Concentrations
Concentrations are a recurring feature of the MPSA program. They are intended to give Bush students more opportunities to fashion a specific program of study tailored to their needs and interests. The procedures and regulations are described below.
Definition: Concentrations are clusters of courses dealing with a common theme or topic. Most courses in MPSA modules are Bush School courses, but some include seminars offered by other departments at the University. Usually MPSA concentrations consist of five or more elective course selections offered by several different faculty members. Most will be offered once each year.
The curriculum also allows (but does not require) students to select a concentration in one of the following areas: nonprofit management; state and local policy and management; energy, environment, and technology policy and management; security policy and management; and health policy and management. Students who select a concentration must take at least three courses from a list of concentration electives. A student may elect to add a second concentration to his or her degree plan. Some courses may be listed as an approved elective for more than one concentration, but a student may apply a particular course to only one concentration. Additionally, a student may focus upon any one concentration and elect to take more than the minimum of three courses in the chosen field. The Master's Program in International Affairs (MPIA) also has concentrations, so MPSA students may choose one of those as well, assuming they take the necessary three courses to make an integrated program.
Concentration Topics:
- Nonprofit Management
- State and Local Policy and Management
- Energy, Environment, and Technology Policy and Management
- Security Policy and Management
- Health Policy and Management
Nonprofit Management
These seminars provide an understanding of the role of the nonprofit sector as it has evolved and the distinctive character of nonprofit management and the challenges it must address. Discussions include the variation of structures and activities of assorted nonprofit organizations. Development, political activities, and other dimensions of the relationship between nonprofit organizations and their environments are also examined.
Courses for this concentration include (but are not limited to) the following:
- PSAA 603: Strategic Planning and Financial Management for Nonprofits
- PSAA 630: Program Evaluation in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
- PSAA 633: Philanthropy and Fundraising in Nonprofit Organizations
- PSAA 635: Social Welfare and Health Policy
- PSAA 636: Contract and Grant Management
- PSAA 641 Organizational Theory for the Public Sector
- PSAA 643: Foundations of the Nonprofit Sector
- PSAA 644: Management and Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations
- PSAA 645: Networks and Inter-Organizational Collaborations
- PSAA 648: Performance Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
- PSAA 669: Legal Environment of Nonprofit Management
- PSAA 674: Political Economy of International Development
- ALEC 608 Volunteer Leadership
- MGMT 658: Managing Projects
- RENR 650: Leadership Development and Management of Environmental NGO's
- SOCI 616: Political Sociology
- SOCI 635: Complex Organizations
- Other PSAA and TAMU nonprofit electives TBD
State and Local Policy and Management
The courses in this series explore the institutional structure of state and local government and how it varies among jurisdictions. Topics discussed include politics and management at the state and local level, the prerogatives and limitations of state and local governments in different policy areas, the role of state and local governments in implementing federal programs, and critical issues facing said governments.
Courses for this concentration include (but are not limited to) the following:
- PSAA 604: Urban Economic Development and Projects
- PSAA 617: State and Local Government: Institutions and Policy
- PSAA 635: Social Welfare and Health Policy
- PSAA 636: Contract and Grant Management
- PSAA 689: Education Policy
- EDAD 620: Educational Program Evaluation
- EDAD 652: Politics of Education
- LDEV 671: Sustainable Development
- MGMT 658: Managing Projects
- PLAN 610: Structure and Function of Urban Settlements
- PLAN 612: Transportation in City Planning
- PLAN 633: Planning for Healthy Communities
- PLAN 656: Housing and Community
- RPTS 604: Principles of Community and Community Development
- Other PSAA and TAMU state/local electives TBD
Energy, Environment, and Technology Policy and Management
A thorough examination is provided of the key institutions for making and administering policy in these areas and the political and economic forces that shape agenda setting and policy formation. Also discussed are obstacles to effective policy implementation, analytical tools that can be used to evaluate policy, and critical issues and how they are interrelated.
Courses for this concentration include (but are not limited to) the following:
- PSAA 636: Grant and Contract Management
- PSAA 640: Energy and Security Policy
- PSAA 647: Risk and Public Policy
- PSAA 663: Natural Resource Economics (cross-listed with AGEC 604)
- PSAA 671: Science and Technology Policy
- LDEV 661: Development and the Environment
- LDEV 671: Sustainable Development
- MGMT 602: Markets and Public Policy
- MGMT 632: Technology Commercialization
- OCNG 676: Marine Environmental Policy
- WFSC 604: Systems Analysis and Simulation in Ecology and Natural Resource Mgmt
- Other PSAA and TAMU natural resources/environment/technology policy electives TBD
Security Policy and Management
A thorough examination is provided of the key institutions for making and administering policy in these areas and the political and economic forces that shape agenda setting and policy formation. Also discussed are obstacles to effective policy implementation, analytical tools that can be used to evaluate policy, and critical issues and how they are interrelated.
Courses for this concentration include (but are not limited to) the following:
- PSAA 636: Grant and Contract Management
- PSAA 640: Energy and Security Policy
- PSAA 647: Risk and Public Policy
- PSAA 689: Homeland Security Policies, Strategies, and Operations
- INTA 650: National Security Law
- INTA 651: National Security Policy
- INTA 652: The Role of Intelligence in Security Affairs
- INTA 656: Homeland Security and America's New Long War
- INTA 657: Terrorism in Today's World
- INTA 659: Transnational Security Issues
- PSAA 667: International Crisis Management: The Policy Process
- PLAN 649: Organizational and Community Response to Crisis and Disasters
- PLAN 650: Disaster Response Planning
- Other PSAA and TAMU security/energy/technology policy electives TBD
Health Policy and Management
A broad survey is provided of the key institutions for making and administering policy in the health area and the political and economic forces that shape agenda setting and policy formation. Also studied are obstacles to effective policy implementation, analytical tools that can be used to evaluate policy, and critical issues and how they are interrelated.
Courses for this concentration include (but are not limited to) the following:
- PSAA 630: Program Evaluatin in the Public and Nonprofit Organizations
- PSAA 635: Social Welfare and Health Policy
- PSAA 636: Grant and Contract Management
- PSAA 638: Health Economics and Public Policy
- COMM 669: Research in Public Health Communication
- HLTH 611: Organization and Administration of Health
- HLTH 630: Health Program Planning
- PHPM 601: Rural Public Health Systems
- PHPM 605: Introduction to Health Policy and Management
- PHPM 618: Program Evaluation in Health Care Management
- PHPM 640: Health Policy and Politics
- PHPM 641: Health Policy Analysis and Policy Formation
- PHPM 647: Long-term Care Policy and Management
- PHPM 670: Health Policy Evaluation
- PLAN 631: Health Systems Planning
- Other PSAA and TAMU health policy and management electives TBD
