Page Content

PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION

College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies

• MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION
• CERTIFICATE
• CAREER POSSIBILITIES
• FACULTY
• CONTACT
• COMPLETE COURSE LISTING

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Public Policy and Administration offers interdisciplinary programs designed to equip graduates with conceptual, analytic, and problem-solving skills and experiences enabling them to deal with public sector policy and administrative issues, problems, and opportunities. The Sacramento State programs differ from other similar programs in that they focus on California State and local levels of government. This attractive feature is facilitated by the proximity of the Sacramento State campus to the main operations of the California state government.

Note: The Department of Public Policy and Administration, in collaboration with the College of Business Administration, offers an interdisciplinary Master's of Science in Urban Land Development. It also offers an interdisciplinary doctorate in education in collaboration with the College of Education.  Both of these programs are listed separately in this catalog.

Special Features

• The proximity of Sacramento State to the State Capitol offers significant advantages to students, providing them with a ready ''laboratory'' for observing the policy and administrative issues they will confront professionally and for gaining experience alongside existing practitioners in public policy and administration. In particular, the graduate program's internship feature is greatly strengthened by the placements available in California state government, local government, and related organizations.
• The graduate program's curricular design and scheduling of courses allow students to complete the program in four semesters if enrolled full-time. In addition, part-time students may complete the program under a five- or a six-semester schedule. Classes are scheduled in the late afternoon, in the evening, and on Saturday to accommodate the scheduling interests of students who are employed in the daytime or who have other obligations that require evening schedules.
• Reflecting on growing national interest in collaborative methods, and the need for mid-level administrators in the judicial system, the Department now offers certificates in Collaborative Governance and Judicial Administration.

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM

Requirements - Study in Public Policy and Administration

Units required: 6

Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.

Offered Courses (6 units)

(3)	PPA 100/GERO 102	Introduction to Public Policy and Administration (GOVT 1 or GOVT 150 or equivalent)
(3)	PPA 150	Collaborative Problem Solving Practicum (Any one of the following or instructor permission: ANTH 101, ANTH 142, COMS 116, COMS 119, CRJ 160, ENVS 171, GOVT 170, GOVT 180, ID 124 or its equivalent, HROB 155, PPA 100, PSYC 135, PSYC 145, SOC 130, SOC 150, SOC 190, or SWRK 102)

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Admission Requirements

Admission to classified standing in the program requires:

• the baccalaureate degree;
• a GPA of 3.0 for all undergraduate coursework and in the last 60 units;
• results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test;
• completion of: STAT 1, ECON 1B, and GOVT 1 (or their equivalents at other colleges or universities as determined by the Department Chair);
• a written statement of purpose from one to two pages in length (typewritten), addressing the applicant's purpose in pursuing the Master of Public Policy and Administration;
• a minimum score of 560 (220 if computer-based) on the TOEFL (this requirement applies only to students earning degrees abroad whose primary language is not English); and
• three letters of recommendation from individuals with knowledge of the applicant's academic and professional potential.

A student with certain deficiencies in the above requirements may be admitted to the program on a conditionally classified status. Admission conditions will be determined on an individual basis.

Admission Procedures

All prospective students must file the following with the Office of Graduate Studies:

• an online application for admission;
• two sets of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, other than Sacramento State; and
• GRE scores.

The items below should be submitted to the Department office:

• written statement of purpose;
• letters of recommendation;
• program application; and
• TOEFL score, if applicable.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students must file an application for Advancement to Candidacy listing their program of graduate study. The filing procedure should begin as soon as the student has:

• removed any deficiencies in admission requirements;
• completed at least five of the program's required courses (except PPA 295) with a minimum grade of ''B'' in each and an overall grade point average of at least 3.0;
• received approval of a written proposal for the culminating requirement from the thesis advisor and the Department Chair; and

• taken the Writing Placement for Graduate Students (WPG) or taken a Graduate Writing Intensive (GWI) course in their discipline within the first two semesters of coursework at California State University, Sacramento or secured approval for a WPG waiver.

Department specific advancement to candidacy forms are available in the Department office.

Requirements - Master of Public Policy and Administration Degree

Units required for the MPPA: 36-39
Minimum required GPA: 3.0

Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.

A. Required Courses (27-30 units)

(3)	PPA 200	Introduction to Public Policy and Administration
(3)	PPA 205	Research in Public Policy and Administration
(3)	PPA 207	Quantitative Methods in Public Policy and Administration (ECON 1B, STAT 1, PPA 205, or instructor permission)
(3)	PPA 210	Political Environment of Policy Making (PPA 200 or instructor permission)
(3)	PPA 220A	Applied Economic Analysis I (ECON 1B or instructor permission)
(3)	PPA 220B	Applied Economic Analysis II (PPA 220A)
(3)	PPA 230	Public Budgeting and Finance
(3)	PPA 240A	Public Management and Administration I (Graduate standing and completion on PPA program prerequisites or instructor permission)
(3)	PPA 240B	Public Management and Administration II (PPA 240A)
(3)	PPA 295*	Internship in Public Policy and Administration (PPA 200)

*At the discretion of the Department Chair, PPA 295 may be waived for students with one year of administrative and analytical experience in a full-time professional capacity in the field of Public Policy and Administration.

B. Electives (6 units)

PPA graduate students are required to take 6 units of elective courses. Ordinarily at least 3 of these units should be chosen from among the graduate level elective courses offered by the Department of Public Policy and Administration. As appropriate, the requirement to take at least 3 units within PPA may be waived with the approval of the student's academic advisor and the Department Chair.

Graduate level PPA elective courses include the following:

(3)	PPA 250	California Land Use Policy
(3)	PPA/ECON 251	Urban Problems, Economics, and Public Policy
(3)	PPA 260	Working with Legislatures
(3)	PPA 270	Introduction to Collaborative Policy Making (PPA 200 and PPA 210 or instructor permission)
(3)	PPA 271	Practice of Collaborative Policy Making (PPA 200 or instructor permission)
(3)	PPA 280	Higher Education Policy (PPA 200 for majors)
(3)	PPA 281	Higher Education Leadership (PPA 200 for majors)
(3)	PPA/GOVT 284	Urban Policy

Additionally, the Department has offered experimental PPA 296 electives in the past, and will continue to do so. For example, the Department recently has offered experimental electives in the areas of collaborative decision making, higher education, and judicial administration.

C. Culminating Requirement (3 units)

(3) PPA 500 Culminating Experience (Advancement to Candidacy)

Enrollment in PPA 500 is required of students in their last semester of enrollment in the program. Each student will undertake a project or thesis dealing with a policy or administrative issue and complete a significant written work detailing the problem or issue examined, sources of information used in analyzing the issue, and project findings and conclusions.

Requirements - Concentration - Judicial Administration

Units required for Concentration: 9 units

Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.

Admission Requirements

• Enrollment in the Sacramento State MPPA Program

Required Courses (9 units)

(3)	PPA 291	Court Governance and Operations
(3)	PPA 292	Court Management (PPA 291 or instructor permission)
(3)	PPA 293	Court Leadership

Requirements - Certificate - Collaborative Governance

Units required for Certificate: 9 units

Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.

Admission Requirements

• Enrollment in the Sacramento State MPPA program OR
• Graduation from the Sacramento State MPPA program OR
• Application for the Certificate in Collaborative Governance AND

  1. The baccalaureate degree;
  2. A written statement of purpose;
  3. Three letters of recommendation;
  4. Completion of PPA 200 and PPA 210, or their equivalent(s) with grades of "B-" or better in each.

Required Courses (9 units)

(3)	PPA 270	Introduction to Collaborative Policy Making (PPA 200 and PPA 210, or instructor permission)
(3)	PPA 271	Practice of Collaborative Policy Making (PPA 200 or instructor permission)
(3)	PPA 272	Collaborative Governance Advanced Practice (PPA 270 and PPA 271 with grades of B- or better or instructor permission)

Requirements - Certificate - Judicial Administration

Units required for Certificate: 12 units

Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.

Admission Requirements

• Enrollment in the Sacramento State MPAA Program

OR

• The Baccalaureate degree AND application for the Graduate Certificate in Judicial Administration AND determination that the application meets standards to be developed by the Department of Public Policy and Administration.

Required Courses (12 units)

(3)	PPA 291	Court Governance and Operations
(3)	PPA 292	Court Management (PPA 291 or instructor permission.)
(3)	PPA 293	Court Leadership
(3)	PPA 294	Emerging Issues in Judicial Administration

Career Possibilities

Policy analyst and/or public administrator for federal, state, or local government; private firm or association; or not-for profit firm

COMPLETE COURSE LISTING | RETURN TO TOP |