Public Administration (PA)

PA 401. Foundations of Public Service. 3 or 4 hours.

Examines political, legal, economic and social environment of public service, internal dynamics of public organizations, relationship between public organizations and external stakeholders, and ethical and moral challenges. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Previously listed as PA 400. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MPA program or consent of the instructor.

PA 402. Principles of Data Analysis. 0-4 hours.

Topics and methods of analyzing information relevant to the administration and management of public programs and organizations. Includes causation, univariate statistics, significance testing, correlation, and regression. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours; 4 graduate hours. Previously listed as PA 407.

PA 403. Economics for Management and Policy. 3 or 4 hours.

Basic economic tools and methods relevant to public admin and current policy: opportunity cost, supply and demand, rational choice, production costs, competition vs monopoly, and economic efficiency versus equity, market failure, and public goods. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Previously listed as PA 410. Prerequisite(s): Appropriate score on the department placement test and graduate standing and admission to the MPA program; or consent of the instructor.

PA 412. Addressing Public Problems with Data. 3 or 4 hours.

Intended to explore best practices for utilizing data and innovative approaches to application development while ensuring commitment to the public values of access, equity, and sustainability. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours; 4 graduate hours.

PA 421. Public Management. 3 or 4 hours.

Theories, concepts, and applications of management in public organizations. Topics include bureaucracy, public versus private organizations, leadership, motivation, and managing organization change, discretion, and networks. Course Information: Previously listed as PA 415. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MPA program or consent of the instructor.

PA 422. Project Management. 4 hours.

A comprehensive review of project management practices and techniques necessary to successfully manage projects in government and non-profit organizations which is rooted largely in Project Management Institute (PMI) standards and practices. Course Information: Previously listed as PA 462.

PA 431. Civic Technology. 3 or 4 hours.

Application of the Internet and related technologies for public management. Topics include, Web-based service delivery, online governance, the technological divide, the use of social media, and the changing role of public managers. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Previously listed as PA 463.

PA 432. Management of Information Technology. 3 or 4 hours.

The management of technology in government and nonprofit organizations, including typical organizational models; technology roles, skills, and leadership; integration of technology with business operations; and common technology challenges.Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Previously listed as PA 461. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or Admission to the MPA program or consent of the instructor.

PA 433. Data Management. 3 or 4 hours.

An overview of the use and leveraging of data in order to allow government and nonprofit organizations to make better decisions and improve operations. Topics to be covered will include the concepts of data management and governance. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Previously listed as PA 460. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing; or admission to the MPA program or consent of the instructor.

PA 434. Data Analytics. 3 or 4 hours.

An introduction to data analytics concepts, including the latest practices for gaining better value from data. An emphasis will be placed upon hands-on use and application of data analytics techniques. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Extensive computer use required. Meets eight weeks of the semester.

PA 435. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Public Managers. 4 hours.

Fundamental GIS tools and applications as well as the challenges in implementing and sustaining a GIS function in the public setting.

PA 446. Coding for Civic Data Applications. 3 or 4 hours.

Designed to provide students with the advanced technical skills for coding, transforming, and displaying data within existing commercial platforms. Emphasis is placed on the use of and R and Python, SQL, data scraping, mining, etc. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): PA 402 or PA 434; or consent of the instructor. Recommended background: Familiarity with coding environments and programming. To be properly registered, students must enroll in one Lecture and one Laboratory.

PA 447. Survey Planning and Design. 3 hours.

Theory and applications of sample survey planning and design for conducting research in health sciences and related fields. Addresses three major topics: survey design and planning, sampling, and data collection procedures. Course Information: Same as CHSC 447. Prerequisite(s): Graduate or professional standing and BSTT 400 and CHSC 446; or approval of the department.Recommended background: Credit in CHSC 446 or the equivalent.

PA 452. The UIC Freshwater Lab Course. 3 or 4 hours.

Brings a Humanities lens to the Great Lakes watershed to examine how water interacts with socio-political systems, legal structures, cultural perceptions, and artistic visions. Course Information: Same as ENGL 452 and UPP 452. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 160 and ENGL 161.

PA 453. Freshwater Lab in Practice: Environmental Research, Projects, and Internships. 3 or 4 hours.

Investigates key issues surrounding Great Lakes water governance through a combination of hands-on research and professional development in fields related to environmental policy, planning, writing and communication. Course Information: Same as ENGL 453 and UPA 453. 3 undergraduate hours; 4 graduate hours. This course offers an internship placement opportunity. Depending on placement/start date, students may begin internship work during the second half of the semester or during the summer. Prerequisite(s): ENGL 160 and ENGL 161.

PA 464. Technology and Innovation Theory. 4 hours.

The course focuses on theories surrounding the creation, development, transfer, and use of technology. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Ph.D. in Public Administration program or consent of the instructor.

PA 466. Science, Technology and Public Policy. 4 hours.

This course addresses the relationships between public policy and science and technology in the United States. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Ph.D. in Public Administration program or consent of the instructor.

PA 467. Civic Engagement. 3 or 4 hours.

Analytic frameworks and practical strategies for utilizing public participation in government and community decisions. Investigates interactions between civic participation, efforts to improve administration of programs and develop new public policies. Course Information: Same as PPOL 467. 3 undergraduate hours; 4 graduate hours. Previously listed as PA 564. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MPA program or consent of instructor.

PA 468. Topics in Management and Leadership of Public Organizations. 3 or 4 hours.

Examines management and leadership issues through experiences of current and former public managers, political appointees, elected officials, and other key public leaders. Emphasis on topics from Illinois and Chicago metropolitan region. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MPA program or consent of instructor .

PA 470. AI & Machine Learning. 3 or 4 hours.

Introduces students to public sector applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning. It begins with the philosophical foundations of artificial intelligence before introducing students to major frameworks for learning. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Master of Public Administration program or consent of the instructor.

PA 490. Field Experience in Public Policy and Administration. 4 hours.

Students work in an organization such as a government agency, community group, or nonprofit organization. Students are required to submit written work and meet with professor on periodic basis to review work experience. Course Information: Same as PPOL 490. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. May be repeated. A maximum of 4 hours of credit may be applied to the Master of Public Administration program. Field work required. Students who have no prior work experience in the public or non-profit sectors are strongly recommended to register for this course. Prerequisite(s): Graduate standing required; and admission to the MPA program or consent of the instructor.

PA 494. Special Topics in Public Administration. 3 or 4 hours.

Consideration of timely or enduring issues in public administration not available in regularly offered courses. Course Information: 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the MPA program or consent of the instructor.