2018-2019 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Public and Nonprofit Administration
The baccalaureate program provides professional orientation and career specialization upon 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:
The major consists of 36 credit hours, which includes three credit hours of required internship:
Students Must Complete 24 Credit Hours of Courses by Taking:
- PA 270 - Public and Nonprofit Administration (3 credits)
- PA 307 - Local Politics and Administration (3 credits)
- PA 360 - Voluntarism and the Nonprofit Sector (3 credits)
- PA 375 - Public Budgeting and Finance Administration (3 credits)
- PA 376 - Public Personnel Policy and Administration (3 credits)
- PA 420 - Organization Theory and Dynamics (3 credits)
- PA 495 - Community Analysis (Capstone) (3 credits)
Students Must Also Complete Three Credit Hours of Electives by Taking One of the Following:
- PA 311 - Public Sector Information Technology (3 credits)
- PA 330 - Health Care Financing (3 credits)
- PA 335 - Grant Writing (3 credits)
- PA 372 - International and Comparative Administration (3 credits)
- PA 395 - Emergency Management (3 credits)
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 course requirements:
- STA 215 - Introductory Applied Statistics (3 credits)
- PA 300 - Research Methods (3 credits)
- PA 449 - Policy Research and Evaluation (3 credits)
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 advisor's approval.
Community Development and Planning
- GPY 307 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
- GPY 209 - Introduction to Urban 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 313 - Race and Ethnicity (3 credits)
- Also required, the B.S. course requirement; PA 449 - Policy Research and Evaluation (3 credits)
Public Personnel Management
- LIB 331 - Person and Profession in a Global Environment (3 credits)
- MGT 334 - Employment and Labor Law (3 credits)
- MGT 355 - The Diversified Workforce (3 credits)
- MGT 432 - Grievance Administration, Arbitration, and Collective Bargaining (3 credits)
- PA 390 - Leadership Dynamics (3 credits)
- PHI 325 - Ethics in Professional Life (3 credits)
Information Technology
- CIS 231 - Problem Solving Using Spreadsheets (3 credits)
- CIS 233 - Concepts of Database Systems (3 credits)
- CIS 237 - Introduction to Network Management (3 credits)
- CIS 238 - Internet Media and Programming (3 credits)
- GPY 307 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
- GPY 407 - Advanced GIS (4 credits)
- MGT 268 - Business Processes and Management Information Systems (3 credits)
Local Economic Development
- BUS 201 - Legal Environment for Business (3 credits)
- CAP 220 - Fundamentals of Public Relations (3 credits)
- ECO 200 - Business Economics (3 credits)
- HTM 101 - Introduction to Hospitality and Tourism (4 credits)
Public and Nonprofit Budgeting and Finance
- ACC 212 - Principles of Financial Accounting (3 credits)
- ACC 213 - Principles of Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
- CIS 231 - Problem Solving Using Spreadsheets (3 credits)
- ECO 210 - Introductory Macroeconomics (3 credits)
- ECO 211 - Introductory Microeconomics (3 credits)
- FIN 331 - Risk and Insurance (3 credits)
- PA 335 - Grant Writing (3 credits)
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)
- Also required, the elective: PA 330 - Health Care Financing (3 credits)