Courses

The abbreviation P refers to course prerequisites and R to recommended prerequisite courses. Prerequisites can be waived by the instructor of the course. The number of hours of credit is indicated in parentheses following the course title. Courses are listed in four groups: environmental, public health, criminal justice, and public affairs.

Graduate Courses
Criminal Justice Courses
  • SPEA-J 501 Evolution of 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 520 Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety (3 cr.) The use of geographic information systems to map locations of events and analyze patterns for decision making and facility location in areas of public safety including criminal justice, fire services, emergency management and homeland security; and the management and application of those systems.
  • SPEA-J 524 Crisis Management in Public Safety (3 cr.) The identification and management of criminal justice and public safety crisis. Issues of psychological and behavioral responses to crisis, mitigation, contingency and response plans, coordination with governmental, nonprofit agencies and private corporations, crisis decision making, communication, infrastructure and proactive planning.  Practical crisis management techniques for use in public safety.
  • SPEA-J 528 Risk Analysis for Public Safety (3 cr.) An examination of theoretical foundations of risk analysis including the history of risk analysis, risk assessment, perception and communications; models for decision making, techniques for generating alternative courses of action and definitions of risk and opportunity within a context of local, state and federal regulatory guidelines, media and social context.
  • SPEA-J 531 Homeland Security in the United States (3 cr.) This course addresses federal policy and management issues related to preventing, mitigating, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from major catastrophic events; both natural and man-made, including acts of terrorism. Topics include emergency management, resource and response infrastructures, public health issues, best practices, crisis communications, and business and governmental continuity.
  • SPEA-J 550 Topics in Criminal Justice (1-3 cr.) Selected research and special topics in criminal justice and public safety. Yes
  • SPEA-J 582 Criminal Justice Systems (3 cr.) Detailed examination of operations of police, courts, and correctional agencies. Study of management problems in system response to criminal activity. Development of understanding of relationships 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. Circumstances leading to the commission of the criminal act, subsequent perceptions of them. Family, community, and other environments affecting criminal behavior. Behavioral consequences of processes of crime control.
  • 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 Safety (3 cr.) Methods and procedures involved in criminal justice and public safety planning and management. Administration and implementation of public policies in policing, courts, corrections, emergency management and homeland security. Organization, decision making, evaluation and human resource issues of public policy.
Environmental Science Courses
  • SPEA-E 510 Environmental Regulation and Compliance (3 cr.) The course provides an in-depth study of federal, state, and local regulations and requirements pertaining to the management of hazardous materials.
  • SPEA-E 511 Sustainability Assessment (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 538, SPEA-V 506 or equivalent. There has been a proliferation of various metrics that measure the sustainability of products, services, buildings, and institutions.   Three are developed: life cycle analysis (IS014040), the USGBC's LEED certification, and the AASHE's STARS metric. Various uses of these metrics to design products, certify performances, and improve outcomes will be evaluated.  
  • SPEA-E 515 Fundamentals of Air Pollution (3 cr.) The purpose of the course is to provide the student with an understanding of the field of air pollution, including the behavior of the atmosphere and pollutants in the atmosphere, effects of air pollution, regulatory programs, engineering controls, and air quality management programs.
  • SPEA-E 520 Environmental Toxicology (3 cr.) An examination of the principles of toxicology and the toxicity resulting from environmental exposure to chemical substances.
  • SPEA-E 526 Applied Mathematics for Environmental Science (3 cr.) P: differential and integral calculus. Applications of mathematics to modeling environmental processes. Applied calculus, numerical analysis, differential equations.
  • SPEA-E 527 Applied Ecology (3 cr.) P: one introductory-level ecology course. Ecosystem concepts in natural resource management. Techniques of ecosystem analysis. Principles and practices of ecological natural resource management.
  • SPEA-E 529 Application of Geographic Information Systems (3 cr.) Conceptual and technical overview of geographic information systems (GIS). Applications in various fields of public affairs and environmental science.
  • SPEA-E 533 Environmental Management Systems: ISO 14001 Based (3 cr.) This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to establish or improve an environmental management system that is compatible with ISO (International Organizations for Standardization) 14001, an international, voluntary standard that is emerging as a best-management practice for environment.
  • SPEA-E 535 International Environmental Policy (3 cr.) This course examines the forces in society alternately promoting and impeding cooperation in the environmental realm. Our inquiry is guided by four interrelated course units: (1) international environmental law, (2) international political order, (3) the environment and global markets, and (4) sustainable development.
  • SPEA-E 536 Environmental Chemistry (3 cr.) P: one course in chemistry with lab. Gas law calculations, stoichiometry, steady and nonsteady state box models, stratospheric ozone, chemical kinetics, photochemical smog, greenhouse effect, CO2 equilibria, chemodynamics, pesticides, and toxic metals.
  • SPEA-E 537 Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (3 cr.) P or C: E536 or consent of instructor. Experimental work in environmental chemical analysis to demonstrate analytical methods and instrumentation used in environmental laboratories, having reference to air, water, and soil quality.
  • SPEA-E 541 Controversies in Environmental Health (3 cr.) Research, presentation, writing, and argumentation skills will be developed using a debate format. The course focuses on topics related to environmental health and the health of the environment.
  • SPEA-E 542 Hazardous Materials (3 cr.) Topics of discussion include properties and chemistry of hazardous materials; recognition of potential hazards associated with the use, storage, and transport of these materials; emergency and spill response; health effects of hazardous materials; hazard communication and personal protection; and case studies related to the management of hazardous materials.
  • SPEA-E 546 Stream Ecology (3 cr.) P: E455. Advanced limnology course that explores patterns and processes characterizing stream ecosystems. Takes a holistic approach that includes: physical, chemical, and biological stream characteristics; watershed patterns; and stream processes (trophic dynamics, colonization and dispersal, community dynamics, and responses to change). A four-hour weekly lab and group project develop necessary analytical skills.
  • SPEA-E 547 Applied Earth Science (3 cr.) Principles of the earth sciences and their applications to environmental analysis and management. Identification, quantification, and analysis of critical components of watershed systems. Interaction of human activities with the physical environment.
  • SPEA-E 548 Applied Earth Science Laboratory (3 cr.) Principles and methods of sampling, collection, measurement, analysis, and interpretation of data concerning processes and features of the physical environment. Students will become familiar with field and laboratory equipment within the context of research projects. Emphasis is placed on practical application of basic techniques to real problems.
  • SPEA-E 549 Environmental Planning (3 cr.) Concepts and methodologies in environmental planning. The planning process. Topics may include environmental impact assessment, economic approaches to environmental decision-making, use of computer models in environmental planning, geographic information systems in environmental planning, environmental perception, and construction of environmental indices. Team projects with planning agencies.
  • SPEA-E 552 Environmental Engineering (3 cr.) Concerned with biological, chemical, physical, and engineering knowledge essential to the achievement of environmental quality objectives. Theory and design of unit operations and processes for air, water, and land pollution abatement. Emphasis on water quality control, industrial wastewater treatment, and solid waste management.
  • SPEA-E 555 Topics in Environmental Science (2-3 cr.) Selected research and discussion topics in environmental science. Usually organized in a seminar format.
  • SPEA-E 560 Environmental Risk Analysis (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 538, V 506 or consent of instructor Methods of probabilistic risk analysis applied to environmental situations. Event trees, fault trees, toxicological estimation, ecological risk analysis. Social and psychological aspects of risk. Individual and group projects assessing some real environmental risk are an important part of the course.
  • SPEA-E 562 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management (3 cr.) The purpose is to provide students with a technical foundation in areas of solid and hazardous waste management that can be applied to the examination of policy options. Topics include characterization of the waste stream, regulations, health and environmental risks, liability issues, management technologies, and treatment and disposal options.
  • SPEA-E 579 Readings in Environmental Science (1-6 cr.) Readings on selected topics in environmental science to be arranged with the individual instructor. Yes
  • SPEA-E 620 Environmental Analysis Workshop (3 cr.) Projects in environmental analysis.
  • SPEA-E 625 Research in Environmental Science (1-12 cr.) Research on selected topics in environmental science to be arranged with the individual instructor. Yes
Public Affairs Courses
  • SPEA-V 502 Public Management (1-3 cr.) Analysis of concepts, methods, and procedures involved in managing public organizations. Problems of organization, planning, decision making, performance evaluation, and 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 (1-3 cr.) This course focuses on the behavior and theory of public organizations in four areas: (1) individuals and groups in public organizations, (2) the design of public organizations, (3) organization-environment relations, and (4) interorganizational relations.
  • SPEA-V 506 Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making (3 cr.) Noncalculus survey of concepts in probability, estimation, and hypothesis testing. Applications of contingency table analysis and 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: E538 or V506. Focus on analytical models and their use in solving problems and making decisions in the public sector. Discussion of standard approaches to modeling and estimation of parameters.
  • 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 V506 and V507 may be presented, or more advanced examination of topics that are introduced in V506 or V507 may be presented.
  • 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, policymaking, 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 (1-3 cr.) An examination of the role of public affairs professionals in policy processes. Focuses on relationships with political actors in various policy areas.
  • SPEA-V 515 Sustainable Communities (3 cr.) Course explores proactive strategies for moving communities toward economic, social and environmental sustainability. Through case studies, projects, tours, and visiting professionals the new thinking in community design, from individual green buildings to regional scales of transportation, land use, commerce, natural systems restoration, waste, food, water, and energy is developed.
  • SPEA-V 516 Public Management Information Systems (3 cr.) This course focuses on the application of information systems concepts and tools to challenges and opportunities in the public sector. Topics covered will include current trends in information systems; managerial use of information systems; hardware, software, and telecommunications; systems development processes and practices; and strategic and policy issues in information systems.
  • SPEA-V 517 Public Management Economics (3 cr.) This course focuses on applications of the principles and concepts of intermediate microeconomic theory and managerial economics to public sector management decisions and policy analysis. The course utilizes case studies to give students opportunities to recognize the economic dimensions inherent in the public policy problems and to develop an analytical problem-solving orientation.
  • 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.) Same as PHST P521. The theory, size, scope, and functions of the nonprofit and voluntary sector are covered from multiple disciplinary perspectives including historical, political, economic, and social.
  • SPEA-V 522 Human Resource Management in Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.) This course provides an overview of the human resource management areas necessary for the productive functioning of nonprofit organizations. Theories of motivation applicable to the management of staff and volunteers and personnel topics of recruitment, selection, board-staff relations, compensation, training, and development are covered.
  • SPEA-V 523 Civil Society and Public Policy (3 cr.) Exploration of interaction of public policy and nonprofit organizations, drawing on history, political theory, and social science. Includes examination of regulations and taxation. Depending on instructor’s interests, course covers nonprofit role in selected policy arenas (such as environment and poverty) and industries (such as international development and health care).
  • SPEA-V 524 Civil Society in Comparative Perspective (3 cr.) An exploration of state-society relationships in a variety of regimes and time periods. Focuses on ways regimes’ policies affect the existence and contribution of those nongovernmental and nonprofit organizations that stand between the individual and the state and how nonprofit organizations shape the policy agenda of a regime.
  • SPEA-V 525 Management in the Nonprofit Sector (3 cr.) P: V521 or PHST P521. An examination of nonprofit organizations and their role in society. Management issues and public policy affecting these organizations are discussed. Primary emphasis is on 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. Grading is on an S/F basis.
  • SPEA-V 539 Management Science for Public Affairs (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 506 Focuses on management science methods as applied to public affairs. Includes treatment of decision theory, constrained optimization, and probability simulation.
  • SPEA-V 540 Law and Public Affairs (1-3 cr.) 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 541 Benefit-Cost Analysis of Public and Environmental Policies (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 517 or consent of instructor A course applying benefit-cost analysis to public and environmental policies. The first part of the course develops the foundation of benefit-cost analysis. The second part of the course consists of case studies applying benefit-cost analysis to actual policy decisions.
  • SPEA-V 542 Governmental Financial Accounting and Reporting (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 560 or corequisite C: SPEA-V 560 An introduction to the fundamentals of accounting in business, nonprofit, 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 organization theories are applied to an understanding of health care delivery settings.
  • SPEA-V 544 Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.) This course examines the concepts of marketing and the extent to which they apply to the nonprofit sector, as well as how marketing can assist organizations both in resource acquisition and program development/implementation. Contexts such as social marketing, arts marketing, fundraising, education, and health care marketing will be considered.
  • SPEA-V 545 The U.S. Health Care System (3 cr.) An analysis of the 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, in both 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 547 Negotiation and Dispute Resolution for Public Affairs (3 cr.) Students will learn the skill of interest-based negotiation through role play and simulation. Students will learn about dispute resolution techniques such as mediation, arbitration, fact finding, early neutral evaluation, ombudsmanship, and facilitation. The course covers dispute resolution in federal government and in the context of public, environmental, labor, and business disputes.
  • SPEA-V 550 Topics in Public Affairs (1-4 cr.) Selected research and discussion topics organized on a semester-by-semester basis, usually with significant student input in the course design. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • 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 fundraising 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 559 Principles and Practices of Social Entrepreneurship (3 cr.) This course will survey issues in social entrepreneurship and engage students in completing class projects applying principles and practices of social entrepreneurship to problems of nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and social-purpose business.
  • SPEA-V 560 Public Finance and Budgeting (1-3 cr.) The fiscal role of government in a mixed economy; sources of public revenue and credit; 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.) Analysis of the structure, operations, and design of public personnel systems, including government agencies and public enterprise. Relationships between public policy and personnel concepts, values, and operations are considered.
  • SPEA-V 562 Public Program Evaluation (1-3 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 564 Urban Management (3 cr.) This course deals with the management of public policy in American urban government, with special attention to the relationships between 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.) The course offers an in-depth examination of factors that contribute to successful executive leadership practice in a wide variety of organizational settings. Topics include what leadership is, what impact leadership has, and how leaders use various approaches and powers to achieve their goals.
  • SPEA-V 569 Managing Interpersonal Relations (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 502 This course will teach students the theory and application of individual and group human behavior. Key interpersonal skills will be modeled expertly on videotape. Students will be expected to practice these key skills and receive feedback on their performance.
  • SPEA-V 570 Public Sector Labor Relations (1-3 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 in order to focus on a particular research interest.
  • SPEA-V 580 Readings in Public Affairs (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor Readings on selected topics in public affairs. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • 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.) Students hold work assignments with public agencies. Grading is on an S/F basis. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 586 Public Safety in the U.S. (2-3 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 (1-6 cr.) P: Consent of instructor Research on selected topics in public affairs. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 595 Managerial Decision Making (1-3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 504 and V 539 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 597 Land Use Planning (3 cr.) The course examines the theoretical basis and practical need for land use planning. Emphasis is placed on the institutional context in which land use planning occurs. The course provides an in-depth analysis and exercise in plan preparations.
  • SPEA-V 598 Governing and Leading in a Global Society (3 cr.) This gateway course will increase the student’s appreciation of the role of the profession in governance across multiple sectors of society within the global context.  Students will learn norms associated with effective practice and frame a professional development plan to acquire the leadership skills to support these norms.
  • SPEA-V 600 Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs (3 cr.) Interdisciplinary course designed to expose students to the realities of the policy process through detailed analyses of case studies and projects. Course integrates science, technology, policy, and management.
  • 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.) P: V502. 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 639 Managing Government Operations (3 cr.) P: V502. 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 645 Environmental Law (3 cr.) An overview of U.S. environmental law. Key environmental statutes are examined, as are court decisions interpreting those statutes. Topics include water and air pollution, hazardous waste, toxins, pesticides, and environmental impact statements.
  • SPEA-V 650 Topics in Public Personnel Management (1-3 cr.) P: V561. Readings and research on selected topics in the public personnel field. Topics may include such subjects as affirmative action, occupational health and safety, workforce forecasting and planning, and personnel approaches to position classification.
  • SPEA-V 652 Managing Work Force Diversity in Public Organizations (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 502 Explores and applies theoretical and empirical research from a management perspective on workforce diversity. Topics include theories and constructs pertaining to diversity in work organizations, organizational postures toward workplace diversity, the interface between heterogeneity, work processes, and management practices; and the effects of heterogeneity on work-related outcomes.
  • SPEA-V 662 Public Program Management and Contracting (3 cr.) An examination of theories, concepts, and processes concerning multi-actor program implementation and alternative forms of service delivery. Focus will be on the problems and challenges public managers face in designing and managing contractual relationships, networks, and other complex implementation structures.
  • SPEA-V 662 Seminar in Productivity and Program Evaluation (3 cr.) Examines the problem of rigorously determining the productivity of governmental services, including problems of defining and measuring public products, specifying public service inputs, and statistically estimating public service production functions. Concepts are given concrete application through careful investigation of attempts to measure productivity of governmental services.
Undergraduate Courses
Criminal Justice Courses
  • SPEA-J 101 The American Criminal Justice System (3 cr.) Introduction to the criminal justice system of the United States and its function in contemporary society.
  • SPEA-J 150 Public Safety in America (3 cr.) The protection of persons and property involves a number of public and private organizations. This course examines the roles that agencies working within the fire services, emergency management, criminal justice, and the private security sector play in securing public safety in the United States.
  • SPEA-J 201 Theoretical Foundations of Criminal Justice Policies (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 This course examines the impact of sociological, biological, and economic theories of crime and the practice of criminal justice. Focus is on 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 Resources (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 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.) Forensic science and the criminal justice system. Evidence collection and analysis. Forensic chemistry including drugs and trace evidence; biology including blood spatter and DNA; pathology; entomology; anthropology; and forensic science and the law.  Please note that students taking this course cannot also receive credit for J322.
  • SPEA-J 222 Murder in America: Causes and Consequences (3 cr.) 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.) Study of selected issues in criminal justice. Topics vary from semester to semester. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-J 272 Terrorism and Public Policy (3 cr.) This course surveys terrorism in democratic societies, with an emphasis on public policy responses designed to combat terrorism. Overviews 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.) This course will examine the influence of diversity issues such as race, ethnicity, class, and gender on crime and the treatment of underrepresented groups thoughout the American criminal justice system.
  • SPEA-J 301 Substantive Criminal Law (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 Recommended: SPEA-J 201, SPEA-J 202 The development, limitations, and application of substantive criminal law utilizing the case-study method.
  • SPEA-J 302 Procedural Criminal Law (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 Criminal law application and procedure from the initiation of police activity through the correctional process, utilizing the case-study method.
  • SPEA-J 303 Evidence (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 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-J 101 Legal problems from conviction to release: pre-sentence investigations, sentencing, probation and parole, incarceration, loss and restoration of civil rights.
  • SPEA-J 305 Juvenile Justice (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 This course is designed to provide an overview of the justice system’s response to abused, neglected, and dependent 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-J 101 Recommended: SPEA-J 201, SPEA-J 202 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 selection, and the conduct of trials, sentencing, and appeal.
  • SPEA-J 310 Introduction to Administrative Processes (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 Introduction to principles of management and systems theory for the administration of criminal justice agencies. Credit not given for both J310 and V270.
  • SPEA-J 312 White Collar Crime (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 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-J 101 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-J 101 Recommended: SPEA-J 201, J 202 This course will examine the history, evolution, and organization of policing in the United States. Emphasis is placed on such major contemp-orary issues as the police role, discretion, use of force, corruption, accountability, and community policing.
  • SPEA-J 322 Introduction to Criminalistics (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 Recommended: SPEA-J 301 The broad range of physical evidence developed through the investigative process, and methods of identifying and establishing validity and relevance through forensic laboratory techniques.
  • SPEA-J 324 Technology, Crime, and Public Safety (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 Focuses on role of technological systems in criminal justice, system types available, evolving applications, usages by public safety organizations, technology use by criminals and terrorists, the management and organizational effects of technologies, training, cost issues, anticipated impacts of technologies, and the political and legal implications for citizens and the public.
  • SPEA-J 331 Corrections (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 Recommended: SPEA-J 201, J 202 This course examines the historical development of the American correctional system and the study of administration of local, state, and federal corrections programs, including jails, probation, community corrections, and prisons. Includes the study of punishment rationales, current correctional policies, and possibilities for reform.
  • SPEA-J 355 Global Criminal Justice Perspectives (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 An international review of select criminal justice perspectives and systems within the primary legal traditions of common, civil, Islamic, and socialist systems, as well as those that do not fit into established categories, such as Native American and African tribal justice.
  • SPEA-J 369 Private Justice: Police, Courts, and Corrections (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 This course examines the role of private policing and security, courts and adjudication, and corrections. Includes legislative and ethical issues and the economics of criminal and juvenile justice privatization. Principles of loss prevention, protection of assets, relationship between public and private services, current issues in privatization.
  • SPEA-J 370 Seminar in Criminal Justice (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 Selected contemporary topics in criminal justice. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-J 376 Principles of Public Safety (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 Examination of threats to public safety and of 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 (1-6 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. Course is graded S/F (Satisfactory/Fail). This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-J 387 Foundations of Homeland Security (3 cr.) Examination of the theory and research driving homeland security and emergency management measures and an analytical look at the practices and principles of homeland security from an empirical perspective.
  • SPEA-J 426 Mapping & Analysis-Public Safety (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 or SPEA-J 150 The use of the geographic information systems to map locations of events and analyze patterns for decision making in areas of public safety including criminal justice, fire services, emergency management, and homeland security.
  • SPEA-J 429 Public Safety Management and Leadership (3 cr.) This capstone course is designed to examine the major public management principles, policy concerns, and leadership theories learned in an undergraduate management curriculum as they relate to how public safety is achieved in the field and in the policy making arena.
  • SPEA-J 433 Institutional Corrections (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 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: SPEA-J 201, J 202 and K 300 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-J 101 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 Corrections (3 cr.) P: SPEA-J 101 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-J 101 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 role in seeking to reduce the incidence of crime.
  • SPEA-J 470 Seminar in Criminal Justice (1-3 cr.) P: Senior Standing 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 and consent of instructor Individual research under guidance of faculty member. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-E 100 Environmental Topics (1-3 cr.) Study of selected issues in environmental affairs. Topics vary from semester to semester. This course is repeatable.
  • 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. Credit not given for both SPEA-E 162 and E 262.
  • SPEA-E 272 Introduction to Environmental Sciences (3 cr.) P: statistics Application of principles from life and physical sciences to the understanding and management of the environment. Emphasis will be placed on (1) the physical and biological restraints on resource availability and use, and (2) the technological and scientific options to solving environmental problems.
  • SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies (1-3 cr.) An interdisciplinary consideration of specific environmental topics. This course is repeatable.
  • SPEA-E 412 Risk Communication (3 cr.) Risk communication is the means by which technical information is communicated to others (the public included), especially in the context of making decisions about environmentally related policy (such as siting of a landfill). The course emphasizes both theory (in lectures) and practical experience through developing and acting in role-play scenarios.
  • SPEA-E 431 Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 272, CHEM-C 101 or equivalent, and MATH-M 119 or equivalent Health and ecological premises for water and wastewater treatment; principles of water supply; treatment, distribution, and construction; basis for water standards and laboratory examinations; wastewater disposal methods and construction for private installations, institutions, municipalities, and industries; water quality control with respect to wastewater pollution.
  • SPEA-E 451 Air Pollution and Control (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 272, CHEM-C 101 or equivalent, and MATH-M 118 or equivalent A survey course covering the chemistry, transport, and fate of air pollutants related to current issues of air quality, such as photochemical smog, ozone depletion, particulate matter, and indoor air quality. Topics include the types, sources, health and environmental effects, measurement, evaluation, control, regulation, and modeling of air pollution concentrations.
  • SPEA-E 452 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management (3 cr.) P: SPEA-E 272 Types and sources of solid waste; collection methods; disposal techniques: sanitary landfill, incineration, composting, reclaiming, or recycling; advantages and disadvantages of each; special and hazardous waste handling; operation and management of solid and hazardous waste programs.
  • SPEA-E 476 Environmental Law and Regulation (3 cr.) Introductory course in environmental law and regulation. Subjects covered include command and control regulation, air quality, water quality, toxics, waste management, energy, natural resources, international environmental law, and alternative dispute resolution.
  • SPEA-E 490 Directed Field Research in Environmental Science (1-4 cr.) Individualized laboratory or field-based research in any field of environmental science, under the direction of an advising professor. Students are expected to write a report on their research at the end of each semester. May be used to fulfill laboratory course requirement with the permission of the appropriate science department.
  • SPEA-E 491 Honors Research in Environmental Science (1-4 cr.) Individualized laboratory or field-based honors research in any field of environmental science, under direction of an advising professor. Students are expected to write a report on their research at the end of each semester. May be used to fulfill laboratory course requirement with permission of the appropriate science department.
Public Affairs Courses
  • SPEA-K 300 Statistical Techniques (3 cr.) P: MATH M 014 or equivalent Recommended: MATH-M 118 Nature of statistical data. Ordering and manipulation of data. Measures of central tendency and dispersion. Elementary probability. Concepts of statistical inference decision: estimation and hypothesis testing. Special topics discussed may include regression and correlation, analysis of variance, nonparametric methods. Credit not given for both K300 and either ECON E270/E370, SOC S250, or PSY/MATH K310.
  • SPEA-K 301 Statistics Laboratory (1 cr.) C: SPEA-K 300 This course is an optional 1 credit hour module to accompany K300 and must be taken concurrently with K300. The course focuses on application of techniques being taught in K300. The course will allow students to obtain tutoring with specific problems. K301 sessions will be linked with K300 lectures.
  • SPEA-V 100 Current Topics in Public Affairs (1-3 cr.) Readings and discussion of current public issues and problems. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 170 Introduction to Public Affairs (3 cr.) Broad coverage of public affairs through critical and analytical inquiry into policy making at all levels of government. Particular emphasis on intergovernmental relations as they affect policy in the federal system. Credit not given for both V160 and V170.
  • SPEA-V 221 Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector (3 cr.) This course provides a broad overview of the United States nonprofit sector. Topics include the sector’s size and scope and its religious, historical, and theoretical underpinnings. It also examines perspectives on why people organize, donate to, and volunteer for nonprofit organizations and looks at current challenges that the sector faces.
  • SPEA-V 241 Management Foundations and Approaches (3 cr.) This course examines core functions of management and the political socioeconomic context within which organizations operate in different sectors of employment. It is organized into five main parts: what management entails, approaches to the study of management, contextual factors, core issues, and management functions. Course concludes with a capstone exercise.
  • SPEA-V 246 Elements of Governmental and Nonprofit Financial Accounting Cycle (3 cr.) This is a course designed to prepare students for next-level courses in governmental accounting and reporting, nonprofit accounting and reporting, and health accounting and finance.
  • SPEA-V 252 Career Development (3 cr.) Career planning and placement strategies, assessment of labor market information, market surveys, and development of customized portfolios. Emphasis given to projects, papers, and independent research.
  • SPEA-V 260 Topics in Public Affairs (1-3 cr.) Study of selected issues in public affairs. Topics vary from semester to semester. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • 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.) This course is an examination of the management process in public organizations in the United States. Special attention will be given to external influences on public managers, the effect of the intergovernmental environment and, in particular, problems of management in a democratic, limited government system.
  • SPEA-V 264 Urban Structure and Policy (3 cr.) An introduction to urban government and policy issues. Topics include urban government structure and policy making, the economic foundations and development of cities, demography of cities and suburbs, land-use planning, and other selected urban policy problems. Credit not given for both SPEA V161 and SPEA V264.
  • SPEA-V 270 Survey of Administrative Techniques (3 cr.) Introduction to principles of management and systems theory for the administration of public agencies. Credit not given for both V270 and J310.
  • SPEA-V 272 Terrorism and Public Policy (3 cr.) A survey of the incidence of terrorism in democratic societies, with particular emphasis on public policy responses designed to combat terrorism in cities. Overviews of ongoing conflicts with terrorist organizations in various countries are interspersed with analyses of significant terrorist events and the public policies and responses such events create.
  • 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 these problems for local government administrators.
  • SPEA-V 346 Introduction to Government Accounting and Financial Reporting (3 cr.) P: BUS-A 200 or A 201 or consent of instructor An introduction to government accounting, including comparison with accounting for the private sector, intended as background for the use of financial administrators. The course deals primarily with municipal accounting. Not open to students with more than 7 credit hours of accounting.
  • SPEA-V 348 Management Science (3 cr.) P: SPEA-K 300, MATH M025 or MATH-M 118 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 familiarity with computers is recommended, though not required.
  • SPEA-V 350 Introduction to Development Administration (3 cr.) Introduction to the administration of development activities in poor countries. Examines key problems, including the complexity of development, the interplay of external donors and domestic administration, and the difficulties of organizing and managing development efforts. Combines cases and textual readings, allowing the student to analyze actual programs, policies, and projects.
  • SPEA-V 352 Personal Career Planning (1 cr.) Investigation of careers, the world of work, and the career planning process. The focal point is on students and their goals. Provides assistance in developing practical, meaningful, and realistic insights into the nature of making a public career choice in today’s world. Credit not awarded for both V352 and BUS X420.
  • SPEA-V 356 Introduction to Nonprofit Accounting and Reporting (3 cr.) P: P: BUS-A 200 or A 201 or consent of instructor This course covers concepts and processes of nonprofit accounting and financial reporting with exploration of differences between for-profit, governmental, and nonprofit systems. Examples will be drawn from health organizations, welfare agencies, charities, and educational institutions.
  • SPEA-V 361 Financial Management (3 cr.) P: BUS-A 200 or BUS-A 201 This course introduces students to accounting, financial management techniques, and financial reporting. Topics include accounting, debit/credit sheets and balance sheets, financial indicators, fund balances, fringe benefits and pensions, and payroll management.
  • SPEA-V 362 Nonprofit Management and Leadership (3 cr.) Students in this course examine the management practices of nonprofit organizations. The course encourages students to take the perspectives of nonprofit managers, volunteers, board members, policy makers, donors, and clients. Course projects expand understanding of the nonprofit sector and develop students’ management skills, analytical tools, and knowledge.
  • SPEA-V 365 Urban Development and Planning (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 264 and K 300 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 these 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.) P: SPEA-V 348 Application of analytical techniques to operating decisions in public management sector. 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 369 Managing Information Technology (3 cr.) Analysis and application of information technology to problem solving.
  • SPEA-V 370 Research Methods and Statistical Modeling (3 cr.) P: SPEA-K 300 or equivalent This course will introduce the student to the basic methods, issues, analytical techniques, and ethical considerations of evaluation research.
  • SPEA-V 371 Financing Public Affairs (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 170, ECON-E 201, and E 202 A survey of economic and political theories of market failures, public expenditure evaluation, economic stabilization, systems of redistribution, and fiscal federalism. Examples and applications to contemporary government decisions.
  • SPEA-V 372 Government Finance and Budgets (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 170, ECON-E 201 or E 202 Study of fiscal management in public agencies, including revenue administration, debt management, and public budgeting.
  • SPEA-V 373 Human Resources Management in the Public Sector (3 cr.) The organization and operation 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 EMS 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 course’s major objective 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-V 376 An introduction to the American legal system, including the Constitution, courts system, and administrative law in federal and state agencies. Readings and discussion center around current issues affected by the legal process.
  • SPEA-V 378 Policy Processes in the United States (3 cr.) P: senior standing. Intended as an integrative senior course, primarily for SPEA students. Course content includes analytical 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 379 Performance Measurement and Program Evaluation (3 cr.) This course provides an overview of program evaluation as it relates to public affairs, criminal justice, health policy, and environmental science, with particular emphasis on measuring program outcomes. The course is designed for students who envision themselves working in management, policy making, or research roles.
  • SPEA-V 380 Internship in Public and Environmental Affairs (0-6 cr.) P: Consent of instructor Open to interested students upon approval of the 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. Course is graded S/F. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 381 Professional Experience (1-6 cr.) Students will be required to fulfill a minimum of 120 hours of relevant professional work.
  • SPEA-V 382 Political Action and Civic Engagement (3 cr.) Examines citizen efforts to effect social change, with an emphasis upon political movements and parties as mechanisms for achieving that change.
  • SPEA-V 386 Case Studies for Policy Analysis (3 cr.) This course focuses on analyzing case studies of public policies using a variety of disciplinary perspectives, including application of the principles and concepts of intermediate microeconomic theory.
  • SPEA-V 390 Readings in Public and Environmental Affairs (0-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor Independent readings and research related to a topic of special interest to the student. Written report required. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 391 Honors Readings in Public and Environmental Affairs (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor and honors advisor Restricted to students in SPEA Honors Program. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 401 Financial and Cost-Benefit Analysis (3 cr.) This course familiarizes students with the principles of financial analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and Kaldor/Hicks accounting. Topics include net present value calculation, net annual worth, public and private decision criteria, and market data adjustment for taxes, rents, and other market distortions.
  • SPEA-V 405 Public Law and the Legislative Process (3 cr.) This course focuses on Congress as a policy-making body in the United States public law system. It covers the constitutional framework for congressional operations as well as technical aspects of the legislative process such as bill drafting and analysis, the role of leadership, and the prerogatives of individual members.
  • SPEA-V 406 Public Law and the Electoral Process (3 cr.) The purpose of this course is to facilitate understanding of the interaction of electoral politics and policy. It covers the legal framework of the evolution of the “right” to vote, the impact of the judiciary on the structure of elections, limitations on campaign practices, and the importance of legislative districting and its control.
  • SPEA-V 408 Individual Rights, Common Goods and Public Policies (3 cr.) Considers the tension between individual and majoritarian rights in our constitutional system, and the effects of that tension on the formulation of public policy.
  • SPEA-V 412 Leadership and Ethics (3 cr.) This course is designed to examine the complex leadership issues and challenges facing communities and explore how citizens and government can work together to address these challenges. This includes exploration of how the problems, conflicts, and dilemmas encountered by leaders when making decisions must be considered within an ethical framework.
  • 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 422 Transportation Policy Analysis (3 cr.) This course examines current issues in transportation to identify the key analytic and management issues that must be considered in developing effective public policy. Particular emphasis will be placed on examining the rationale for and actual impact of existing government policies, and on analyzing the likely impacts of policy alternatives.
  • 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 435 Negotiation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (1-4 cr.) This course introduces students to the theories and techniques of alternative dispute resolution. The course covers interest-based negotiation, mediation, arbitration, fact finding, early neutral evaluation, and other techniques used in business, labor relations, environmental disputes, family relations, and international affairs.
  • SPEA-V 436 Communication for Government and Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.) This course will develop an appreciation regarding the critical nature of communication by managers in the public and nonprofit sector. It will introduce students to the skills critical to effective communication as professionals.
  • SPEA-V 438 Mass Media and Public Affairs (3 cr.) Course will analyze the role of the media in the formation of public policy, including the responsibility of journalists, legal and ethical constraints, business pressures and their effects, impact of technology, and similar issues.
  • SPEA-V 441 Topics in Financial Management and Policy (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 372 Various topics focusing on financial management and policy are examined in state and local settings. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 442 Topics in Budgeting or Cost/Benefit (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 372 Various topics in budgeting or cost/benefit analysis are examined. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 443 Managing Workforce Diversity (3 cr.) The composition and nature of the work force is changing. Managers must decide how to accommodate real differences among the members of their organizations. This course seeks to provide information for practitioners who hope to integrate an understanding of workforce diversity into their management style and professional behavior.
  • 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 on the White House and the Office of Management and Budget in the executive branch. Selected major policy areas will be considered.
  • SPEA-V 449 Policy Senior Seminar (3 cr.) P: 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. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 451 Social Policy and the Aging (3 cr.) A focused examination of government and the elderly. Public policy and administration of income, health, housing, employment, and social service programs, as well as analysis of the context of aging policy.
  • SPEA-V 456 Topics in Public Law (3 cr.) Extensive analysis of selected contemporary issues in public law. Topics vary from semester to semester. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 457 Management Science in the Public Sector (3 cr.) P: V348, CSCI C211, and K300. An intermediate treatment of management science methods with primary application to public managerial decision support. Topics include network analysis, queuing, simulation, and others. Computer-based analysis is emphasized.
  • SPEA-V 458 Fund Development for Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.) Course builds an understanding of the practice, philosophy, law, and theory of fundraising. Students establish an organization’s value base and mission, prepare funding appeals, evaluate readiness for a campaign, assess funding sources, implement fundraising vehicles, evaluate effectiveness, and discuss stewardship of contributions.
  • SPEA-V 460 Intergovernmental Relations (3 cr.) Overview of the dynamics of multiorganizational governance in the United States. Examination of federal and other systems. Structure and operations of intergovernmental programs and the role of managers within these systems.
  • SPEA-V 461 Computer Applications in Public Affairs (3 cr.) P: BUS K201. This course is designed to provide 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 or microcomputers and minicomputers.
  • SPEA-V 462 Community Development (3 cr.) The process and outcomes of local citizen-based efforts to improve social, economic, and cultural conditions. Interaction of public and nonprofit sectors in community revitalization. Experiences, cases, and problems involving both rural and urban settings.
  • SPEA-V 463 Interpersonal Relations in the Workplace (1-4 cr.) Key interpersonal skills will be modeled through a variety of media and experiences. Students will practice these skills and receive feedback. Students will be expected to participate in structured experiences designed to give them insight into their behavior and how it will affect their ability to achieve personal and professional objectives.
  • SPEA-V 465 Geographic Information Systems for Public and Environmental Affairs (3 cr.) P: V261 and V369. Students will learn the concepts, methodologies, and perspectives essential for using geographic information systems (GIS) to address critical public affairs issues. Through course projects, students will learn how to use desktop and Internet-based GIS applications and will develop complementary skills related to designing and implementing GIS applications for public-sector organizations.
  • SPEA-V 470 Community Development Workshop (3 cr.) This course will be conducted as an undergraduate research workshop. The focus will be on community development problems, such as long-range planning, the delivery of government services, or local economic development. The research topic of the course will change each year and will be announced the preceding semester.
  • SPEA-V 471 Urban Management Systems (3 cr.) P: V348 and senior standing. This course is designed to extend the student’s skill in applying a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods to the problems of urban government planning and management.
  • SPEA-V 473 Management, Leadership, and Policy (3 cr.) P: SPEA-K 300 and V 370 This course seeks to integrate learning across the public affairs curriculum. Students will review and reflect about their learning in management, leadership, and policy. Experiential methods—service learning, projects, cases, and exercises—will be used to help students apply theory, concepts, and skills.
  • SPEA-V 475 Database Management Systems (3 cr.) P: SPEA-V 261, V 369 or equivalent Students learn contemporary theories and methodologies regarding design, use, and management of database systems among public-sector organizations. The course provides hands-on experience with tools such as entity-relationship diagrams, query languages, database management software; and an understanding of critical database management issues such as security, backup, and recovery.
  • SPEA-V 490 Directed Research in Public and Environmental Affairs (0-3 cr.) To be arranged with the individual instructor and approved by the chairperson of the undergraduate program. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 491 Honors Research in Public and Environmental Affairs (1-3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor and honors advisor Restricted to students in the SPEA Honors Program. This course may be repeated for credit.
  • SPEA-V 499 Honors Thesis (3 cr.) P: Consent of instructor and honors advisor Research and paper to be arranged with individual instructor and approved by the campus SPEA Honors Program director. This course may be repeated for credit.