Faculty Contact Information:
Dr. JED Riggs
PSC 9 Box 3018
APO AE 09123
EMAIL: jriggs@ed.umuc.edu | |
Consultation:
| One-Half hour before class and by appointment. | |
Required Texts and Readings:
Texts used exclusively in this course --
Denhardt, R.B. & Grubbs, J.W. (2003) Public administration: An action orientation (4th ed.). Belmont, CA : Thomson Wadsworth.
Stillman, R.J. (2000). Public administration: Concepts and cases (7th ed.). Houghton Miflin.
Text used in multiple courses --
American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington D.C.: Author. | |
Supplementary Readings:
| All graduate students should be prepared to utilize the UMUC online library at http://www.umuc.edu/library/. The library contains a large number of full text academic journals that are free of charge and immediately available. | |
Recommended Journals:
| A variety of full-text, online, free-of-charge and pay-per-view academic journals are listed on the PA Webboard (http://webboard.ed.umuc.edu/~pa). Public Administration Review, the lead journal in the discipline,is especially useful for this course. | |
Course Description:
| Prerequisite: Undergraduate American political science or American Government or permission from the Program Director. A survey of the fundamentals of public administration, management strategies and management techniques at the national, state, and local levels. | |
Course Goals:
As the introductory course in the M.P.A. program and a prerequisite to the certificate in E-Government, this course introduces and analyzes:
- Discipline and practice of American public administration.
- Role of government in general and public administrators in particular in a democratic society.
- Basic institutions of American government.
- Development of the administrative state.
- Component parts of public administration.
- Current standards and best practices in public sector management.
Major theories, models, and concepts of public administration. | |
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:
- Analyze case material, web sites, public law, and research articles related to public administration.
- Investigate the relationship between historical and current issues in public administration.
- Utilize electronic resources to find primary source documents, data, statements on best practices, and research articles related to issues in public administration.
- Develop and present written and oral arguments, case studies, and/or research papers on current issues in public administration that make reference to and build on factual and expert information.
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Grading Information:
Grades for this course will be assigned as follows:
A 90% +
B 80% – 89%
C 70% - 79%
F Below 70%
Please note that Bowie State University does not use "D" for graduate students. The grade F(a) is used to designate academic failure. F(n) is used to designate failure for non-completion. Grades of Incomplete or Withdrawal are governed by UMUC-Europe policies. For further details, please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog. Hard copies of the catalog are available in your local Education Center. | |
Course Requirements:
Graduate school at the masters level focuses on helping students obtain the education needed for success as professionals in their chosen fields. Thus, UMUC-Europe Graduate Programs and Bowie State University share the common goals of promoting excellence in academic scholarship through thoughtful inquiry and the skillful application of knowledge and theory for the betterment of society.
In order to maximize your graduate educational experience in general and this course in particular, you are required to:
| Take a Mid-Term Examination |
33% |
| Take a Final Examination |
34% |
| Write a Theme Paper |
33% |
| |
Description of Course Requirements:
Participate in classroom discussions: You are expected to come to class prepared to engage in all discussions in a professional and informed manner. Usually this requires two to three hours of additional for every hour of a face-to-face class and approximately ten hours of preparation per week for a DE class.
Write graduate level papers or case studies: You are required to conduct professional-level research, including appropriately citing works of others and avoiding plagiarism. Plan on committing approximately 150 hours over the duration of this course to producing professional level work.
The mid-term will fall on the Sunday afternoon of weekend two and will consist of all readings and lectures to date. The final exam will fall on the Sunday of weekend four and will consist of all readings and lectures from the mid-term on.
Each student will also be expected to produce an original 15-20 page research paper on any of the major topic areas explored in the lectures and readings. This paper is to typed, double-spaced, documented and formatted in the APA style.
By Sunday of weekend two, I expect to see a topic sheet from each student. This sheet will contain three things:
1. The overall topic. (e.g. The impact of lotteries in finacing state government).
2. The approach. (e.g. A case study comparing Ohio and Indiana budgets).
3. A sample bibliography. (I do not expect an exhaustive list at this time).
The paper is due on the day of the final examination. Failure to meet this deadine will result in an automatic 20% reduction in the paper's value.
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Course Schedule:
WEEKEND ONE:
SATURDAY:
Initial meeting:
Introductions
Review of syllabus
Clarification of goals, objectives and requirements
Orientation to subject.
WEEKEND ONE:
MODULE TOPICS READINGS
1. The structure of federalism. Denhardt: 1-3
Stillman:1-1, 2-2.
2. Intergovernmental Relation. SAME.
3. SAME TOPIC.
4 Public Policy. Stillman: 5.
_________________________________________________________________
WEEKEND TWO:
1. Public Budgeting. Denhardt: 5,
(Congressional Perspective) Stillman: 8,12,13.
2. Public Budgeting. SAME.
(Presidential Perspective).
3. Expenditure Analysis.
4. MID-TERM EXAM.
_________________________________________________________________
WEEKEND THREE:
1. Organization Theory. Denhardt: 6,8.
(Classical Theory).
2. Organizational Devt. Stillman: 11, 14.
3. Job Design/Career Devt.
4. SAME TOPIC CONTINUED.
___________________________________________________________________
WEEKEND FOUR:
1. Development of Labor Law. NO READINGS.
2. Unions and Collective Bargaining.
3. Technology and Government.
4. FINAL EXAMINATION. | |
Academic Policies:
Please refer to the UMUC-Europe Graduate Catalog for information on the following:
Academic Integrity
Course Load
Exception to Policy
Grade Appeal Process
Make-up Examinations
Nondiscrimination
Students with Disabilities
Hard copies of the catalog are available at your local Education Center. | |
Faculty Bio:
| Dr. JED Riggs is Collegiate Professor of Public Administration with the University of Maryland University College Europe Graduate Programs/Bowie State University. He has been living in Europe since 1985, and has been teaching for the University of Maryland University College since 1993. | |