PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION
College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies
- COMPLETE COURSE LISTING
- MASTER OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION
- CERTIFICATE
- CAREER POSSIBILITIES
- FACULTY
- CONTACT
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) |
Introduction to Public Policy and Administration (GOVT 1 or GOVT 150 or equivalent) |
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(3) |
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.
For more admissions information and application deadlines please visit http://www.csus.edu/gradstudies/.
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) |
Introduction to Public Policy and Administration |
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(3) |
Research in Public Policy and Administration |
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(3) |
Quantitative Methods in Public Policy and Administration (ECON 1B, STAT 1, PPA 205, or instructor permission) |
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(3) |
Political Environment of Policy Making (PPA 200 or instructor permission) |
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(3) |
Applied Economic Analysis I (ECON 1B or instructor permission) |
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(3) |
Applied Economic Analysis II (PPA 220A) |
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(3) |
Public Budgeting and Finance |
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(3) |
Public Management and Administration I (Graduate standing and completion on PPA program prerequisites or instructor permission) |
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(3) |
Public Management and Administration II (PPA 240A) |
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(3) |
Internship in Public Policy and Administration |
*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) |
California Land Use Policy |
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(3) |
Urban Problems, Economics, and Public Policy |
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(3) |
Working with Legislatures |
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(3) |
Introduction to Collaborative Policy Making (PPA 200 and PPA 210 or instructor permission) |
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(3) |
Practice of Collaborative Policy Making (PPA 200 or instructor permission) |
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(3) |
Higher Education Policy (PPA 200 for majors) |
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(3) |
Higher Education Leadership (PPA 200 for majors) |
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(3) |
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
(3) |
Court Governance and Operations |
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(3) |
Court Management (PPA 291 or instructor permission) |
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(3) |
PPA 293 | Court Leadership |
Requirements - Certificate - Collaborative Governance
Units required for Certificate: 6 units
Courses in parentheses are prerequisites.
Admission Requirements
- Enrollment in the Sacramento State MPPA program OR
- Enrollment in the Sacramento State MSULD Program and completion of additional set of readings before enrollment in PPA 270
(3) |
Introduction to Collaborative Policy Making (PPA 200 and PPA 210, or instructor permission) |
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(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
- 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.
(3) |
Court Governance and Operations |
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(3) |
Court Management (PPA 291 or instructor permission.) |
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(3) |
Court Leadership |
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(3) |
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
Faculty
Su Jin Jez, Mary Kirlin, Ted Lascher, Nancy Shulock, Robert Wassmer
Contact Information
Robert Wassmer, Department Chair
Suzi Byrd, Administrative Support Coordinator
Tahoe Hall 3038
(916) 278-6557
www.csus.edu/ppa