2013-2014 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog

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Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Public and Nonprofit Administration

• Requirements for a Major in Public and Nonprofit Administration

The baccalaureate program provides professional orientation and career specialization on a sound liberal arts foundation. It is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary for successful careers in public and nonprofit organizations. The curriculum emphasizes general public and nonprofit administration knowledge but also requires students to concentrate in selected areas of emphasis.

Both freshmen and transfer students who are admitted to Grand Valley are eligible for admission to the program. Students interested in public and nonprofit administration should seek the advice of faculty in the program, especially when choosing courses to fit various needs and interests.

Requirements for a Major in Public and Nonprofit Administration

The prerequisite for the public and nonprofit administration major is:

• PLS 102 - American Government and Politics (3 credits)

The Major consists of 36 credit hours

Which includes three credit hours of required internship:

• PA 490 - Public Administration Internship (3 credits)

Students must complete 24 credit hours of courses by taking:

• PA 270 - Public and Nonprofit Administration Credits: 3
• PA 307 - Local Politics and Administration Credits: 3
• PA 360 - Voluntarism and the Nonprofit Sector Credits: 3
• PA 375 - Public Budgeting and Finance Administration Credits: 3
• PA 376 - Public Personnel Policy and Administration Credits: 3
• PA 420 - Organization Theory and Dynamics Credits: 3
• PA 495 - Community Analysis (Capstone) Credits: 3

Students must also complete three credit hours of elective by taking one of the following:

• PA 311 - Public Sector Information Technology Credits: 3
• PA 330 - Health Care Financing Credits: 3
• PA 335 - Grant Writing Credits: 3
• OR
• PA 372 - International and Comparative Administration Credits: 3

B.A.

Majors seeking a B.A. degree must demonstrate third-semester proficiency in a foreign language.

B.S.

Majors seeking a B.S. degree must complete the cognate sequence:

• STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics Credits: 3
• PA 300 - Research Methods Credits: 3
• PA 449 - Policy Research and Evaluation Credits: 3

Select one Specialty

Students must also select one specialty consisting of at least nine credit hours. Some specialties also require that a specific PA course be taken as an elective. PA 372, PA 380, PA 490 and PA 491 may count in any area with an academic advisors approval.

Community Development and Planning

• GPY 307 - Introduction to Computer Mapping/Geographic Information Systems (0 or 3 credits)
• GPY 309 - Introduction to City and Regional Planning (3 credits)
• HST 327 - History of United States Urban Society (3 credits)
• PA 390 - Leadership Dynamics (3 credits)
• PLS 338 - Citizenship (3 credits)
• SOC 382 - Race and Ethnicity (3 credits)
• Also Required: The B.S. cognate course, PA 449 - Policy Research and Evaluation (3 credits)

Public Personnel Management

• LIB 331 - Person and Profession Credits: 3
• MGT 334 - Labor and Employment Law Credits: 3
• MGT 355 - The Diversified Workforce Credits: 3
• MGT 432 - Grievance Administration, Arbitration, and Collective Bargaining Credits: 3
• PA 390 - Leadership Dynamics Credits: 3
• PHI 325 - Ethics in Professional Life Credits: 3

Information Technology

• CIS 231 - Problem Solving Using Spreadsheets Credits: 3
• CIS 233 - Concepts of Database Systems Credits: 3
• CIS 237 - Introduction to Network Management Credits: 3
• CIS 238 - Internet Media and Programming Credits: 3
• GPY 307 - Introduction to Computer Mapping/Geographic Information Systems Credits: 0 or 3
• GPY 407 - Advanced GIS Credits: 4
• MGT 268 - Introduction to Management Information Systems Credits: 3

Local Economic Development

• BUS 201 - Legal Environment for Business Credits: 3
• CAP 220 - Fundamentals of Public Relations Credits: 3
• ECO 200 - Business Economics Credits: 3
• ECO 435 - Urban Economics Credits: 3
• ECO 436 - Real Estate Economics Credits: 3
• HTM 101 - Fundamentals Credits: 4
• MGT 339 - Business and Society Credits: 3

Public and Nonprofit Budgeting and Finance

• ACC 212 - Principles of Financial Accounting Credits: 3
• ACC 213 - Principles of Managerial Accounting Credits: 3
• CIS 231 - Problem Solving Using Spreadsheets Credits: 3
• ECO 210 - Introductory Macroeconomics Credits: 3
• ECO 211 - Introductory Microeconomics Credits: 3
• FIN 331 - Risk and Insurance Credits: 3
• PA 335 - Grant Writing Credits: 3

Community Health

• BMS 222 - Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
• COM 209 - Health Communication Systems (3 credits)
• AHS 340 - Health Care Management (3 credits)
• MKT 350 - Marketing Management (3 credits)
• OSH 300 - Introduction to Occupational Safety and Health (3 credits)
• PLS 310 - Politics and Health Policy (3 credits)
• REC 110 - Foundations of Recreation and Leisure (3 credits)
• Also required: The elective, PA 330 - Health Care Financing (3 credits)

Click here for the program description.