This course identifies the major problems associated with urban development in the United States and investigates the potential of public planning strategies and tools to deal with those problems. An emphasis is placed on the application of analytical approaches to problem definition and solution.
- SPEA-V 366 Managing Behavior in Public Organizations (3 cr.) This course provides an introduction to the management of people in public organizations. Focus is on behavioral science in management and related analytical and experiential applications.
- SPEA-V 368 Managing Government Operations (3 cr.) Application of analytical techniques to operating decisions in public sector management. Cases are used extensively to illustrate the application of techniques such as charting, capacity and demand analysis, forecasting, performance measurement, decision analysis, queuing/simulation, Markov modeling, and cost- effective analysis to design, scheduling, inventory, assignment, transportation, and replacement decisions.
- SPEA-V 372 Government Finance and Budgets (3 cr.) P: Junior standing. Study of fiscal management in public agencies, including revenue administration, debt management, and public budgeting.
- SPEA-V 373 Human Resource Management in the Public Sector (3 cr.) P: Junior standing or permission of instructor. The organization andoperation of public personnel management systems with emphasis on concepts and techniques of job analysis, position classification, training, affirmative action, and motivation.
- SPEA-V 375 Emergency Services Administration (3 cr.) An overview of management principles and functional components of Emergency Medical Service systems.
- SPEA-V 376 Law and Public Policy (3 cr.) The purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of the origins, process, and impact of law in the making and implementing of public policy. The major objective of the course is to provide students with the substantive concepts necessary to understand the judicial system and law in its various forms.
- SPEA-V 377 Legal Process and Contemporary Issues in America (3 cr.) P: SPEA V376. An introduction to the American legal system, including the Constitution, courts system, and administrative law in federal and state agencies. Readings and discussion center on current issues affected by the legal process.
- SPEA-V 380 Internship in Public and Environmental Affairs (1-6 cr.) P: Permission of instructor. Open to interested students upon approval of faculty. Students are placed with public agencies or governmental units for assignment to a defined task relevant to their educational interests in public affairs. Tasks may involve staff work or research. Full-time participants may earn up to 6 credit hours.
- SPEA-V 390 Readings in Public and Environmental Affairs (1-3 cr.) P: Permission of instructor. Independent readings and research related to a topic of special interest to the student. Written report required.
- SPEA-V 421 Metropolitan Development (3 cr.) Discussion of the process of development in metropolitan regions. Includes topics such as economic development, land-use evolution, and demographic change. Consideration of relevant policy issues.
- SPEA-V 432 Labor Relations in the Public Sector (3 cr.) An introductory overview of labor relations in the public sector. Course includes the development, practice, and extent of the collective bargaining process and administration of the labor agreement by state and local governments.
- SPEA-V 442 Topics - Budgeting or Cost/Benefit (3 cr.) P: SPEA V372 or permission of instructor. Comprehensive study of techniques of public fiscal management, primarily at the state and local level, and discussion of current issues. May be repeated for different topics.
- SPEA-V 444 Public Administrative Organization (3 cr.) A review of research findings and analysis of the operation of public agencies and their performance.
- SPEA-V 447 Federal Budget Policy (3 cr.) Examination of the institutions and processes involved in putting together the annual federal budget, with emphasis on the role of the Appropriations and Budget Committees in Congress and the White House and Office of Management and Budget in the executive branch. Selected major policy areas will be considered.
- SPEA-V 449 Senior Policy Seminar (3 cr.) P: SPEA V348. Discussion of the role of policy analysts in government. Applications of analytical tools to substantive policy areas such as transportation, community development, education, poverty, manpower, and health.
- SPEA-V 450 Contemporary Issues in Public Affairs (1-3 cr.) Extensive analysis of selected contemporary issues in public affairs Topics vary from semester to semester. May be repeated for different topics.
- SPEA-V 461 Computer Applications in Public Affairs (3 cr.) P: CSCI 0201 or SPEA K201, SPEA K300, SPEA V348, and senior standing. This course provides students with the essentials of computer hardware and software needed to operate effectively in a public sector environment. The course will emphasize public sector applications using software packages on microcomputers and minicomputers.
- SPEA-V 468 Research Methods in the Applied Social Sciences (3 cr.) This course will introduce the student to the basic methods, issues, analytical techniques, and ethical considerations of evaluation research.
- SPEA-V 472 Policy Processes in the U.S. (3 cr.) P: Senior standing and completion of two SPEA core courses. Intended as an integrative senior course, primarily for SPEA students. Course content includes analytic perspectives of the policy process, the centers of policy, and the public interest. Selected cases involving problem analysis and decision making on public issues are included, as well as discussion of current policy issues.
- SPEA-V 473 Management Leadership and Policy (3 cr.) P: All public affairs core courses, senior standing and instructor consent The purpose of this seminar is to provide students with an opportunity to apply the techniques they have learned to actual situations. Special attention will be paid to feasible as contrasted to desirable solutions. Emphasis will be given to the contextual factors involved in developing feasible solutions.
- SPEA-V 490 Directed Research in Public and Environmental Affairs (1-3 cr.) To be arranged with the individual instructor and approved by the chairperson of the undergraduate program.
- SPEA-V 499 Honors Thesis (3 cr.) Required of seniors in the Honors Program. Research and paper to be arranged with individual instructor and approved by the campus SPEA Honors Program director. May be repeated for credit.
- SPEA-V 500 Quantitative Tools for Public Affairs (3 cr.) A modular presentation of mathematical and statistical concepts designed to prepare students for SPEA V506. Representative module topics include basic algebraic concepts, basic statistical concepts, probability, computer use, and matrix algebra.
- SPEA-V 502 Public Management (3 cr.) P: Analysis of concepts, methods, and procedures involved in managing public organizations. Problems of organization, planning, decision making, performance evaluation, and the management of human resources are considered. Cases are drawn from a variety of public services found at federal, state, and local levels of government.
- SPEA-V 504 Public Organizations (3 cr.) The course focuses on the behavior and theory of public organizations in four areas: individuals and groups in public organizations, the design of public organizations, organization-environment relations, and interorganizational relations.
- SPEA-V 506 Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (3 cr.) P: mathematics and computing foundation. Noncalculus survey of concepts in probability, estimation, and hypothesis testing. Applications of contingency table analysis, analysis of variance, regression, and other statistical techniques. Computer processing of data emphasized.
- SPEA-V 507 Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs (3 cr.) P: SPEA V506. This course is a graduate-level introduction to modeling complex systems, estimating parameters of models of the basis of data, forecasting future values of the system, and testing hypotheses about the nature of things within that context.
- SPEA-V 508 Topics in Quantitative Analysis (1-3 cr.) P: consent of instructor. Study and application of selected quantitative methods of analysis. Additional topics that are not included in SPEA V506 or SPEA V507 may be presented, or more advanced examination of topics that are introduced in SPEA V506 and SPEA V507 may be undertaken.
- SPEA-V 509 Administrative Ethics in the Public Sector (3 cr.) Ethical conduct in the public sector is examined. Topics covered could include personal ethical responsibility, deception, corruption, codes of ethics, policy making, morality, politics, and whistle blowing. Case studies and media material will be used to illustrate these and other such issues affecting the workplace.
- SPEA-V 512 Public Policy Process (3 cr.) An examination of the role of public affairs professionals in policy processes. Focuses on relationships with political actors in various policy arenas.
- SPEA-V 516 Public Management Information Systems (3 cr.) The economic, social, demographic, technological, and political data necessary for the effective analysis and management of public services. The formation and classification of information on public programs and services. The organization, gathering, storage, and retrieval of complex data banks. The assessment of public organizational data needs.
- SPEA-V 517 Public Management Economics (3 cr.) Application of microeconomics concepts and techniques—including cost, elasticity, pricing, wage determination, and cost-benefit analysis—to public management and public issues and concerns. The course is designed to provide a managerial economics perspective to decision making.
- SPEA-V 518 Intergovernmental Systems Management (3 cr.) Discussion of theories and approaches to systems management including responsibilities and tasks of public systems. Examination of intergovernmental relationships such as nationalstate-local relationships and intralocal governmental relationships, treatment of organizational and systems design as well as planning, decision making, and control of public systems. Discussion of applications to services such as environment, health, and human services.
- SPEA-V 520 Environmental Policy Analysis (3 cr.) The interrelationships among social, technical, and natural systems. Theories of growth. Causes and implications of environmental problems. Alternative policies and mechanisms for environmental control and bases for choice.
- SPEA-V 521 The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector (3 cr.) The theory, size, scope, and functions of the nonprofit and voluntary sectors are covered from multiple disciplinary perspectives including historical, political, economic, and social.
- SPEA-V 522 Human Resource Management in Nonprofits (3 cr.) Effective human resource management is vital for the long-term success of nonprofit organizations. This course explores the attachments of participants in nonprofit organizations, the motivational and personnel programs required by these attachments, and the managerial strategies for effective human resource management.
- SPEA-V 525 Management in the Nonprofit Sector (3 cr.) An examination of nonprofit (third-sector) organizations and their role in society. Management issues and public policy affecting these organizations are discussed. Primary emphasis is upon U.S. organizations, but attention is given to the global nature of the sector.
- SPEA-V 526 Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.) This course emphasizes a thorough understanding of the language and key concepts of nonprofit financial management. A working knowledge of the basic analytical tools used in financial decision making for nonprofit organizations will be examined through the use of computer software.
- SPEA-V 529 Seminar in Career and Professional Development (1 cr.) Introduction to career development in public and environmental affairs. Orientation to career development approaches and resources. Discussion and practice of professional skills and techniques. Orientation to career development opportunities. Course is graded S /F.
- SPEA-V 532 Urban Decision Making (3 cr.) Administrative decision making against the background of urban politics, power structures, bureaucracies, commercial and industrial interests, and citizen participation.
- SPEA-V 539 Management Science for Public Affairs (3 cr.) P: SPEA V506. Focus on management science methods applied to public policy analysis. Includes treatment of decision theory, constrained optimization and probability/simulation modeling.
- SPEA-V 540 Law and Public Affairs (3 cr.) P: SPEA V506. Explanation of law in society and its influence on public sector operations. Examination of some of the central substantive areas of the study of law, including regulatory processes, administrative adjudication, the Administrative Procedures Act, ombudsmen, and citizen rights, among others.
- SPEA-V 542 Governmental Financial Accounting and Reporting (3 cr.) P: SPEA V560 or consent of instructor. An introduction to the fundamentals of accounting in business, not-for-profit, and public sectors. Intended only for students without previous accounting courses. Primary emphasis is on municipal entity fund accounting, including the development and use of financial statements.
- SPEA-V 543 Health Services Management (3 cr.) A course that integrates theory and application with respect to management of health service organizations. Emphasis on the role of managers and management within formal health service organizations. Current management and organizational theory are applied to an understanding of health care delivery settings.
- SPEA-V 545 The U.S. Health Care System (3 cr.) An analysis of delivery of health care in the United States from 1900 to the present. Major system components are defined and studied with emphasis on current health care policy. Topics include the organization of health care delivery on federal, state, and local levels, both in public and private sectors.
- SPEA-V 546 Health Services Utilization (3 cr.) An examination of problems of access to health care and the utilization of health services. The social, political, and individual factors associated with utilization are studied along with social change and control strategies. Special emphasis is given to power and the definition of power in the system.
- SPEA-V 550 Topics in Public Affairs (3 cr.) Selected research and discussion topics organized on a semester-by-semester basis, usually with significant student input in the course design.
- SPEA-V 554 Human Services Administration (3 cr.) Focus is on policy, management, and organization relating to a variety of humanservice systems. Special attention is given to the management of social programs in the environmental systems.
- SPEA-V 556 Topics in Human Services Administration (3 cr.) Readings and research on selected topics in the field of the management of human services. Topics selected for study will vary.
- SPEA-V 557 Proposal Development and Grant Administration (3 cr.) This course provides the opportunity for each student to develop a complete proposal through participation in the entire grant application process. The integration of case studies, visual media, printed materials, and class discussions provides students with practical knowledge for writing successful proposals.
- SPEA-V 558 Fund Development for Nonprofits (3 cr.) Important aspects of the fund raising process in nonprofit organizations are covered, including techniques and strategies for assessing potential sources of support; effective use of human resources; process management; theory to underlay practice; analysis of current practice; practice standards; and discussion of ethical problems.
- SPEA-V 560 Public Finance and Budgeting (3 cr.) The fiscal role of government in a mixed economy, sources of public revenue andcredit; administrative, political, and institutional aspects of the budget and the budgetary process; problems and trends in intergovernmental fiscal relations.
- SPEA-V 561 Public Human Resources Management (3 cr.) Discussion of the selection and management of personnel. Personnel systems and the role of the merit system in government. Emphasis on public labor relations and continuous training of personnel for professional development.
- SPEA-V 562 Public Program Evaluation (3 cr.) Examination of how the programs of public agencies are proposed, established, operated, and evaluated. Discussion of the role and conduct of research in the program evaluation process. In addition, techniques of effective evaluation and analysis are discussed.
- SPEA-V 563 The Planning Process (3 cr.) Seminar designed to familiarize students with planning ramifications of policy issues faced by governments. The focal topics selected for study will vary. Emphasis placed on identification and analysis of substantive issues, methods employed for resolution, and application or planning techniques for achieving goals.
- SPEA-V 564 Urban Management (3 cr.) The course deals with the management of public policy in American urban government, with special attention to the relationship of structure, process, and policy. Readings and case studies will focus on urban management problems relating to leadership, planning, and operations.
- SPEA-V 566 Executive Leadership (3 cr.) Analysis of executive leadership within the context of public organization in the United States. Examines the role of public managers and the principles and factors that affect their actions in light of current research and practice.
- SPEA-V 567 Public Financial Administration (3 cr.) P: SPEA V560 or consent of instructor. Problems of financial management in governmental units; alternative revenue sources, financial planning and control, cash debt management; survey of modern expenditure management, control and planning.
- SPEA-V 568 Management of Urban Government Services (1-3 cr.) P: SPEA V560 or consent of instructor. The course deals with selected topics in urban services. The course may focus on a specific urban service or provide an overview for several urban services.
- SPEA-V 570 Public Sector Labor Relations (3 cr.) An introductory overview of labor relations concepts within the framework of the public sector. The development, practice, and extent of the collective bargaining process as well as the administration of the labor agreement will be examined for state agencies, local municipalities, and school districts.
- SPEA-V 572 Urban Topics (3 cr.) Selected topics in urban policy and administration. The course is sometimes restricted to a special group of students focusing on a particular research interest.
- SPEA-V 575 Comparative Public Management and Administration (3 cr.) Reading and discussion of case studies and comparative analyses of formal organizations with emphasis on governmental bureaucracies, public corporations, and international organizations. Topics include bureaucratic environment and culture, technology and organizations, program evaluation, communication and decision making, and administrative structure and process.
- SPEA-V 576 Comparative Approaches to Development (3 cr.) Examination of the application of development theory to the public sector. Topics include modernization theory, urbanization, development administration, community development, ethnicity, ideology, and national planning. Area case study project to include problems of policy implementation in developing areas.
- SPEA-V 577 International Economic Development Policy (3 cr.) Examination of topics in international economics as related to problems of economic development policy. Topics include international trade, comparative economic policy, economic integration, foreign aid investment, exchange rates, and international economic organizations.
- SPEA-V 579 Readings in Environmental Science (1-3 cr.) Readings on selected topics in environmental science to be arranged with the individual instructor.
- SPEA-V 580 Readings in Public Affairs (1-3 cr.) Readings on selected topics in public affairs to be arranged with the individual instructor.
- SPEA-V 581 Public Safety Law (1-3 cr.) Survey of historical development of Anglo-American law of public safety, including criminal law, civil remedies, administrative regulation of risk, and recent developments in employee and consumer safety. Emphasis on understanding legal theory and practice as basis for management decisions. Comparison of jurisprudential viewpoints and other disciplinary approaches to causation, prevention, and correction of public safety problems.
- SPEA-V 585 Practicum in Public Affairs (1-6 cr.) Open to interested students through the Center for Public Affairs Service-Learning or Field Study Program. Students hold work assignments with public agencies; final product such as a report, oral examination, or examples of materials developed in the practicum is required. Grading is on a satisfactory/ fail basis.
- SPEA-V 586 Public Safety in the U.S. (3 cr.) Overview of criminal justice and public safety. Definitions of public safety and identification of major components. Functional description of major public safety agencies. Discussion of basic issues in public safety. Management in public safety system.
- SPEA-V 590 Research in Public Affairs (1-3 cr.) Research on selected topics in public affairs to be arranged with the individual instructor.
- SPEA-V 593 Analytical Methods in Planning and Policy Analysis (3 cr.) P: SPEA V507. Topics relate to goal setting and forecasting. Analytical methods include time series analysis, demographic projects, economic development and employment forecasting, land use and transportation planning analysis. Optimization methods are applied to transportation and project management.
- SPEA-V 595 Managerial Decision Making (1-3 cr.) P: SPEA V504 and SPEA V539. Applications of decision-making tools to substantive public management problems. A variety of managerial cases and issues are selected for intensive discussion and analysis.
- SPEA-V 600 Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs (3 cr.) Interdisciplinary course designed to give students exposure to the realities of the policy process through detailed analyses of case studies and projects. Course integrates science, technology, policy, and management. Topic may change from semester to semester.
- SPEA-V 601 Workshop in Public Affairs (1-6 cr.) Projects in public affairs The students work on a research and resource team to complete a project for a public sector client. Faculty act as project managers and resource personnel.
- SPEA-V 602 Strategic Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.) Concepts, cases, and problem solving associated with the structure and process of strategic management in the public sector, broadly defined to include governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
- SPEA-V 610 Seminar in Government Budget and Program Analysis (1-6 cr.) P: SPEA V560. Advanced study of management aspects of budgetary process. Special cases are analyzed, and budget problem- solving exercises are utilized.
- SPEA-V 631 Health Planning (3 cr.) A workshop in analysis and use of health data in a planning context. Course deals with the planning process and methods with an emphasis on systems theory. Class project or plan is developed, presented, and defended in a simulated public-hearing format.
- SPEA-V 639 Managing Government Operations (3 cr.) P: SPEA V502 and SPEA V539. This is an introductory survey of operations management. Emphasis is placed on the analysis, design, and management of operation systems using models from operations management. Readings, lectures, and structured exercises are used to present the models and demonstrate their application.
- SPEA-V 650 Topics in Public Personnel Management (1-3 cr.) P: SPEA V561. Readings and research on selected topics in the public personnel field. Topics may include such subjects as affirmative action, occupational health and safety, manpower forecasting and planning, and approaches to position classification.
- SPEA-V 660 Cases and Problems in Fiscal Administration (3 cr.) P: SPEA V560 or consent of instructor. An advanced seminar in the management aspects of public finance that focuses on the budgetary process. Special cases are analyzed and budget problem-solving exercises are utilized.
- SPEA-V 665 Seminar in Policy and Administration (3 cr.) Politics of program development and management. Translation of plans into viable, administrable programs. Marshalling support, political process, strategies, constraints, tradeoffs, etc.
- SPEA-V 670 Topics in Public Sector Labor Relations (1-3 cr.) P: SPEA V570 or consent of instructor. Selected research and discussion topics in public sector labor relations arranged on a semester-bysemester basis. Possible topics are collective bargaining in the public sector and dispute settlement in public sector labor relations.