[an error occurred while processing this directive]Public Policy/Administration
Dorothy Donahoe Hall, C107
(661) 664-2181
(661) 664-2438 (fax)
email: dmaddox@csub.edu
email: ppadept@csub.edu
Interim Chair: Ronald W. Eaves
Faculty: J. Goldsmith
T. Martinez
BJ Moore
P. Paris

Individuals enrolled in our programs gain new skills and expertise that enable them to prepare for top-level positions with local, county, state and federal agencies: nonprofit organizations; hospitals and health care agencies; and private corporations engaged in community development or governmental regulations. In addition to the affirmative recruitment of women, ethnic minorities and the disabled, the department strongly encourages the enrollment of practitioners in the undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs.

About Our Alumni -- Our alumni serve in a variety of prestigious capacities, both locally and nationally. They include past and present CAO’s of county government; CEO’s of hospitals, retirement centers, mass transit systems, and special economic development zones; CEO’s of nonprofit organizations; policy specialists for elected public servants at the national and local levels; presidents of private industry; presidents of state-wide professional associations; as well as elected public servants at the local and state levels — to name only a few! Other alumni enjoy professional careers in city management, special districts, social work organizations, criminal justice organizations, (law enforcement and prison management), and in the rapidly growing health care professions.

National Accreditation by NASPAA -- The department enjoys accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) for its graduate programs. This means that the educational experience and course content you receive from us will be comparable to that which is offered at other NASPAA-accredited programs, such as at Princeton University and Columbia University. NASPAA accreditation places our department in the top 20 percent of public administration programs in the nation. Such national acknowledgement provides "an edge" for our students in both the local and national job markets.

Degree Programs

Students without experience in public service or administration are strongly encouraged to take an approved internship or similar experience to be arranged in consultation with the appropriate advisor.
 

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Public Administration is designed to prepare undergraduate students for public service careers in government, private non-profit, health care, and volunteer organizations, as well as to upgrade the knowledge and skills of professional personnel already in such organizations.
 

Requirements for the Major in Public Administration

(The major consists of a minimum of 77 quarter units; the BA requires 186-quarter units.)

Required Lower Division Foundation Courses

  1. ACCT 220 Introduction to Financial Reporting and Accounting
  2. ECON 100 The Economic Way of Thinking (or ECON 201 and ECON 202)
  3. MATH 140 Elementary Statistics
  4. MIS 200A Software Productivity Tools (2), or approved substitute
Required Core Courses
  1. INST 275 Administrative Processes in Government
  2. BA 370 Legal Environment of Domestic and International Business
  3. PPA 400 Public Management and Leadership
  4. PPA 476 Public Human Resource Administration
  5. PPA 478 Budgeting in Public Organizations
  6. PPA 490 Senior Seminar in Public Administration
Upper Division Electives (6 approved courses)

In addition to the foundation and core requirements, students must complete five approved upper division or 500 series courses in Public Policy and Administration plus one approved upper division course from a department outside of the Department of Public Policy and Administration for a minimum of 30 upper division elective quarter units.
 

Minor in Public Administration

A minor in Public Administration is available to candidates for a BA degree. The minor may be of special interest to those interested in pursuing the MPA or MSA-HCM degree. These students should seek advising from the Department Chair before beginning work on the minor. A student desiring a minor in Public Administration needs to have approval by the PPA Chair, and must take the four approved upper division courses in Public Policy and Administration.

Regular Minor (20 quarter units)

Required:

  1. INST 275 Administrative Processes in Government*
  2. PPA 400 Public Management and Leadership**
  3. PPA 476 Public Human Resource Administration
  4. PPA 478 Budgeting in Public Organizations
**Satisfies Theme III (Social Science Requirement) for the General Education Program.

"Fast Track" Minors (20 quarter units)

For those considering the MPA or MSA-Health Care Management programs, the "Fast Track" minors allow students to complete all Graduate Foundation courses as part of their undergraduate minor. For students planning to apply a Fast Track minor toward graduate foundation requirements, students must earn a "B" or better in INST 275, PPA 500 or PPA 501, and PPA 504. Enrollment in 500-level courses requires senior standing.

MPA "Fast Track" (20 quarter units)

Required:

  1. INST 275 Administrative Processes in Government*
  2. PPA 500 Environments of Public Administration
  3. PPA 501 Analytical Methods in Public Administration
  4. Plus 1 approved PPA elective
MSA-HCM "Fast Track" (20 quarter units)

Required:

  1. INST 275 Administrative Processes in Government*
  2. PPA 504 Contemporary Issues in Health Care Management
  3. PPA 501 Analytical Methods in Administration


    4. Plus 1 approved PPA elective
     

    Note: *Satisfies U.S. Government portion of American Institutions Requirement, as well as Area D in the General Education Program.

Certificate in Public Administration -- An individual who desires to begin non-degree study in Public Administration may apply for a certificate. Six courses are required for the Certificate in Public Administration: INST 275 Administrative Processes in Government; PPA 400 Public Management and Leadership; PPA 476 Public Human Resource Administration and PPA 478 Budgeting in Public Organizations, plus two approved electives.

Undergraduate Students Planning to Pursue the MPA or MSA-HCM

Note: Undergraduate students in Public Policy and Administration planning to pursue the MPA or MSA-HCM would be well advised to consider taking the appropriate Graduate Prerequisite courses as electives counting towards completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration. These courses include foundations (PPA 500, PPA 501, and PPA 504). Seniors may take 500-level electives, with the permission of the instructor, but such electives may not be counted later toward graduate requirements. Undergraduate students may not take 600-level courses. 600-level courses are limited to classified graduate students. Career Awareness -- The PPA Department offers two courses that offer undergraduate students an opportunity to explore careers in public service and health care management. These courses also fulfill university requirements. INST 275 provides an introduction of the field of public administration, and it fulfills the US Government portion of the American Institutions requirement. INST 275 also satisfies Area D in the General Education Program. PPA 400 is a General Studies upper division course that deals with public management and organization. PPA 400 satisfies Theme III (Social Science Requirement) for the General Education Program.

Pi Alpha Alpha -- This national honor society of public administration students has a local chapter at CSUB. We have a very dynamic and active chapter. Once a student has been invited to join, there are many opportunities to participate in national conferences and other academic events, which enhance national and local networking and career opportunities.
 

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
 

Lower Division

INST 275 Administrative Processes in Government (5)

This course provides an introduction to the field of public administration and assumes no previous familiarity with the subject. Topics surveyed include the constitution, the role of government enterprises, problems of personnel, public budgeting, and alternative strategies for securing administrative responsibility. The course focuses on readings and cases involving the Federal, California, and local governments. Satisfies the U.S. Government portion of the American Institutions requirement, as well as Area D in the General Education Program. [F,W,S]
 

Upper Division

PPA 340 A Policy Network: Science, Technology, and Health. (5)

This course provides an introduction to the complex interactions and consequences of actions, intended and unintended, of the science-technology-health network on the health of individuals and on the health status of nations. To be examined are the network of arguments—student and class member perspectives, social concerns, and policy actions—on issues that effect or may effect health status such as agricultural chemicals, nuclear energy, genetic engineering, hazardous waste, breast implants, tobacco products, gene therapies, neonatal care, and high voltage wires. Students will be involved in selecting and presenting issues as a focus for class discussion. Critical thinking skills, especially the identification of assumptions and arguments, ethical concerns, and the generation of possible policy positions will be explored through a variety of techniques—computer simulations, case studies, games, videos, texts, discussion and presentations.

PPA 400 Public Management and Leadership (5)

Introduces basic principles of responsible leadership, effective management and organization change in public, non-profit and health care management settings. Includes social science issues in: authority, motivation, organization behavior and leadership styles. Satisfies Theme III (Social Science Requirement) in the General Education Program. [F]

PPA 410 Administrative Literature Seminar (5)

This course considers universal administrative concepts and issues as they are presented in novels, plays, films, poems, and short stories. The experiencing and appreciation of this literature combines the understanding of administration with the traditional values of humanistic study.

PPA 419 Aging Services Administration (5)

This course focuses on current administration processes and the organization of services to the aging. It also surveys related policies at the national, state and local levels. There is special emphasis on services present in Kern County.

PPA 430 Parks, Public Lands, and the Environment (5)

This seminar provides a survey of major park, forest, and public land issues and institutions at the local, state, and national levels. Key topics include law enforcement and order maintenance, regulatory enforcement, safety and security concerns, visitor and ranger diversity, and ecological/environmental policies for parks, forests, and other public lands and recreational areas.

PPA 471 Administration in the Justice System (5)

This course provides an intensive analysis of the major components of the criminal justice system as well as the interrelationships between the system’s primary components. Management personnel, decision-making, and planning problems faced by administrators within the justice system will be explored through guest presentations, discussion, individual and group presentations.

PPA 473 Public Administration and the Political Process (5)

This course utilizes readings and discussion on the functions of public administration in a democratic political system. Case studies, guest presentations, individual and group presentations explore the media, pressure group processes, and the relationships between administration and political processes in defining the public interest and responding to social conditions.

PPA 476 Public Human Resource Administration (5)

This course explores several of the major issues and ideas of public personnel administration: selection, promotion, pay, and discipline of civil servants; the merit system; civil service boards; collective bargaining in the public sector; and ethical problems of modern civil servants. Includes discussion of nonprofit agency personnel administration. [F]

PPA 477 Selected Topics in Public Policy and Administration (5)

In-depth study of selected topic or topics not covered in regular courses are offered on a student demand basis. Topics vary each quarter; prerequisites announced for each topic. Conducted on a seminar basis.

PPA 478 Budgeting in Public Organizations (5)

This course provides an examination of the role of modern public budget in: determining governmental policy, coordinating public agencies, controlling expenditures, affecting intergovernmental relations, and its impact on the private sector. Emphasis placed on understanding budgetary reform, the budget process, and the role of executive and legislative relationships upon the financial resources of government, and the setting of national, state, and local budget priorities. Includes discussion of nonprofit agency budgeting. [W]

PPA 479 Urban Planning and Public Policy (5)

This course introduces the student to the philosophy, theory, and practice of urban planning. A survey of the development of cities and urban regions and the structure and functions of contemporary cities; a critical review of alternative theories, recent trends, and new directions in American planning concepts and institutions. Analysis of the context, function, and legal aspects of land

use controls, construction codes, mass transit, urban renewal, model cities, new towns, and related aspects of policy and program implementation.

PPA 490 Senior Seminar in Public Administration (5)

This capstone seminar for students in public administration examines: (1) the structure and environment of modern public bureaucracy; (2) the key administrative processes such as decision making leadership, communications, budgeting, and personnel; (3) the policy-making process; (4) Political and Economic bases of Public Policy and Administration. [S]

PPA 496 Internship in Public Administration (1-5)

Students are assigned to various agencies and work under joint supervision of supervisors and the course instructor. Participation in staff and internship conferences. Assigned readings and project where appropriate. (Arrangements should be made one quarter in advance as enrollments are limited.) Prerequisites: Permission of instructor. May be repeated for credit. Department determines application and number of units. Credit, no-credit grading. [F,W,S]

PPA 497 Cooperative Education (1-5)

The Cooperative Education Program provides a sponsored learning experience in a work setting, integrated with a field analysis seminar. The field experience, including the seminar and reading assignments, is supervised by the cooperative education coordinator and a faculty liaison working with the field supervisor. May be repeated. May not be used as a substitute for requirements. Department to determine application and number of units. Credit, no-credit grading. [F,W,S]

PPA 499 Individual Study (1-5)

Individual supervised projects or directed reading projects for students qualified to carry on independent work. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor and department chair. Up to 5 units may be used to satisfy elective degree requirements. Department determines application and number of units. [F,W,S]

Note: In order to count for graduate elective credit, 400-level courses must be augmented with additional work in order that graduate course standards be maintained.


Graduate courses are listed in the "Graduate Studies" section of this catalog.