Public Administration

This course will introduce students to the development and impact of American Public Administration at all levels: Local, state, and federal. This course will emphasize the role of public managers and their relationships with clientele groups, the legislature, the executive, and the public. The course will introduce theories of administrative accountability, public official discretion, public organization, organizational behavior, and political oversight. This course will provide an overview of how artificial intelligence (AI) impacts the public sector and examine the ethical governance and use of AI tools.

This course introduces students to the theoretical and quantitative techniques of public policy analysis and public policy development, focusing primarily on public policy development and implementation. The course is intended to enable students to be critical users of policy analysis and to understand the role of policy analysis in the development of all types of policies at all levels of government. The course will provide a thorough introduction to the field of policy analysis, particularly as the development of public policy is influenced by political actors. This course will also examine the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools as part of policy planning, formulation, implementation, and analysis. In addition, this course will explore how to utilize AI as a supporting tool for program and policy evaluation.

The ability of public officials to manage budgets, distribute resources, and predict costs is crucial to a community's well-being. This course gives students a solid grounding in the concepts, terminology, and techniques in the art and science of public sector budgeting and financial administration. Students use real-world examples to analyze various approaches to public budgeting and revenue planning, evaluate and problem-solve fiscal activities in governmental units, and gain "hands-on" budget preparation and presentation experience. This course will also incorporate the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support financial planning, budget management, and other financial administration functions in the public sector.

Ethics shape and define the nature of public professions. Therefore, public administrators need to be competent in understanding and dealing with ethical dilemmas and difficult public management issues that have no easy solutions, and no right or wrong answers, to conduct their work effectively and fairly. The course centers on the dynamic relationships between public professionals and the people, organizations, and society they serve, and how those relationships can be maintained in a highly competitive system. This course also incorporates ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the public sector, along with responsible AI governance at all levels of government.

This course examines the role of the government as defined by economic theory in the creation of public policy. It will focus on concepts from micro and macro-economics such as externalities, public goods, public education, income redistribution, welfare programs and tax policy to understand policy problems including issues that affect subnational governments and the local community.

This course explores the responsibilities, capacity and practicalities of local and municipal government. The focus will be not only what county, local, and urban governments should or should not do but what these entities accomplish and how the do so. While the principles of this course will apply to any of the 50 states, many examples will feature Tennessee state government and features of its county and municipal governments. Features of other state and local governments will be discussed as part of a comparative analysis.

Health care policies can have a profound effect on quality of life. Accessibility, cost, and quality of health care; safety of food, water, and environment; the right to make decisions about our health: these issues (and more) are vitally tied to health care policies. This course presents an introduction to health policy, i.e., the various ways in which the government plays a role in health and in the provision of health care and provides a framework for understanding the social, political and economic dimensions of health policy. The courses introduces the policy-making and legal system of the United States, builds on foundational information about the organization of the health care system in the U.S., and highlights issues in health policy including environmental health policy, an overview of major health care reforms (e.g., the Affordable Care Act), key economic considerations (e.g., finance and budgeting, public and private costs), pharmaceutical policy, injury prevention, and aging and long-term care.

This course is designed to introduce students to health communication theory, research, and practice. This course will blend traditional elements of communication theory and practice to external communities (public relations) and internal communities (human relations). The primary course objective involves providing you with a solid framework for conducting health communication campaigns, including planning, implementation, and evaluation. The course will focus on the health communication process as well as the production of communications. More specifically, we examine the fundamentals of public health communication; discover the vital role that public health communication plays in the success of new health care delivery structures, the implementation of health care reform and the adoption of advances in prevention, health promotion and emergency preparedness; and explore the latest public health communication innovations, tools, technologies, research and strategies.

This course will use cases that will give students the opportunity to practice applying knowledge they have already acquired to real world public health judgments, as well as learn from the knowledge and experiences of others. The cases will cover a wide variety of public health directing, coordinating and leadership situations in a diversity of settings and typically have no clear right or wrong answers. It is expected that each case will draw from many of the disciplines taught in the program

Health policy is examined from an economic perspective. Basic fiscal and economic theories and their relationships to the structure and function of the U.S. healthcare system are explored. Alternative health care systems and health care reforms are also evaluated.

This course will review selected topics in healthcare policy including, but not limited to, issues related to healthcare reform and the Affordable Care Act, health equity and disparities, global health and international comparisons, healthcare innovation and technology, mental health policy, and healthcare workforce and human resources. Students will be expected to complete a major assignment for the course for possible publication or presentation at an academic conference. 

The purpose of this course is to aid students in understanding the process of managing public service organizations, and thus enhance their management and leadership skills for use in the public sector. The course provides students with the tools needed to diagnose and solve organizational problems, to influence the actions of individuals, groups, and organizations, and to lead high-performing, successful public service organizations.

Nonprofit marketers face unique marketing challenges-from deficient resources for adequately addressing marketing needs to a general lack of understanding of the power of marketing. The course will address these and other challenges of nonprofit sector marketers, providing students with an introduction to marketing theory. It will also equip students with practical experience in developing a strategic marketing plan, influencing the attitudes and behaviors of diverse stakeholders, leveraging social media and other emerging technologies, and other skills relevant to nonprofit marketers.

In order to be successful, nonprofit organizations require strong leadership from their Board of Directors. The board responsibility is to oversee the effectiveness of management policies and decisions, including the execution of its strategies. Students in this course will learn the roles and responsibilities of the board, including its paramount duties, and how board accountability by a nonprofit's internal and external stakeholders requires a fully engaged and active board of directors who manage the organization. Students will also discuss how they may increase board members' commitment to the mission and purpose of the organization, and how boards must be active and engaged to fulfill their legal and governance duties. Students will also develop an understanding of the importance of and process of strategic and succession planning.

This course covers the fundamentals of effective resource development (i.e., fundraising) for nonprofit organizations. This course will examine the parameters within which nonprofit managers raise funds; the historical, organizational, legal, and ethical contexts of fundraising for nonprofit organizations; the philosophy of philanthropy in the U.S. and the various motivations for giving; and, practical guidelines for identifying potential donors, handling the "ask," providing donor recognition, and utilizing your board effectively for fundraising purposes.

This course will review selected topics in nonprofit management including, but not limited to, issues related to nonprofit finance, membership recruitment and retention, staffing and volunteers, emerging technology, and decision-making. Students will be expected to complete a major written assignment for the course for possible publication or presentation at an academic conference.

This course is intended for non-lawyers such as public planners or government administrators who wish to understand how the law affects the operation of governments as it relates to issues including planning, budgeting, land use and zoning, the environment, infrastructure development, social welfare, and healthcare.

This course examines contemporary public policy issues through the lens of popular culture with particular emphasis on the portrayal of issues in television, film, and music. This course is intended to develop policy-specific knowledge, critical thinking about policy issues and their characterization by media outlets, and research skills.

This course will help to develop the skills necessary for students to have the knowledge to be able to develop a solid funding grant proposal. This course is ideal for students who pursuing careers in nonprofit and government agencies and are seeking to develop the skills needed to become an effective grant writer. Additionally, this course is ideal for students who work with and/or supervise grant based programs or agencies and who wish to acquire the knowledge of how the grant process works.

This course will review selected topics in public policy and public administration to be studied in relationship to business, the non-profit sector and the public sector. A wide variety of topics will be available to study including at prioritization, program development, agenda building, interest group and elite influence, program implementation, and program assessment.

The independent study is an opportunity for the student to conduct in-depth study on a topic of interest and/or to provide the opportunity to work closely with a faculty member on a research project. Students must have successfully completed at least provisional admission or have been fully admitted to the program and obtain instructor approval. Students are limited to six (6) credit hours of Independent Study coursework put towards elective requirements. 

This course introduces students to research design and data analysis in public administration, emphasizing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. Students will learn to design studies, collect and analyze data, and apply findings to policy and management decisions. Topics include survey design, interviews, case studies, statistical analysis, and data visualization. This course will prepare students to conduct and evaluate research in public and nonprofit settings.

This course explores the theories, practices, and challenges of effective leadership within governmental and nonprofit organizations. Students will critically examine leadership models, ethical decision-making, public accountability, policy implementation, and strategies for leading diverse teams in complex political and organizational environments. Emphasis is placed on developing adaptive leadership skills and understanding the role of leadership in driving public value, leading during challenging times, and institutional change.