Master of Public Service & Administration
Master of Public Service & Administration
Curriculum | View By Semester | Tracks | Concentrations | Courses | Admissions 🗗
The following concentrations and descriptions, along with suggested elective courses to support them, are offered as elective concentrations. Students who choose a concentration must take a minimum of three courses from its list of options.
Additionally, a student may design an individualized concentration in consultation with his/her advisor and the PSAA department head. NOTE: Course offerings are subject to semester availability.
Concentration Topics:
- Analytical Methods (AM)
- Cybersecurity Policy and Management (CPM)
- Education Policy and Management (EDPM)
- Energy, Environment, and Technology Policy and Management (EETPM)
- Health Policy and Management (HPM)
- Homeland Security and National Defense (HSND)
- International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGO)
- State and Local Government Policy and Management (SLGPM)
Analytical Methods (AM)
Associated Faculty:
- Lahey (coordinator), Bright, Casellas Connors, Cortes, L Taylor
Students must take two core Methods courses (including the core Quant. Methods II requirement) and at least two Methods electives. If the four core courses are not chosen to satisfy the requirement, then one of the electives may be technical and at least one of the electives must be practical. Note: Only one of the two core courses is problematic for “double counting”—the other satisfies your core track requirement.
Methods Core Courses (choose at least two, can choose more
BUSH 632: Quantitative Methods in Public Management II
BUSH 633: Qualitative Methods for Public Service
BUSH 635: Quantitative Methods II: Policy Analysis Emphasis
PSAA 630: Program Evaluation in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
Technical Methods Electives (choose no more than one)
ECON 459: Games and Economic Behavior
ECON 440: Experimental Economics
MATH 411: Mathematical Probability
STAT 656: Applied Analytics
Practical Methods Electives (choose at least one unless all four core courses are chosen)
ECON 471: Data Science for Future Decision Makers
INTA 616: Economic Development in China (must choose empirical option)
INTA 625: International Trade Policy Analysis
INTA 630: International Economic Development
INTA 632: Advanced Economic Development
GEOG 660: Applications in GIS
ECMT 475: Economic Forecasting
EPSY 640: Statistical Analysis in Education Research
HLTH 632: Health Program Evaluation
EPSY 637 or SOCI 624: Qualitative Methods (credit cannot be given for these and PSAA Qualitative course)
PHEB 603: Biostatistics II
PHPM 655: Survey Design for Public Health Research and Practice (credit cannot be given for both PHPM 655 and BUSH 632)
STAT 624: Databases and Computational Tools Used in Big Data
STAT 654: Statistical Computing with R and Python
With the AM coordinator and advisor’s approval, more advanced methods theory courses from ECON, POLS, or STAT (or selected other programs) can be included as technical electives, as can practical methods courses with a significant empirical component.
Cybersecurity Policy and Management (CPM)
Associated Faculty:
- Davis (coordinator), DeBree, Reilly, Haase, G Brown
This concentration is designed to allow Bush School students to conduct focused study on a topic that has application across both public and private enterprises. The three course combination is designed to help students develop both theoretical and practical cybersecurity knowledge, skills, and abilities.
CPM Core (ONE REQUIRED):
PSAA 608: Cybersecurity Policy, Issues and Operations – A Manager’s Guide
CPM Electives (TWO REQUIRED):
INTA 690: Cybersecurity Literacy for the Global Arena
INTA 706: Cyberspace Implications for National Security
INTA 712: A Non-Technical Introduction to Cyber Policy
INTA 713: Advanced Cyber Policy
CSCE 701/CYBR 601: Foundations of Cybersecurity
CSCE 702/CYBR 602: Law and Policy in Cybersecurity
CSCE 703: Cybersecurity Risk
CSCE 704/CYBR 604: Data Analytics for Cybersecurity
ISTM 635: Business Information Security
ISTM 645: IT Security Controls
ISTM 655: Security Management and Compliance
MATH 673: Information, Secrecy, and Authentication I
Education Policy and Management (EDPM)
Associated faculty:
- Cortes (coordinator), Casellas Connors, Han, L. Taylor
This concentration examines the key institutions that make and administer education policy, the political and economic forces that shape education policy at all levels, and the implications of policy for educational equity, adequacy, accountability and administration.
EDPM Core (ONE REQUIRED):
PSAA 613: Immigration and Education Policy – OR – PSAA 618: Education Policy
EDPM Electives (TWO REQUIRED):
PSAA 613 or 618 (if not taken as EDPM core course)
PSAA 616: Managing Workplace Diversity in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
PSAA 636: Grant and Project Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
PSAA 642: Ethics and Public Policy
EDAD 609: Public School Laws
EDAD 610: Higher Education Law
EDAD 611: Higher Education Business and Finance
EDAD 612: Policy Issues in the Administration of Higher Education
EDAD 639: Foundations of Educational Administration
EDAD 652: Politics of Education
EDAD 653: Organizational Theory and Leadership in Education
EDAD 655: Administration of Higher Education
EDAD 687: Proseminar: Principles of Professional Practice in Education
EHRD 633: Adult Literacy Education
Energy, Environment, and Technology Policy and Management (EETPM)
Associated faculty:
- Vedlitz (coordinator), Bowman, Cheong, Lewis
This concentration studies the key institutions for making and administering policy, as well as the political, economic, and technological forces that shape agenda setting and policy formation. Also discussed are obstacles to effective policy implementation and management, analytical tools that can be used to evaluate policy, and critical issues and how they are interrelated.
EETPM Core (TWO REQUIRED):
PSAA 606: Environmental Policy and Management – OR-
PSAA 640: Energy and Security Policy – OR –
PSAA 671: Science and Technology Policy
EETPM Electives (ONE REQUIRED):
PSAA 606, 640, or 671 (If not used as an EETPM core course)
PSAA 624: Water Policy and Management
PSAA 625: Urban Sustainability and Management
PSAA 636: Grant and Project Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
PSAA 663/AGEC 604: Natural Resource Economics
PSAA 664: Climate and Sustainability
LDEV 661: Development and the Environment
LDEV 671: Sustainable Development
MGMT 632: Technology Commercialization
MARS 676: Environmental Policy
PLAN 634: Environmental Health Policy and Planning
PLAN 641: Problems of Environmental Planning Administration
PLAN 642: Planning for Coastal Sustainability and Resiliency
Health Policy and Management (HPM)
Associated faculty:
- Dague (coordinator), Compton, Lahey
This concentration covers the key institutions for making and administering health policy and the political/economic forces that shape agenda setting and policy formation. Students study obstacles to effective policy implementation, the analytical tools used to evaluate policy, and are provided an understanding of critical issues and how they are interrelated.
HPM Core (ONE REQUIRED):
PSAA 635: Social Welfare and Health Policy – OR – PSAA 638: Health Economics and Policy
HPM Electives (TWO REQUIRED):
BUSH 635: Quantitative Methods in Public Management II: Policy Analysis Emphasis – OR – PSAA 630: Program Evaluation in Public and Nonprofit Organizations (if not taken as track QM II required course)
PSAA 635: Social Welfare and Health Policy – OR – PSAA 638: Health Economics and Policy (if not taken as HPM core course)
PSAA 636: Grant and Project Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
HLTH 611: Organization and Administration of Health
HLTH 630: Health Program Planning
PHEB 600: Fundamentals of Epidemiology
PHPM 601*: Foundations of Population and Public Health
PHPM 605*: Introduction to Health Policy and Management
PHPM 633: Health, Law and Ethics
PHPM 640: Health Policy and Politics
PLAN 631: Health Systems Planning and Policy
PLAN 634: Environmental Health Policy and Planning
*PHPM 601 and PHPM 605 are prerequisites for many additional PHPM classes, but these are often waived for students who have taken PSAA 635 or PSAA 638.
Note: Students interested in more advanced PHPM management and policy classes should discuss this with their advisor and the relevant PHPM professor. If you are interested in counting a PHPM course not included on the list, contact the HPM concentration coordinator first.
Homeland Security and National Defense (HSND)
Associated faculty:
- Davis (coordinator), DeBree, Reilly, Haase
This concentration provides a thorough examination of security policy and management concepts and principles, governance structures, strategies, policies, and contemporary events and their implications. Homeland security, national defense, and emergency management areas are emphasized.
NDHS Core (REQUIRED):
PSAA 656: Fundamentals of Homeland Security
NDHS Electives (TWO REQUIRED):
PSAA 604: Emergency Management and Homeland Security
PSAA 605: Homeland Security Policies, Strategies and Operations
PSAA 608: Cybersecurity Policy, Issues and Operations – A Manager’s Guide
PSAA 617: U.S. State and Local Government; Institutions and Policy
PSAA 620: Safeguarding the Nation’s Maritime Gateways
PSAA 636: Grant and Project Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
PSAA 640: Energy Policy and Security
PSAA 651: Homeland Security and Homeland Defense
PSAA 652: Protection of Nation’s Critical Infrastructure
PSAA 653: Weapons of Mass Destruction
PSAA 654: U.S. Border Security: Policies, Strategies and Issues
PSAA 655: Domestic Intelligence Operations: Legalities, Policies, and Procedures
PSAA 657/INTA 657: Terrorism in Today’s World
PSAA 658: Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity
PSAA 660: Domestic Terrorism: The Internal Threat to America
PSAA 668/INTA 612: U.S. Law and Homeland Security
PLAN 634: Environmental Health Policy and Planning
PLAN 649: Organizational and Community Response to Crises and Disasters
PLAN 650: Disaster Response Planning
INTA 714: Defense Intelligence
International Nongovernmental Organizations (INGO)
Associated faculty:
- Brown (coordinator), Hamie, Mu, Qu, Robertson, Robichau, K. Taylor
This concentration provides relevant coursework and preparation for work in international NGOs or nonprofits working in non-US settings, or for work focused on improving the effectiveness of such organizations.
INGO Core (REQUIRED):
PSAA 603: Nongovernmental Management in International Settings
INGO Electives (TWO REQUIRED; ONE must be an INTA course; those in NPM track choose TWO INTA courses):
PSAA 626: Contract Management
PSAA 630: Program Evaluation in Public and Nonprofit Organizations (if not taken as PM track QM II requirement)
PSAA 631: Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations
PSAA 632: Fiscal Management of Nonprofits (if not NPM core)
PSAA 633: Philanthropy: Fundraising in Nonprofit Organizations
PSAA 636: Grant and Project Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
PSAA 639: Social Justice Leadership at Nonprofit Organizations
PSAA 644: Management and Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations (if not NPM core)
PSAA 648: Performance Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
PSAA 649: Volunteer and Human Resources in Nonprofit Organizations
PSAA 650: Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Nonprofit Management
PSAA 669: Legal Environment of Nonprofit Management
PSAA 689: Special Topics in… (In consultation with INGO coordinator & faculty advisor)
INTA 630: International Economic Development
INTA 632: Advanced Economic Development
INTA 635: Great Famines, War and Disaster Response
INTA 636: International Development in Theory and Practice
INTA 643: International Organizations
INTA 644: Post Conflict Recovery and Development
INTA 645: Women and Nations
INTA 689: Special Topics in… (In consultation with INGO coordinator & faculty advisor)
INTA 701: Women, International Development and Environmental Conflict
ALEC 645: Initiating, Managing and Monitoring Projects of International Agricultural Development
RPTS 604: Principles of Community and Community Development
RPTS 605/RWFM 605: Community Organization and Natural Resources Management
State and Local Government Policy and Management (SLGPM)
Associated faculty:
- Bright, Casellas Connors, Cortes, Graham, Greer, Han, Hofmann, Lahey, Nakamura, L Taylor
This concentration explores the institutional structure of state and local government and how it varies among jurisdictions. Topics include politics and management at the state and local level, the prerogatives and limitations of governments in different policy areas, the role of state and local governments in implementing federal programs, and critical issues facing said governments.
SLGPM Core (REQUIRED):
PSAA 617: State and Local Government: Institutions and Policy
SLGPM Electives (TWO REQUIRED):
PSAA 613: Immigration and Education Policy
PSAA 616: Managing Workplace Diversity in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
PSAA 618: Education Policy
PSAA 619: Urban Policy and Management
PSAA 625: Urban Sustainability Policies and Management
PSAA 626: Contract Management
PSAA 627: Local Economic Development
PSAA 628: Professional Local Government Management
PSAA 630: Program Evaluation in Public and Nonprofit Organizations (if not used as PM or NPM track Quant. II requirement)
PSAA 635: Social Welfare and Health Policy
PSAA 636: Grant and Project Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
PSAA 641: Organization Theory for the Public Sector
PSAA 642: Ethics and Public Policy
PSAA 648: Performance Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
PSAA 656: Fundamentals of Homeland Security
PSAA 661: Human Resources Management in Government and Public Service
EDAD 620: Educational Program Evaluation
EDAD 652: Politics of Education
GEOG 660: Applications in GIS
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
Individually Designed Concentration
In consultation with his/her faculty advisor a student may choose to create and individualized concentration consisting of three approved courses relevant to the concentration topic. Can be from the Bush School and from other Texas A&M departments. See Ms. Elaine Lippard or download the form online.
