NSU 2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog

424 Nova Southeastern University • Undergraduate Student Catalog • 2014–2015 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS the social and political influences that have shaped the field’s development, and be challenged to evaluate the relevance of public administration thought for the practice of governance. Prerequisite: PADM 1000. PADM 2900 Research Methods in Public Administration I (3 credits) This course is an introduction to analytical tools used in government research. Topics covered include descriptive and inferential statistics, sampling, and hypothesis testing. Additionally, students will use SPSS software, and evaluate research data from public administration journals. Prerequisite: PADM 1000. PADM 3000 Public Policy (3 credits) This course focuses on the public policy process in the United States and how potential ideas for government action are translated from concepts into reality. In addition to providing a basic overview of the processes of policy formulation and implementation, this course introduces some of the major stakeholders and actors, both formal and informal, in the world of policymaking. This course examines the policy process at the national level as well as policy-making by state and municipal governments, and explores the political contexts in which policies are made, administered, analyzed, and challenged. Prerequisite: PADM 1000. PADM 3200 Public Budgeting (3 credits) Public budgeting is the study of how scarce public resources are allocated among competing interests in a political environment. Though resource allocation decisions are essentially economic, fiscal policy decisions are made through public institutions and political processes. This course introduces students to the policies, procedures, and skills relevant to financial management in public sector organizations. The emphasis is on the practice of budgeting, financial reporting, revenue generation, capital budgeting, and debt management. The purpose of the course is to provide the knowledge and skills that all public administration students need as preparation for careers in public policy and management, and to provide a solid foundation for those who wish to study more advanced topics in government policy and finance. Prerequisite: PADM 1000. PADM 3400 Managing Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits) Nonprofit organizations are vitally important in today’s society. Many essential goods and services are channeled through nonprofits. Nonprofits are the primary source of service delivery for many charitable resources and services under-produced by the private sector. Nonprofits are becoming increasingly more involved in political and public- policy setting activities. This course is an introduction to managing issues in nonprofit organizations. Topics covered include establishing and fulfilling PADM 2100 Principles of Management in Public Administration (3 credits) This is an introductory course focusing on basic management theories, concepts, principles, and practices. Topics include organizational culture and change, human resource management, groups, teams, motivation, leadership, and managerial functions. Students are challenged to explore and evaluate techniques for structuring and resolving managerial problems in public and nonprofit organizations. Prerequisite: PADM 1000. PADM 2200 Leadership of Public Organizations (3 credits) This course exposes students to definitions and conceptualizations of organizational leadership with emphasis on leadership of public bureaucracies. Theories of leadership are examined to identify the skills, qualities and characteristics commonly attributed to the effective leader. Leadership will be examined and linked to various organizational contexts including power, gender, personality, culture, and development. Differences in leadership roles in public and private sector organizations are also explored. Prerequisite: PADM 1000. PADM 2300 Public Sector Employment and Benefits Management (3 credits) Human resource management personnel are actively involved in the selection, hiring, training, compensation, job analysis, and performance evaluation functions in public and nonprofit organizations. This course explores each of these functions in turn. Additionally, this course is an introduction to issues encountered by human resource management personnel in the public sector as they perform this vital work. This overview course provides students, future government employees, and future government managers with a foundation for developing human resource management skills and an appreciation for the fact human resource management involves much more than “red tape” and “pushing paper”. Prerequisite: PADM 1000. PADM 2500 Administrative Ethics (3 credits) This course will provide students with an understanding of the core assumptions of the major ethical theories. Armed with this knowledge, students will evaluate ethical dilemmas in the public service, and analyze the role social and political forces play in shaping these dilemmas. Prerequisite: PADM 1000. PADM 2600 Public Administration Theory (3 credits) This course exposes students to the historical foundations and philosophical assumptions of Public Administration theory. Course readings include the “classic” works of the discipline’s pioneers supplemented with works of contemporary public administration scholars. Upon completion of this course the student will understand