Department of Public Service and Administration

The Department of Public Service and Administration (PSAA) develops principled leaders for the public and nonprofit sectors, providing students with the tools and knowledge they need for impactful public service careers. Students in PSAA develop the analytical, communication and leadership skills needed to tackle complex challenges in the public and nonprofit sectors as thoughtful, objective, effective, and ethical public servants.

The PSAA Department offers the highly ranked and NASPAA (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration) accredited Master of Public Service and Administration (MPSA) and Executive Master of Public Service and Administration (EMPSA) degree, as well as graduate certificates in Nonprofit Management, Public Management, and Homeland Security.

Undergraduates in PSAA can pursue either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Service and Administration. These degrees equip students with a deep understanding of the intricate workings of the public and nonprofit sectors while developing the leadership and decision-making skills necessary for driving meaningful change and effective governance. The BA-PSAA degree should be particularly appealing to students who are interested in serving their communities (e.g., those planning to work for organizations such as the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, or the Red Cross) while the BS-PSAA degree should be particularly appealing to students who are interested in building better connections between science and public policy (e.g., those planning to work for organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Texas Education Agency, or the Sierra Club). Potential careers in the government and nonprofit sectors include public affairs specialists, grant writers, program assistants, project management specialists, parks supervisors, fundraisers, research assistants, budget analysts, management and administrative analysts, program analysts or policy coordinators.

Undergraduates with an interest in public service careers can also develop expertise in key public service specialties by pursuing one of the four PSAA undergraduate minors: Public Management (PBMG), Public Policy Analysis (PPAN), Nonprofit Studies (NPST) or Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM). All students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in PSAA are encouraged to also pursue one of these minors.

Public Service and Administration (PSAA)

PSAA 205 Data and Decision‐Making in Public Service

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of how data and information can improve understanding and decision-making; introduction to basic tools of decision-making and how public managers confront complex problems; opportunities to practice applying principles to real life issues and explores related ethical questions. Prerequisites: PSAA major or approval of department head.

PSAA 210 Integrated Solutions to Public Service Problems

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to public service concepts in the context of a public service problems; identification of stakeholders and constituencies; examination of key policy challenges including civil discourse, intergovernmental relations, and cybersecurity.

PSAA 272 Introduction to National Defense and Homeland Security

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of national defense and homeland security law and organizations that protect the country; examination of the public safety and emergency management roles and responsibilities at all levels of government; understanding the roles of non-governmental agencies and private sector entities as they interact with government to maintain public safety and critical infrastructure.

PSAA 301 Research Methods for Public Service

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Research methods and their application in public service; exposure to qualitative and quantitative research approaches, sampling, measurement, analysis, ethics in research, and research communication. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 210, and STAT 201 or equivalent; PSAA major or approval of department head; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 302 International Perspectives in Public Service

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Exploration of challenges and constraints faced in public organizations and public managers worldwide; examination of the management of nongovernmental organizations (NGO) in international settings; exploration of factors behind variations in institutional and social contexts. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 210; PSAA major or approval of department head; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 303 Leadership in Public Service

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Abstract theoretical approaches to leadership, the study of leadership, and its application in the public service sector and/or other settings where leadership is required; challenge to reflect on personal experiences, seek out information on how to become more effective leaders, and construct a leadership journey map for ongoing growth and development beyond the classroom. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 210; PSAA major or approval of department head; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 340/POLS 340 Public Administration

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. American public administration; development of public service; the political and constitutional context; organization theory; leadership and decision-making; personnel and resource staff functions; administrative law and regulation; ethics and administrative accountability. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in POLS 206; junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: POLS 340/PSAA 340.

PSAA 344 Public Communication and Stakeholder Engagement

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of the impact of communication networks, style, and technologies in public and nonprofit organizations; focus on key concepts and tools of stakeholder identification, mapping, analysis and engagement strategies. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PSAA 350 Economics of Public Policy

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Microeconomic analysis of consumers, firms and markets; framework for economic analysis of public sector spending and taxation and their applications to public policy. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ECON 202; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 352 Immigration Policy

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Major issues in U.S. immigration policy from an economic perspective; the forces driving migration; cross-country comparisons of key institutional features of migration law; labor market impacts; implications for education and welfare systems. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ECON 202; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 354 Education Policy

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Major issues in education policy from an economic perspective; the role of government in education; educational equity, adequacy and accountability. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in ECON 202; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 360 The Nonprofit Sector

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of the origins, size, scope and composition of the nonprofit and voluntary sector in American society today; introduction to the historical, political and religious foundations of the nonprofit sector. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 210; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 364 Fundraising and Philanthropy

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Practice of fundraising including fundraising operations with a focus on practices needed to receive donations from individuals; topics include fundraising cycle, information management, prospect research, motivations for giving, donor relations, case statements, annual giving, and ethical issues. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PSAA 372 Emergency Management Enterprise - Local, State and Federal

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of Emergency Management operations; Survey the National Response Framework, National Incident Management System, and other governing documents that guide inter-jurisdictional governments and private sector in planning, response, mitigation, and recovery operations; understanding community lifeline structure and emergency support functions that enable government and private sector to prepare for disasters. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PSAA 403 Public and Nonprofit Budgeting

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Processes, formats, and theories of budgeting for public and nonprofit organizations; topics include public and nonprofit sector revenues; expenditures; debt; and financial management. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 210 and PSAA 340/POLS 340; PSAA major or approval of department head; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 404 Ethics in Public Service

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of theory and application of ethics in government; how public values motivate policy actors to justify policy preferences; focus on ethical dilemmas related to the exercise of administrative discretion; review of systems of professional ethics for public administrative professions. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 210; PSAA major or approval of department head; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 405 Cultural Competency in Public Service

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of how public policy issues are contested and shaped by the major cleavages in American society, such as race and ethnicity, economic and social class, and gender; strategies for building consensus across these divisions. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 210; PSAA major or approval of department head; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 430 Leading and Managing Public Service Organizations

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Emphasis on leading and managing public service organizations; organizational culture, group dynamics and communications are examined; techniques of organizational analysis and management of change are studied; organizational theory and tools for public management are examined including basic budgeting and financial management principles. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 210 and PSAA 340/POLS 340; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 440 Public Policies and Policymaking

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Socio-economic, political, and institutional factors as they affect the development, implementation and impact of public policies; strategies of choice by political regimes in the formation of public policies. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in POLS 206; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 441 Program Assessment and Evaluation

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Evaluation tools most commonly used in public and nonprofit programs; includes developing program theory through needs assessments, implementation and process assessment, methods of impact evaluation, and efficiency analysis (cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis); focus on critical analysis and understanding of both the underlying programs and their evaluations. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 210 and PSAA 301; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 442 Cross‐Sector Collaboration

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Understanding existing frameworks of collaboration between public, private, and nonprofit entities, and policy foundations that establish and promote such partnerships; exploration of purpose, opportunities, and challenges associated with advancing economic, social, and environmental cross-sector collaboration and partnership endeavors. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PSAA 443 Managing Workplace Diversity in Public and Nonprofit Organizations

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Research and best practices in diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) to gain insights and practice essential leadership skills and behaviors that help foster diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams and organizations; designed to encourage critical thinking about workplace experiences and interactions based on personal history and identity as well as think about how the broader workplace context may perpetuate bias, discrimination, and inequality. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PSAA 450 Using Data to Make a Difference

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Knowledge and skills to explore and apply basic concepts supporting data-driven decision-making and performance accountability; overview of the various types of data, the fundamentals for information management, techniques of data visualization, skills to communicate data and information, and how to utilize data to inform and guide decisions. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in STAT 201 or equivalent; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 452 Energy Policy

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Externalities and optimal policy response to externalities; fossil fuels and alternative fuels; electricity and transportation markets; energy efficiency; energy innovation; and international environmental negotiations. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSAA 350, and STAT 201 or equivalent; junior or senior classification.

PSAA 453 Environmental Policy

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of key sectors and themes that drive environmental policies; foundational concepts in environmental management; analysis of the environmental policy using real world cases. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PSAA 465 Social Entrepreneurship

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Applying business principles and practices to solve social, economic and environmental problems; social entrepreneurship concepts and issues in scaling social enterprise ventures including management tools, organization structures, funding sources, impact measurement; experience in opportunity recognition, designing, planning, pitching social mission ventures; build social capital with social enterprise founders. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification. Cross Listing: SOCI 450 and MGMT 478.

PSAA 472 Terrorist Threat to the Nation

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Survey of the terrorist threats posed by non-government organizations to the United States; transnational and domestic terror groups, gangs, and drug trafficking organizations that utilize terrorist tactics are studied; understanding the religious, racial, environmental, social, political, or financial motivations of extremist groups. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

PSAA 489 Special Topics in...

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Other Hours. Selected topics in an identified area of government and public service. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification.

Ashley, Frank B, Senior Professor
Public Service and Administration
EDD, The University of Alabama, 1986

Bailey, Michael, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Colorado Technical University, 2016

Bright, Leonard, Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Portland State University, 2003

Brown, William A, Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Claremont Graduate University, 2000

Bullock, Justin B, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
PHD, The University of Georgia, 2014

Cantrell-Bruce, Tosha, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of Illinois at Springfield, 2008

Casellas Connors, Ishara, Assistant Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Boston College, 2020

Cheong, So-Min, Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of Washington, 2001

Cortes, Kalena E, Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of California at Berkeley, 2002

Dague, Laura A, Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of Wisconsin, 2012

Davis, Danny W, Professor of the Practice
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2003

DeBree, Dan, Associate Professor of the Practice
Public Service and Administration
MA, Marine Corps University, 2003

Dwyer, William, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
JD, Rutgers Law School, 2004

Gamache, Kevin R, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2014

Greer, Robert A, Associate Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of Kentucky, 2013

Haase, Tom, Associate Professor
Public Service and Administration
JD, University of Pittsburgh (Law), 2001
PHD, University of Pittsburgh, 2009

Han, Jeehee, Assistant Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Syracuse University, 2021

Hoang, Trang, Associate Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of Texas at Dallas, 2019

Kiltz, Linda, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Portland State University, 2008

Lahey, Joanna N, Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Massachusetts Inst of Technology, 2005

Little, Charles D, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of North Texas, 1985

Lum, Jason K, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
JD, University of California at Berkeley, 2000

Morrison, Jenny K, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
PHD, New York University, 2008

Nakamura, Brian, Associate Professor of the Practice
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of Southern California, 2002

Qu, Heng, Associate Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, 2016

Reilly, Michael D, Associate Professor of the Practice
Public Service and Administration
MS, National Defense University, School of Information Warfare and Strategy, 2016

Robichau, Robbie, Associate Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Arizona State University, 2013

Rollins, John W, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
JD, American University, 2001

Seaworth, Angela, Instructional Associate Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Indiana University, 2016

Shaw, Timothy A, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
JD, Ohio Northern University School of Law, 1983

Smith, Sonny, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Virginia Tech, 2009

Sullivan, Ronald D, Visiting Lecturer
Public Service and Administration
JD, University of Kansas, 2014

Taylor, Kenneth A, Associate Professor of the Practice
Public Service and Administration
PHD, Our Lady of the Lake University, 2017

Taylor, Lori, Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of Rochester, 1990

Thompson, Regina, Visiting Associate Professor of the Practice
Public Service and Administration
MSW, The Ohio State University, 2005

Vedlitz, Arnold, Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of Houston, 1975

Wang, Weijie, Associate Professor
Public Service and Administration
PHD, University of Southern California, 2015