MEMORANDUM
TO:
Graduate Curriculum Committee
FROM:
Robert J. Thompson
Director, Graduate Studies and MPA Program
DATE:
November 22, 2011
RE:
MPA and SECS Curriculum Changes
On behalf of the Graduate Faculty of the MPA Program and the SECS Program, I am
submitting the following curricular changes.
MS in Security Studies
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SECS 6199 – This course creates an independent study opportunity previously
omitted from the curriculum.
SECS 6999 – this course is being proposed to fill a void in the current curriculum.
Its purpose is to allow a student to be enrolled during the semester in which
he/she completes his/her comprehensive exam in the event that all required
coursework has been previously completed.
MPA Program
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As result of its assessment of student learning outcomes and in response to the
recently revised accreditation standards of our accrediting body, the National
Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the MPA
faculty are proposing a number of curricular changes.
New Courses:
o PADM 6101, Analysis for the Public Sector
o PADM 6165, Program Evaluation
Revised Courses:
o PADM 6102, Quantitative Methods for Public Administration (formerly
PADM 6230) – revision of course number, addition of prerequisite and
revision of course content
o PADM 6161, Applied Policy Analysis - Title change, introduction of
prerequisites, and revision of course content
o PADM 6900, addition of a prerequisite
o PADM 6901, change of description – We request permission to modify
one word in this description without having to submit a full proposal. This
course was created by the Graduate School a number of years ago and
although the title refers to a Professional Paper, the description refers to a
thesis. Our program has not had a thesis option for over 20 years.
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Changes in MPA required courses
o Add PADM 6101, 6102, and 6220
o Drop PADM 6140 and 6230
o Net addition of 3 s.h. to required courses – now 27 s.h.
Elective hours
o Decrease elective hours in areas of emphases to 12 s.h.
o Revision of catalog description
o This change is being prompted by preparations for our upcoming NASPAA
accreditation self-study and site visit. This has prompted us to clean up
various aspects of the catalog description and to ensure that what we list
there is consistent with our practice. As you will notice we are removing all
recommended electives from the list as the list is no longer current in
terms of the range of courses we will accept and some of them are listed
in this section are covered in other sections of the political science catalog
description. The graduate directors of Planning, Psychology, and
Rehabilitation Studies have been notified as their unit’s courses are not
covered elsewhere in our description. Should their courses be appropriate
to a particular student’s course of study, we will continue to accept their
courses.
o Contained in Certificate in Community Health Administration description:
BIOS 5031, COHE 6000, and 6502 (this course is no longer part of the
certificate)
o Contained in Certificate in Security Studies description: EHST 6010, JUST
6502, POLS/SECS 6155
o PADM courses: are already our MPA electives
o POLS 6345: no longer offered
o PLAN 6000, 6010, 6020 (PLAN 6015 is still contained in Certificate in
Security Studies description).
o PSYC 6343, 6421, 6422
o REHB 5795, 6793 (no longer in catalog)
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Revision of internship description
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