SUMMER TERM 2009
PUAD 5101VC01 SEMINAR IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
PROFESSOR: Dr. Paul Lankford
OFFICE: (806) 291-1173
E-MAIL ADDRESS: lankfordp@wbu.edu
TEST DATE: Thursday, June 11, 2009, 8:00 a.m.
DESCRIPTION: Capstone assessment course for the program which requires the student to apply knowledge
gained from the required core courses through case studies and papers; analysis of concepts, principles, and how
the administration of government impacts business, the American public, and society in general; must be taken as
the final core course and the student must achieve a grade of “B” or better to complete this course successfully.
The Capstone assessment course consists of a final timed, day-long, proctored “Comprehensive Exam,” which is to
be given on Thursday, June 11, 2009. Exam questions require the student to apply knowledge gained from the
student’s program of study. PUAD 5101 must be taken as the final core course and the student must achieve a
grade of “B” or better on the comprehensive exam to complete this graduate course successfully.
TEXTBOOKS: No textbooks are assigned.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM: The proctored comprehensive exam will be given on Thursday, June 11, 2009. The
exam will be posted at 8:00 a.m. CST. The morning session will consist of questions on Public Administration
“Theory,” which will last 2 hours, and questions on Finance “Theory,” which will last 2 hours. Students will then have
a one-hour break before the afternoon session. The afternoon session will consist of questions on Public
Administration “Application,” which will last 2 hours, and questions on Finance “Application,” which will last 2 hours.
All questions are discussion-type questions. Students are not allowed to use the internet or text books during the
proctored exam. The timed comprehensive exam is posted on BLACKBOARD at 8:00 a.m. and lasts until 5:00 p.m.
with a 1 hour break between the morning and afternoon sessions. The morning session lasts four hours and the
afternoon session lasts four hours.
EXAM GRADING: In accordance with the provisions of the “Wayland Academic Catalog 2008-2009,” “The
examination must be completed, graded, and passed no fewer than 45 days prior to graduation.” “The academic
school dean will inform both the student and the Graduate Studies Office of the results of the comprehensive
examination within two weeks of the examination date.”
FAILURE: “A student who fails the comprehensive examination may, at the discretion of the academic school dean
in consultation with the provost/academic vice president, be allowed either to retake the examination after thirty days
or to complete additional course work then retake the examination. However, no student will be allowed to repeat
an examination more than once without taking additional course work.”
COURSE SCHEDULE:
5/26/09
6/1/09
6/11/09
6/26/09
6/26/09
Welcome and Introductions
Proctor and Testing Site must be chosen and approved by Virtual Campus and Professor Lankford
Comprehensive Exam begins at 8:00 a.m. CST on BLACKBOARD
Final Grades Due to Dean
Dean notifies students of pass or failure of the comprehensive Exam
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon completion of this course, each student will demonstrate:
 an understanding of the theoretical applications of public administration;
 an in-depth perception of the impact of financial obligations of public administrators;
 cognition of the collective behavior patterns in the establishment of public policy;
 a differentiation of the confrontational situations between juveniles and adult society;
 comprehension of the strategies necessary to function within a given society.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION:
I.
FORMAT
 The exam will consist of two parts; theory and “application”. The theory part will emphasize conceptual and
analytical knowledge garnered from the core courses in the MPA curriculum. The application part will
emphasize problem solving and knowledge application employing a situation scenario or examples based
on the student's experience. Competence in responding to Part II will be judged on the ability of the student
to deal with a problem situation in a creative and imaginative manner in applying and adhering to best
practices, concepts, and protocols in public administration.

This exam is intended to be integrative of material rather than course specific. Thus, students should strive
to address the question or issue from a broad, holistic, rather than narrow, course driven perspective.
These questions do not imply pre-formed canned answers the graders are looking for. Instead, integrative
thinking, creativity, analytical skill, and knowledge of public administration practices and concepts broadly
conceived should guide the student’s response.

Each part will contain three questions and the student is expected to answer one question in each part.

The exam will be conducted in a single day, with the student sitting for a two hour theory session followed
by a minimum break of one (1) hour and then a two hour application session. At the conclusion of each twohour session, students will be allowed time to print the exam responses. Start and stop time is to be at the
convenience of the proctor.

The student is to post their completed exam on Blackboard’s Digital Drop box.
II. GRADING



Each exam is to be graded independently by three professors. Two professors from the School of
Behavioral and Social Sciences will grade the Public Administration discipline questions, and a professor
from the Business School will grade the Finance questions.
Each professor is to grade their respective questions using 1 – 10 point scale with (10 being the highest
score). Four fifths (80%) of the final score will be based on PUAD discipline questions. One fifth (20%) of
the final score will be based on the FINA discipline questions.
Passing score – The student is required to attain a final averaged score of 8 points or better when all six
questions are averaged together.
III. QUESTIONS
The student is to answer one of three (3) questions in each part. The three questions in each part will be taken
from the indicated MPA courses as follows:
 Theory courses:
1.
BUAD 5317 Legal Environment
2.
PUAD 5304 Public Policy Analysis
3.
FINA 5310 Public Finance
 Application courses:
1.
PUAD 5303 Survey of Public Administration
2.
BUAD 5304 Ethics
3.
FINA 5310 Public Finance
IV. PROCTORING AND ADMINISTRATION –
The cost, if any, of proctoring is the student’s responsibility and the exam is to be proctored and administered in
accordance with the following standards:
 At any Wayland Baptist University (WBU) campus by a WBU employee designated as a proctor by
the campus dean.
 At any Sylvan Learning Centers (SLC) by a SLC employee designated as a proctor by SLC.
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

At a location and by a proctor approved by WBU’ Virtual Campus on application of the student.1
Students who are in the military who do not have access to either a WBU campus or SLC have the
additional option of having the exam administered and proctored by a superior in their chain of
command who must be at least one rank above the student’s rank subject to the approval of Virtual
Campus
a. MILITARY: Stationed without access to a WBU campus
1.
Enlisted personnel must be proctored by an O-3 or above
2.
Officers 0-1 & O-2 must be proctored by an O-3 or above
3.
Officers holding the rank of O-3 and above must obtain a proctor one rank above theirs
4.
Military personnel with access to a WBU campus will follow the instructions for civilians
b. CIVILIAN:
1.
Any Wayland Baptist University campus
2.
Sylvan Learning Centers
3.
An approved librarian
4.
Approval by Virtual Campus (WBU)
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