Public Administration

The Public Administration Program (PUBA) offers students a comprehensive foundation in public administration that is designed to build leadership in public service in Hawai'i, the mainland USA and the Asia-Pacific region. Located in the College of Social Sciences, it offers a 39-credit master's degree and a 15-credit certificate. The program's format emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, collaborative teaching, and a learning community experience that is designed to help students gain knowledge, learn skills and the values that are important towards reaching the goal of building public service leadership. The classes create an environment in which many of the complex issues facing those with public responsibilities are addressed while also giving participants specific skills useful to their work in the public and private sectors. The program emphasizes teamwork and collaboration so students can practice effectively in a multicultural and global society. PUBA also offers a certificate in public administration with a track in public leadership as well as one with a focus on nonprofit management. It offers a part-time program designed to assist students who are working full time and an 18-month MPA for students who wish to accelerate their program.

The master's degree consists of 8 required courses (24 credits hours); two electives (6 credits), a practicum experience and a year long capstone project. The capstone must be taken as the final requirement in the program and serves as the culminating experience of the Masters degree. Admissions are in the fall only.

• PUBA 499 Directed Reading and Research in Public Administration (V) Independent research and reading on topics in public administration, public service, and community development. Repeatable one time. Pre: consent.
• PUBA 500 Master's Plan B/C Studies (1) Enrollment for degree completion. Pre: master's Plan B or C candidate and consent.
• PUBA 602 Introduction to Public Administration (3) Develop a comprehension of the history and foundation of public administration. Topics include economic, political, and social dynamics; decision-making and leadership theories, management challenges, human resources, budgeting, program evaluation, policy, and technology. PUBA and PUBA Cert. majors only. Graduate students only. A-F only. (Fall only)
• PUBA 603 Organizations: Theory and Change (3) Explores characteristics and structural, human resources, political, and cultural frames of organizational theory. Focus on organizational change strategies and theories. Discusses how to use these frames and theories in everyday management of public service organizations. PUBA and PUBA Cert. majors only. Graduate students only. A-F only. (Fall only)
• PUBA 604 Leadership and Ethics (3) Applies leadership and ethical theories to public and non-profit sectors, focusing on ethical leadership; emphasizes critical thinking to address value conflicts; and teaches moral reasoning as a practical professional skill. PUBA and PUBA Cert. majors only. Graduate students only. A-F only. (Fall only)
• PUBA 605 Effective Communication in Public Administration (3) Knowledge and skills to effectively communicate in the public sector. Focus on communication foundations and skills, levels and contexts of public sector communication, and handling challenges such as diverse and multi-cultural settings. PUBA and PUBA Cert. majors only. Graduate students only. A-F only. (Spring only)
• PUBA 606 Public Administration Personnel Management (3) Understand the pivotal role that effective human resource management (also known as personnel management) plays in improving organizational effectiveness. Topics include managing diversity, employment law and discrimination, performance appraisal, and labor-management relations. PUBA and PUBA Cert. majors only. Graduate students only. A-F only. (Spring only)
• PUBA 607 Public Administration Research Methods (3) Introduction to research methods for public administrators to understand the principles and methods used to conduct and analyze valid research. Examples are oriented to the field; theory and hands-on practice utilized. PUBA and PUBA Cert. majors only. Graduate students only. A-F only. (Spring only)
• PUBA 608 Public Budgeting (3) Institutions and issues related to public-sector budgeting at federal, state, and local levels. Process of developing public budgets and constraints on public policy reflected in budgets. PUBA majors only. A-F only. (Fall only)
• PUBA 609 Policy Analysis and Implementation (3) Explore contemporary policy issues relating to public administration practice. Develop analytic techniques and models of public policy-making processes, administrative rules, and policy implementation strategies. Learn how social forces, political, and economic pressures influence policy orientation. PUBA majors only. A-F only. (Spring only)
• PUBA 620 Reforming Public Organizations (3) Looks at the challenges and opportunities for changing public organizations so that they may be more successful in meeting their public responsibilities and better places for people to work. Focus is on the creation of positive images of organization and effective change strategies. A-F only. (Cross-listed as CEE 620)
• PUBA 621 The Political Environment of Public Organizations (3) Seminar on the role of public managers in shaping public opinion and public policy. Using evidence from theory and practice presents students with tools for understanding management roles within a political context. Pre: graduate standing or consent.
• PUBA 622 Strategies of Change: Leaders and Leadership (3) Explores the key elements of leadership in public settings by examining what leaders actually do, looking at popular media portrayals of leadership, and talking together with guests about the challenges of leadership, effective followership, and positive change. A-F only.
• PUBA 623 Organizational Communication (3) Communication theory/research applied to formal organizations; assessments of strengths and weaknesses of organizational communications systems.
• PUBA 624 Intercultural Challenges in the Public Sector (3) Seminar on the dimensions of cultural variability and how they affect government operations from macro to micro levels, from international policy transfer to major intercultural task interaction processes such as negotiation, planning, and relationship management. Graduate standing only. A-F only.
• PUBA 625 Law, Economics, and Public Administration (3) Explore U.S. law as applied to public institutions using economic lens. Rationale of property, contract, and tort law; evolution of administrative law, economic efficiency of common law system, effects of legal rules on economic behavior. A-F only.
• PUBA 626 Collaborative Public Management (3) Theories, skills, and tools needed to effectively manage networks in government and nonprofit organizations; explores how to administer, assess performance, and evaluate success in these dynamic new partnerships. Graduate students only or consent. A-F only.
• PUBA 630 Nonprofit Management (3) Fundamental aspects of managing a nonprofit organization: overview of the nonprofit sector; mission and scope of nonprofit organizations; organizational structures and functions; resource and volunteer development; major management issues. A-F only Pre: graduate standing or consent. (Fall only)
• PUBA 631 Nonprofit Management Practices and Tools (3) Skills and tools needed by nonprofit managers. Topics include but are not limited to grantwriting, strategic planning, business practices, program evaluation, and advocacy. A-F only. Pre: 630 or consent. (Spring only)
• PUBA 640 International Perspectives on Public Administration (3) Key dimensions of public administration systems on a global scale; historic and contemporary forces shaping national systems; the dimensions that distinguish them, the opportunities and constraints for comparison and the transfer of knowledge and experience. A-F only. Pre: graduate standing or departmental approval.
• PUBA 667 Special Topics (3) Topics of current interest in the field of public service and public administration, taught by regular and visiting faculty. Repeatable for different topics up to six credit hours. A-F only. Pre: consent.
• PUBA 690 MPA Practicum (3) Placement in public, private, and nonprofit organizations to observe and analyze organizational functions and processes while undertaking projects of use to the host agency. Repeatable one time. PUBA majors only. A-F only. Pre: with a minimum grade of B: 602, 603, and 604.
• PUBA 691 Certificate Practicum (3) Students in the nonprofit management track of the certificate will learn by doing and observing in a nonprofit organization selected in consultation with the student's advisor. PUBA graduate certificate students only. A-F only.
• PUBA 695 Capstone Planning Seminar (3) Develops topics, methods, objectives, and resources to guide work of capstone seminar. A-F only. Pre: 602, 603, 605, 607.
• PUBA 696 Capstone Seminar (3) Culminates public administration core courses by incorporating theoretical, analytical, and practicum observations into examination of public issues of importance to Hawai'i and the region. A-F only. Pre: 695.
• PUBA 699 Directed Reading (V) Repeatable unlimited times.
• PUBA 700 Thesis Research (V) Repeatable unlimited times.

Requirements

1. Application form;
2. One official copy of transcripts directly from the registrar of each institution attended;
3. Official GRE (GEN) scores (required of all doctoral applicants; strongly recommended for M.S. applicants);
4. Official TOEFL score report (Foreign applicants); and
5. Application fee $100
6. Interest statement;
7. 2 letters of recommendation - one letter of recommendation should be academic (from one of your former professors).
8. Resume
9. Writing sample

Scholarships

• Graduate Assistantships
• Achievement Scholarships