Master of Public Administration Online Courses and Classes

The curriculum for the Master Public Administration from Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) offers a combination of administrative best practices and public policy analysis. The 36-credit-hour program can be completed entirely online in about two years, and courses are taught by professors who have decades of combined professional experience in public and non-profit industries.

Before graduate coursework can begin, students must have a four-year bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 2.5 GPA or higher. For more information about admissions requirements and prerequisites, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Core Courses (24 credit hours)

BUS4000 Organizational Management Theory (3 credit hours)
In this course, students relate contemporary management strategies with overall organizational culture and structure in public and non-profit entities. Using a systematic and experimental approach, management theories are evaluated for their effect on behavior of employees at all levels of an organization.

BUS4010 Introduction to Public Administration (3 credit hours)
This course examines the nature, scope, structures, functions and challenges facing today’s public and non-profit professionals to provide a conceptual foundation for Public Administration and give students a template for professional success.

BUS4020 Community-Based Research and Analysis (3 credit hours)
Research for the purpose of benefiting a community organization or for the analysis of a public issue is the focus of this course. Various scientific methods of inquiry, procedures for analyzing and interpreting data, and methods for delivering conclusions are examined, all with emphasis on specific policy issues or community needs.

BUS4124 Government, Budget and Finance (3 credit hours)
This course focuses on concepts of financial management in the public and non-profit sectors and links financial performance to the perception of value by the general public. Both practical and theoretical strategies of government budgeting, financing and reporting will be explored.

BUS4440 Spatial Analysis for Policymakers (3 credit hours)
This course examines geographic information systems (GIS) and their application in public decision-making. From public works management and public safety planning to land-use management and retail service, the many ways GIS can be effectively integrated into an organization will be evaluated to support management analysis. Prerequisite: BUS4000 Organizational and Management Theory.

BUS4500 Leadership Concepts (3 credit hours)
A historical and philosophical approach to leadership is the focus of this course, with an emphasis on leadership behaviors in administration, understanding group dynamics, and group leadership. Students explore their own leadership potential through a series of self-guided exercises.

BUS4508 Human Resource Management (3 credit hours)
Emphasizing professional responsibilities for employment, compensation, employee and labor relations, benefits administration, legal compliance, and human resource planning, this course offers a complete overview of personnel functions in public and non-profit agencies. Prerequisite: BUS4000 Organizational and Management Theory.

BUS4981 Public Policy and Administration: Capstone (3 credit hours)
In this course, students will apply the knowledge gained during core coursework with an emphasis on public administration environments, management strategies, ethical decision-making in public agencies and public policy-making strategies.
    
Human Resources Management Concentration (12 credit hours)

BUS4516 Managing Diversity (3 credit hours)
This course examines the effective management of a diverse workforce and clientele with emphasis on ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, and learning and physical disabilities.

BUS4524 Labor/Management Relations (3 credit hours)
Labor law, union organizing, worker campaigns and negotiations are evaluated from the management perspective with the goal of creating a framework for effective labor policy development. Case studies will be examined and discussed.

BUS4532 Conflict Management (3 credit hours)
The goal of this course is to develop techniques for identifying, preventing and resolving conflicts in the workplace. The design of effective conflict management systems will be explored, as will the theoretical and practical applications of those systems in real-world conflict situations.

BUS4540 Recruitment, Training and Development (3 credit hours)
This course will focus on staffing needs and how to meet them with emphasis on interview techniques, assessment of a candidate’s potential, proper placement, and assessment of training needs. Development of effective training, career development and management systems will also be evaluated.

Public Affairs Administration Concentration (12 credit hours)

The Public Affairs Administration concentration features the three courses below plus an elective class to be chosen from the remaining Human Resources Management Concentration courses.

BUS4048 Administrative Law (3 credit hours)
This course reviews contemporary issues and challenges related to the legal environment of public, private and non-profit administration. Through extensive analysis of court decisions affecting administrative law, students will study jurisdiction, judicial ethics and discretion, and abuses of the law.

BUS4016 Contemporary Issues in Public Administration (3 credit hours)
This research-driven course provides advanced analysis of issues related to managing government and non-profit programs with extensive comparison to private-sector, for-profit enterprises. Students will evaluate the role society plays in shaping public institutions and the effectiveness of governmental policies and policy management techniques.

BUS4516 Managing Diversity (3 credit hours)
This course examines the effective management of a diverse workforce and clientele with emphasis on ethnicity, religious beliefs, age, gender, sexual orientation, and learning and physical disabilities.

Human Resources Management Concentration Elective (3 credit hours)
Choose either BUS4524 Labor/Management Relations, BUS4532 Conflict Management, or BUS4540 Recruitment, Training and Development.

General Concentration (12 credit hours)

In the general track, students choose any four courses from the Public Affairs Administration concentration and the Human Resources Management concentration to create a custom curriculum tailored to their specific career goals.

To learn more about the curriculum and available courses in the Master of Public Administration program at Notre Dame de Namur University, call 855-275-1088 to speak with an admissions advisor, or you can request more information.