Undergraduate Program

The undergraduate major in public administration offers students the necessary knowledge and skills for planning, implementing, and evaluating public programs. Our graduates work in such settings as local and state government, nonprofit organizations, and private sector businesses. Students learn to think critically and analytically about public policy and will also acquire skills that make them more effective citizens in their own communities.

Introductory classes in public administration are offered in Lawrence and at the Edwards Campus in Overland Park. Courses to complete the major and minor are offered at the Edwards Campus.

Undergraduate Major Requirements

Undergraduate Minor Requirements

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Course Descriptions

PUAD 330 (3) Introduction to Public Administration Introduction to administration, public policy and policy makings is the study of government workers, the organizations in which they work, how they are financed, and how government engages citizens to help form and maintain community. In various ways, the class sessions will explore the three important issues of public administration: discretion, authority, and accountability. (Same as POLS 330). Prerequisite: POLS 110.

PUAD 331 (3) Introduction to Public Administration, Honors Introduction to administration, public policy, and policy making, for honors students is the study of government workers, the organizations in which they work, how they are financed, and how government engages citizens to help form and maintain community. In various ways, the class sessions will explore the three important issues of public administration: discretion, authority, and accountability. (Same as POLS 330). Prerequisite: POLS 110.

PUAD 332 (3) Quantitative Methods for Public Administration Focuses on building the quantitative analysis skills of students in public administration. Students learn basic and intermediate statistics, and methods of data analysis and interpretation. Students gain exposure to the uses of data in public organizational settings.

PUAD 333 (3) Hard Choices in Public Administration Focuses on some of America's most vexing public policy challenges and emphasizes the political context of difficult choices. Course examines models of decision-making and the process of policy analysis. Students learn how to apply the tools of policy analysis to make policy judgments.

PUAD 430 (3) Experts, Elected Officials, and Citizens Deals specifically with the concepts of professionalism and expertise, as well as the challenges they pose for democratic concepts of representation, participation, social equity, and individual rights.  The relations between administrative agencies and the various roles citizens occupy in our administrative arena are also examined.  Attention is devoted to citizens as clients, advocates, antagonists, employees, and wards or captives.  Prerequisite:  PUAD 330 or PUAD 331, and PUAD 332.

PUAD 431(3) Bureaucracy, Public Administration, and the Private Sector Examines the problems posed by behaviors within and by bureaucracies.  Provides students with a set of conceptual tools for understanding the organizational environment in which policy analysts ply their profession and the role of a manager within such organizations.  Offers strategies for the policy professional seeking to navigate large bureaucracies.  Readings and class discussions integrate theoretical analyses of organizations with detailed case studies.  Prerequisite:  PUAD 330 or PUAD 331, and PUAD 332.

PUAD 432 (3) Conducting the Public’s Business Ethically Addresses the moral challenges facing leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors.  Examines the values and virtues important to sustained ethical leadership, as well as strategies to build strong institutional cultures and support ethical practices in institutions.  Considers moral and political theory by focusing on contemporary cases and issues.  Students learn how to identify moral issues in public life and public management.  There is a special focus on the integration of moral concerns into public discussion in a manner that contributes to good policy and does not polarize issues.  This course considers moral and political theory by focusing on contemporary cases and issues.  Prerequisite:  PUAD 330 or PUAD 331, and PUAD 332.

PUAD 433 (3) Metropolitics and Macroproblems An interdisciplinary study of American cities, focusing on the rapidly changing demographic, physical, political, social, and economic changes.  Sunbelt cities, edge cities, the rustbelt cities, planned and unplanned suburban communities, as well as declining center cities and newly revitalized downtowns are considered.  The role of immigration and migration in reshaping the urban environment, and the effects of globalization are also examined.  Prerequisite:  PUAD 330 or PUAD 331, and PUAD 332.

PUAD 435 (3) Generating, Allocating, and Managing Public Resources This course will be devoted to topics in public budgeting, finance and financial management. These activities play a central role in public management. The intent of this course is to understand the role these activities play in local, state, and federal governments and to see how policy and management are shaped and influenced by budgets, financial reports, and tax policy.

PUAD 436 (3) Managing People in Public Organizations Effective human resources management is one of the key goals of organizations in both the public and private sectors. This course focuses on human resources management in a public sector context with particular emphasis placed upon past, current, and future challenges in the field. The course will cover topics such as the recruitment, selection, and compensation of public sector employees, as well as more contemporary issues such as diversity management and public sector personnel reform. Upon completion, this course will provide a foundation that will benefit students in both their studies of public administration as well as their professional careers.

PUAD 601(3) Crime and Punishment Examines the administration of justice and focuses on differential and discriminatory treatment in policing, criminal prosecutions, trials, sentencing, or imprisonment.  Also considered are the basis and impact of racial profiling, harassment, arbitrary detention, and abusive treatment of members of racial and ethnic groups, immigrants, and/or other vulnerable groups by law enforcement, and disparate treatment by prosecutors and the courts.  Prerequisite:  PUAD 330 or PUAD 331, and PUAD 332.

PUAD 602 (3) Diversity and Public Administration Analyzes diversity and leadership in public and private institutions along ethnic, racial, and gender lines and the challenges of the facilitation of open dialogue on diversity.  Examines the political, historical, social, and economic reasons why Americans of different ethnic, racial, and gender groups hold divergent views about major public policy areas, as well as fundamental views about democratic participation.  Prerequisite:  PUAD 330 or PUAD 331, and PUAD 332.

PUAD 603 (3) The Nonprofit Sector: Formation, Leadership, and Governance This course focuses on the economic, social, and legal foundations of the nonprofit sector. Nonprofits are examined in the context of a three-sector economy, with emphasis on the ways in which nonprofits relate to the public and private sectors. The course will examine the diversity and scope of the nonprofit sector, with primary focus on the health, education and welfare functions performed by nonprofits and on various patterns of community action for attaining social welfare objectives.

PUAD 639 (3) Community Engagement and the Civil Society Concepts of community, social capital, and civil capacity building, and their relations to effective community functioning, democratic politics, and administrative expertise.

PUAD 640 (3)Practicum A community-based public service practicum, ordinarily in the summer between the junior and senior years of study.  Other government or community internships may count toward the minor.

PUAD 641 (3) Public Service Leadership and Community Building Concepts of leadership in community, political, and administrative settings.  These settings include government and all non-business organizations (e.g. certain for-profit organizations).

PUAD 693 (1-3) Directed Readings Designed to meet the needs of advanced undergraduate students whose study in public administration cannot be met with current course work. Enrollment in directed readings is advised only when a topic of interest is not covered in the curriculum.

PUAD 694 (3) Topics in Public Administration: _______________ Study of selected topics in public administration.

PUAD 695 (3) Public Service Leadership Field Research Report A faculty supervised field research paper based on a problem or case from the student's public service practicum or internship and integrating the practicum with theoretical issues regarding public service.