The Graduate Program in Public Affairs

The Master of Arts in Public Affairs is designed to provide students with the knowledge and understanding that is required to relate effectively to the American public policy process. Graduates will be prepared to make significant contributions within the private and/or public sectors of American society. The program provides the foundation for productive participation in organizations that are dedicated to the development, implementation, and evaluation of public policies in the United States. It makes accessible a set of perspectives that are valuable to persons in the private sector whose activities are substantially impacted by the public policy system. It is expected that the typical graduate will function within public organizations at the national, state, or local levels. However, the skills and expertise that are developed in the program contribute to the ability of the graduate to contribute to the success of non-profit and for-profit organizations in the private sector whose activities involve intense interactions with the public policy system.

The program emphasizes theoretical, practical, and methodological issues that are critical for the knowledgeable contributor and consumer of public policy in the American polity. Historical, empirical, and normative approaches are central to each element of the program. The norms of public service, sound governance, effective analysis, and knowledgeable evaluation are central to the design of the program. Therefore, the acquisition of relevant skills in quantitative and qualitative analyses are central expectations for all students who complete the program.

The program is designed to serve the needs of students who hold the bachelor's degree in any field. The criteria for admission to the program are those specified for the master's degree by the graduate school at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Admission is not dependent upon any particular subject matter expertise. However, each student will be expected to complete AHS 300 if he or she does not have an equivalent experience in his or her background. Instruction in the program assumes the level of intellectual development and maturity expected of an above average college graduate. The goals and interests of students rather than subject matter expertise are the primary criteria for the selection of students for participation in this program of instruction.

The program is organized primarily to serve the needs and interests of the mature individual who has significant experience after completion of an undergraduate degree program. Most typically, these students will most often be employed within an organization in the public or private sector in which the principles and practices of public affairs are relevant. The successful completion of the program is expected to lead to enhanced organizational contributions and provide enhanced opportunities for career advancement. However, the program is also quite appropriate for the person who aspires to shift a career toward activities related to the public policy process. Therefore, the design and scheduling of courses in the program assumes that most students will have significant practical experience and will enroll in the program on a part-time basis. Such a part-time student should anticipate that two to three years of study will be required to complete the program.

However, the program is also appropriate for the pre-service student and every effort is made to make it possible for a student to enroll in the program on a full-time basis. Efforts are made to provide such a student with the opportunity to complete the program within one calendar year. It should be emphasized that it would be quite unusual and not typical for the student to be able to complete the program in such a limited time frame. Generally, in cases where practical experience is not present in the background of the student, a degree in one of the social sciences or a field of administrative science would be most helpful but not required for admission and successful completion of the program.

The program is administered by the Department of Political Science and the bulk of the instruction is provided through that department. The focus of the program is on fundamental issues related to the problems of politics and governance in a democratic society. However, the subject matter and the objectives of the program dictate that there should be an interdisciplinary dimension to the student's educational background. Consequently, significant coursework and academic experience outside the Department of Political Science will be required as a component of the student's program of study.

Applicants must meet the general requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies, and be recommended for approval by the department's graduate committee prior to admission to the program.

The Master of Arts requires 36 hours of approved graduate work from the following courses:

1. A minimum of 36 credits at the 500- and 600-levels.
   
   
2. A minimum of 18 hours at the 600-level.
   
   
3. Foundation courses - 12 hours. All of the following courses are required.*
   PSC 500 The American Polity
   PSC 501 The Public Policy Process
   PSC 510 Public Management Profession: Theory and Practice
   PSC 635 Methodological Issues and Public Policy (replaces AHS 600 as program requirement)
   *Although these courses are not prerequisites for other courses in the program, it is advisable for students to complete them as early in their program as practicable.
   
   
4. Value Issues - 3 hours. One of these courses is required:
   PSC 630 Public Values and Public Policy
   PSC 637 Development of Management and Policy
   PSC 639 Complex Organizations in Industrial Society
   
   
5. Structures and Processes - 6 hours. Two of the following courses are required:
   PSC 611 Public Personnel Administration
   PSC 612 Budgetary Process
   PSC 615 Special Topics in Public Administration*
   PSC 620 Intergovernmental Relations
   PSC 651 Public Policy and the Law
   *May be repeated for credit with change in course content, subject to approval of department chair.
   
   
6. Specialized Issues - 3 hours. One of the following courses is required:
   PSC 605 Public Policy Seminar*
   PSC 665 American Foreign Policy
   PSC 668 National Security Policy
   *May be repeated for credit with change in course content, subject to approval of department chair.
   
   
7. Courses in other disciplines. Student should consult with department chair to determine appropriate coursework from other disciplines.
   
   
8. Other Options - 6 hours. One of the following options:
   PSC 695 (a) Internship in Government (3 hours + one elective)
   PSC 699 (b) Master's Thesis (6 hours)
                  (c) Free Electives (6 hours)
   

500     The American Polity

Comprehensive and intensive review of the foundations, institutions, and dynamics of the American polity and the relationship of these forces to the making of public policy.

501     The Public Policy Process

Economic, political, social, and institutional factors which influence the policymaking process and the impact of policy decisions made by the national, state, and local levels of government. Examination of the steps in policymaking analysis.

510     Public Management Professions

Introduction to public management as a field of study and practice. Review of basic literature. Emphasis on ethics in public service.

605     Public Policy Seminar

Focuses on specific policy areas of the national government such as foreign policy, science policy, or national security policy.

611     Public Personnel Administration

Purposes, functions, and processes of personnel management at the national, state, and local levels.

612     Budgetary Process

Governmental revenue and expenditure policies. Budget as a method of administrative and fiscal control.

615     Special Topics in Public Administration

Selected current issues in public administration.

620     Intergovernmental Relations

Intergovernmental relations in the United States. Specific government programs are discussed in terms of funding arrangements, policy decisions, and program administration.

630     Public Values and Public Policy

Critical examination of the normative aspect of public policymaking. Focuses on the value assumptions of social theoretical paradigms that influence the design of public policy and on the ethical and moral implications of those designs. Major themes include ideological biases of empirical analyses and evaluations in the policy sciences, ethics of social policy formation, and moral problems of economic distribution, and redistribution.

635     Methodological Issues and Public Policy

Emphasis upon application of advanced quantitative techniques to public policy issues. Prerequisite: AHS 300.

637     Development of Management and Policy

Evolution of modern American business management and government policy. (Same as HY 637.)

639     Complex Organization in Industrial Society

Mainstream and critical sociological theories for understanding complex organization in industrial societies. Specific areas covered include: historical development, structure and processes, contradictions and conflict, and alternative forms.

651     Public Policy and the Law

Judicial influences on the development and application of public policy in the United States. Role of the judiciary as a political actor.

665     American Foreign Policy

Analysis of major theories explaining foreign policy and various controversies surrounding policy processes and issues.

668     National Security Policy

Examination of the evolution of U.S. security policy in the post-1945 era, with a special focus upon the theory and practice of deterrence and the problems associated with disarmament and arms control. Prerequisite: Undergraduate course in international relations recommended.

695     Internship in Government

Graduate students may receive from one to six hours of academic credit for an internship with local, state, or federal governmental agencies. Students must attend internship seminars, keep a log of activities, and submit a report on their internship.

699     Master's Thesis

Required every semester a student writing and receiving direction on a master's thesis. A minimum of two terms and six thesis hours is required for the thesis option. No more than six hours credit may be applied toward the degree.