Master of Science in Public Service Administration (PSA)
Classes begin in January & August — Apply Now
Your college degree opened a lot of doors. Now you want to take your career higher, expand your horizons, open new opportunities, and deepen your knowledge.
A Master of Science in Public Service Administration could be the best choice for you. This degree program is designed for anyone in a field where service to the public is a core value. The PSA program offers an in depth study of the tools needed for successful leaders in today's service-oriented work environment: leadership, marketing, management, communication, and professional skills that can help you become a more effective and productive leader in your chosen field. Best of all, you can earn this graduate degree in four semesters, attending class one night each week with no summer classes. Financial Aid is available.
Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and at least three years of work experience. The following documents are required for admission:
- Official transcripts from all educational institutions attended
- Completed application
- Brief resume that reflects a minimum of three years work experience
- GRE or Miller Analogies Test scores or undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above
- Two letters of reference
Curriculum
Foundation Block
PSA 505 - Public Service Leadership (3 credit hours)
Leadership that grows from shared vision, teamwork, and communication is essential for success in public service. Focuses on the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions for effective leadership. Students learn leadership theories and principles and assess their own leadership styles for a practical understanding of application of concepts.
PSA 506 - Ethics and Jurisprudence (3 credit hours)
Emphasizes the legal and ethical processes and their application to public service organizations, administrators, staff, and employees. Includes ethical dimensions of the decision making process and current ethical issues in public service.
PSA 508 - Social Justice and Diversity (3 credit hours)
Diversity dynamics will be considered from the individual and organization viewpoints. Focuses on attitudes regarding diversity as well as skills for promoting and increasing diversity and working with diverse populations.
Market Factors Block
PSA 516 Information Systems (3 credit hours)
Provides an understanding of the concepts and applications of information systems used in the management of organizations committed to public service.
PSA 520 Public Service Marketing (3 credit hours)
Integrates long-range goal planning with dimensions of marketing for organizations committed to public service. Concepts, techniques and theories used in the planning and management of marketing in the public service organizations.
PSA 528 Public Service Finance (3 credit hours)
Focuses on the acquisition, allocation, and management control of financial resources within public service organizations. Includes cost analysis, financial position analysis and strategies, reimbursement, pricing policies, budgeting, capital expenditure, analysis of financial reports, and informal and external controls.
Management Block
PSA 512 Organizational Behavior (3 credit hours)
Uses various organizational, managerial, and behavioral theories, concepts, and principles in analyzing, diagnosing, predicting, and guiding human behavior within organizations committed to public service. Emphasis motivation, leadership, change, communication, personality, group dynamics, decision making, and organization development. Stresses the importance of understanding professional roles within public service organizations.
PSA 514 Management Theory and Human Resources (3 credit hours)
The study of management theory and practice as applied by managers of public service based organizations. Emphasizes analysis of the manager's role, interactions with people, the organization, and the environment. Special emphasis on human resources issues.
PSA 590 Decision Making (3 credit hours)
Examines decision making in public service administration by extensive use of case studies. Material from other PSA courses is integrated into the study of decisions facing all types of organizations committed to public service.
Professional Skills Block
PSA 507 Applied Research and Program Evaluation (3 credit hours)
Examines research principles and methods as they contribute to organizations committed to public service. Provides experience in developing a research proposal and formal critique of research literature.
PSA 543 Grant Writing (3 credit hours)
Provides information targeted to increase administrator effectiveness in identifying external funding sources, developing needs into coherent proposal ideas, and writing successful proposals. Combines instruction and practical exercises to take participants through grant proposal preparation.
PSA 567 Measurement and Statistics (3 credit hours)
Focuses on the analysis of data common to public service organizations. Includes data description, elements of probability, distribution of random variables, estimation and confidence intervals, binomial and normal distributions, hypothesis testing, contingency tables, regression analysis, and ANOVA.
Harlaxton Study Abroad
Harlaxton College, UE's British campus, is located in the British midlands. PSA students are invited to join the UE Harlaxton Alumni trip, which is offered every other summer, for a week long visit to Harlaxton. Current PSA students may join this group while in the PSA program or following graduation, depending on their personal time schedule and preference. Students will visit several historic communities and explore the British culture.
Accommodations for this international experience include dormitory style rooms at Harlaxton Manor with a number of group travel opportunities pre-planned. Harlaxton Manor is a residence hall with dormitory style accommodations cleverly concealed within the manor house, a 101 room Victorian dwelling. PSA students use the same rooms traditional students occupy during the regular academic terms.
The schedule of costs is announced in late fall (alternating years) for both the PSA students and their guests. The schedule of costs includes room and board while at Harlaxton, and scheduled tours. Additional expenses include airfare, personal sightseeing and personal expenses.
Alumni relations handles this opportunity with a deposit required in January and remaining costs typically required by the end of March. Specific dates, times and costs are announced in late fall.
