Public Administration

College of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Dean: Joel Kassiola

Public Administration Program
HSS 236
415-338-2985
Director: Genie Stowers

Graduate Coordinator: Genie Stowers

Faculty

Professors—Berry, DeLeon, LeGates, LeVeen, Osman, Seashore, Stowers

Associate Professor—Naff

Assistant Professors—Cook, Gen, Paarlberg, Pamuk

Program

Master of Public Administration


Program Scope

The goal of the program is to prepare people for responsible positions in the public sector. This includes positions in government but also in such entities as community development corporations, nonprofit social service agencies, planning and consulting organizations, and activities of private firms in public affairs and public policy areas. Applications are welcome both from persons proceeding directly from an undergraduate degree without prior experience and from those with experience who wish to strengthen their capabilities or prepare themselves for new opportunities.

The Master of Public Administration is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

The program is based on the premise that policy and administration must be understood in relation to each other, and the core of the program seeks to develop knowledge, skills, and understanding in both public policy and public administration. The common core of the program is heavily focused on essential knowledge and skills for public management. Beyond the core, the program offers five areas of emphasis as an opportunity for specialization. They are Integrated and Collaborative Service Delivery, Nonprofit Administration, Policy Making andAnalysis, Public Management, and Urban Administration. The requirements for the M.P.A., in general, and the specialty emphases, in particular, are shown in detail on the following pages. Taking an emphasis for specialization is optional and not mandatory. Those who choose not to pursue an emphasis may take appropriate electives to satisfy their professional needs, and students may opt to design their own emphasis. Students may choose courses relevant to their professional interests offered by other departments and programs throughout the university.

Career Outlook

Graduates from the M.P.A. program pursue their professional careers in various government agencies at federal, state, and local levels, such as the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Government Accounting Office, city management, and state offices. In addition, many others find careers in nonprofit organizations, and consulting and research firms. Some go on to the Ph.D. in Public Administration at other universities to enter into a career in higher education.

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Graduate Advisers—Berry, Cook, DeLeon, Gen, LeGates, LeVeen, Naff, Osman, Paarlberg, Seashore, Stowers

Admission to Program

After submitting the application for post-baccalaureate study to the university graduate admissions office, applicants should:

Applicants must meet all university admission requirements to be accepted into the MPA program.

For fully classified status in the program, applicants must meet the following prerequisites:

Applicants who do not meet the prerequisites may be admitted on the condition that they complete these prerequisites within one academic year.

Potential applicants who are still completing their undergraduate work may wish to strengthen their preparation for the program with courses in public administration, economics, politics, public policy, and research techniques.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: satisfactory performance on the Graduate Essay Test (GET) before or during the first semester of attendance. Level Two: master's project, thesis, or case study analysis must be written at a level commensurate with professional standards in the field.

Advancement to Candidacy

Approval of a student's proposed course of study (the Graduate Approved Program) advances a student to candidacy. Completion of the Graduate Approved Program requirements qualifies the student to apply for the award of the master's degree. Besides meeting university requirements for advancement to candidacy, students are required to:

On-line course descriptions are available. Upon advisement, upper division and graduate courses in other disciplines may be accepted if they contribute to a coherent program related to the student's educational objectives.

Core Requirements Units
PA 700 Democracy and Public Administration in Diverse Environments 3
PA 705 Research Methods for Public Administration 4
PA 710 Microeconomic Applications for Public Administration 3
PA 715 Politics of Policy-making and Implementation 4
PA 720 Managing Organizational Behavior 3
PA 725 Managing Human Resources 3
PA 730 Managing Budgets in the Public Sector 4
Internship Requirement 1
PLSI 603 Public Service Internships (3) and 0-4
  PLSI 604   Internship Seminar (1) or
URBS 603 Urban Internship Fieldwork (3) and
  URBS 604   Urban Internship Seminar (1)
Culminating Experience Requirement 3
PA 800 Capstone Course in Public Administration and
  
Written Comprehensive Examination or
 
  PA 898 Master's Thesis  
Emphasis or Electives on advisement 10
Minimum total 37-41

Emphases

Integrated and Collaborative Service Delivery Units
BSS/EDUC 703 School/Community Partnership for Change 3
EDUC/BSS 803 Integrated and Collaborative Services for Children 3
Units selected from the following: 4
  PA 740 Public Sector Management (4)  
  PA 745 Administration of Nonprofit Organizations (4)
  PA 780 Urban Administration (If selected, one additional unit of electives is required.)
Total for emphasis 10

Students choosing this emphasis must take the internship, having been placed in an integrated services placement: PLSI 603/URBS 603, Public Service Internship, and PLSI 604/URBS 604, Internship Seminar.

Nonprofit Administration Units
PA 745 Administration of Nonprofit Organizations 4
Units selected from the following: 6
  PA 742 Strategic Public and Nonprofit Management  
  PA 747 Developing Nonprofit Resources
  PA 750 Financial Management in the Public Sector
  PA 755 Managing Information Systems in the Public Sector (4)
  PA 760 Diversity in Public Organizations
  PA 762 Leadership for the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
  PA 764 Contemporary Issues in Public Service Ethics
  PA 770 Policy and Organizational Analysis (4)
  PA 775 Program Evaluation
  MS 800 Museum Management, Law, and Ethics
  MS 860 Fundraising in Museums
  SW 800 Program Planning and Program Development
Total for emphasis 10

 

Policy Making and Analysis Units
PA 770 Policy and Organizational Analysis 4
Policy methods or process course 3
  PA 764 Contemporary Issues in Public Service Ethics  
  PA 775 Program Evaluation
  ECON 320 Introduction to Econometrics
  ECON 508 Economics and Public Policy
  ECON 805 Applied Public Finance
Students must take one substantive policy area course like URBS 560 or URBS 570, upon advisement 3
Total for emphasis 10

 

Public Management Units
PA 740 Public Sector Management 4
Units selected from the following 6
  PA 742 Strategic Public and Nonprofit Management  
  PA 750 Financial Management in the Public Sector
  PA 752 Public Administration and the Law
  PA 755 Public Sector Information Systems Management (4)
  PA 757 E-Government
  PA 760 Diversity in Public Organizations
  PA 762 Leadership for the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
  PA 764 Contemporary Issues in Public Service Ethics
  PA 770 Policy and Organizational Analysis
  PA 775 Program Evaluation
  ECON 601 Applied Microeconomics
  PLSI 731 Ethics and Politics (4)
Total for emphasis 10

 

Urban Administration Units
PA 780 Urban Administration 3
Units selected from the following 7
  PA 752 Public Administration and the Law  
  PA 755 Managing Information Systems in the Public Sector (4)
  PA 757 E-Government
  PA 760 Diversity in Public Organizations
  PA 762 Leadership for the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
  PA 764 Contemporary Issues in Public Service Ethics
  PA 770 Policy and Organizational Analysis
  PA 775 Program Evaluation
  ECON/URBS 535 Urban Economics
  GEOG/URBS 433 Urban Transportation (4)
  GEOG/PA 858 Seminar in Environmental and Land Use Planning
  URBS 560 Urban Poverty and Policy (4)
  URBS 565 Social Policy and Family Systems (4)
  URBS 570 Urban Health Policy
  URBS 580 Urban Housing
  URBS 582 Homelessness and Public Policy
Total for emphasis 10

Culminating Experience Requirement

Students in the public administration program can choose between two options for their culminating experience:

Public Administration Program Portfolio

San Francisco State University public administration students graduate with a portfolio of work products and evaluations of student work designed to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired in the public administration program. The required components of the portfolio have been chosen based upon a careful assessment of the skills that are crucial for the success of the public administrator in the new millennium.

Cho Public Service Scholarships

Each spring for the following fall admissions, program faculty choose two promising students to be recipients of the SFSU Cho Public Service Scholarships and become Cho Public Service Fellows. Each fellow receives a $750 scholarship as well as other benefits. Students are selected on the basis of outstanding academic achievement, outstanding community service, and potential for excellence in the public and nonprofit sectors.


Footnote

  1. Internship requirement may be waived upon evidence and approval of previous or concurrent educationally appropriate work experience in public policy or administration or may be met with equivalent courses in related programs.