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Domestic Policy Focus Field: Public/Nonprofit Management and Administration
Whether working in international affairs, any level of domestic government or with the non-profit or private sector, a graduate of a public affairs school must have a strong grounding in management and administration. All graduates will work in organizations and will face managerial challenges. For example, understanding whether a policy will be effective requires an understanding of implementation. Understanding how to foster better development in poorer countries requires learning the keys to competent bureaucracy and the role of non-governmenal organizations. Simply being a leader in the workplace requires an ability to understand how organizations work and how to motivate people. In short, managment is a core skill for anyone who hopes to be an effective public servant.
Students can choose three or more courses from La Follette management courses and courses from other departments to create the public management and administration focus field. The La Follette School offers a rich range of courses to choose from. All students are required to take Public Management. In addition, students may select from the following public management electives: Public Budgeting, Non-Profit Leadership, Advanced Public Management, Performance Management, Public Personnel Administration, and Social Welfare Policy and Management. Finally, students also take Workshop in Public Affairs, Domestic Issues in which they employ their management and analytic skills by working in small groups with external clients.
Field coordinator: Donald Moynihan
La Follette School faculty in this field
Electives from Other Departments
Students may take courses from other departments depending on their interests. Students should consult their advisors if they are unsure whether a course is appropriate for their focus field. These elective courses include:
BUS 773 Seminar, Arts Administration
BUS 610 Compensation Practices
BUS 705 Human Resource Development
BUS 365 Government Accounting
FIN 700 Introduction to Financial Management
FIN 725 Corporate Finance Theory and Practice
JOURN 829 Political Communication
JOURN 910 Strategic Mass Communication
POLI SCI 815Urban Government and Politics
SOC 632 Sociology of Organizations
SOC 631 Social Psychology of Organizations
LAW 858 Collective Bargaining
LAW 765 Employment Law
LAW 744 Administrative Law
LAW 745 Labor Relations Law
LAW 932 Problems in Administrative Law: Regulatory Reform
LAW seminars in public corporations and contracting
URPL 751 Introduction to Financial Planning
URPL 752 Capital Budgeting
URPL 734 Regional Economic Development
Core Courses
PA 818 Quantitative Tools for Public Policy Analysis
PA 869 Workshop in Public Affairs, Domestic Issues
PA 873 Introduction to Policy Analysis
PA 874 The Policymaking Process
PA 878 Public Management
PA 880 Microeconomic Policy Analysis
PA 799 Professional Development Workshop
Public Affairs Electives for this Focus Field
PA 871 Program Evaluation
PA 875 Public Personnel Administration
PA 882 Social Welfare Policy and Management
PA 885 Advanced Public Management
PA 887 Non-Profit Leadership
PA 891 State and Local Government Finance
PA 892 Public Budgeting
PA 895 Performance Management
Human Resources Electives
PA 875 Public Personnel Administration
PA 885 Advanced Public Management
BUS 705 Human Resource Development
LAW 745 Labor Relations Law
LAW 765 Employment Law
LAW 858 Collective Bargaining
Budget and Financial Electives
PA 890 Federal Budget and Tax Policy and Administration
PA 891 State and Local Government Finance
PA 892 Public Budgeting
URPL 752 Capital Budgeting
URPL 734 Regional Economic Development
BUS 365 Government Accounting
FIN 700 Introduction to Financial Management
Nonprofit Electives
PA 882 Social Welfare Policy and Management
PA 885 Advanced Public Management
PA 887 Non-Profit Leadership
PA 895 Performance Management
Organization Theory Electives
PA 885 Advanced Public Management
PA 887 Non-Profit Leadership
SOC 631 Social Psychology of Organizations
SOC 632 Sociology of Organizations
Employment and Internships
Management skills are always a plus in any organizational context and are part of the package employers expect from a graduate of a public affairs program. Such skills are needed by public and nonprofit organizations, international organizations, as well as by private companies that contract with government. For example, La Follette School alumni have held the following positions:
- spokesperson, White House's Office of Management and Budget.
- budget and policy analyst, Bureau of Management and Budget for the Water Division, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- budget analyst, University of Wisconsin System and the Wisconsin departments of Commerce and Revenue
- staff person for legislative committees in St. Paul, Minnesota
- intern, office of a U.S. senator, Washington, D.C.
- analyst, U.S. Government Accountability Office, Washington, D.C.
- senior administrative manager, Orange County, California
- presidential management fellow, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- project coordinator, American Red Cross
- management analyst, Minnesota Department of Human Services
- grants manager, City of San Francisco
- consultant, Global Public Sector, Grant Thornton LLP
- project development officer, U.S. Agency for International Development