Master of Public Administration
International Executive Program
Asian Programs

Master of Public Administration International Executive Program (IEMPA) is a one-year intensive program for senior-level Chinese government administrators.

The program will be provided starting in 2004 to a cohort of a minimum of thirty Chinese government administrators. Chicago, the home of Roosevelt University, is a world-class city and an ideal setting for the study of government. Government is the metropolitan area’s largest employer. Illinois is home to the largest number of governments in the United States and includes general purpose and specific governments providing a myriad of services. The area also has a large number of health care providers, community-based social action organizations, foreign consulates, and political offices. These organizations and the many governments provide a fertile environment for students to study and in which they can pursue their particular interests.

Roosevelt University has offered the Master of Public Administration Program for over thirty years. Many of our graduates are senior-level administrators in federal, state and local governments, in hospitals and in nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area and throughout the United States. The program will be offered by Roosevelt University faculty and practitioners from the area who have distinguished themselves in their careers in teaching, research, and government work.

The IEMPA is designed to educate international government managers about the philosophy, policy, and practice of government. It prepares experienced administrators to be executive leaders in administering government programs. The emphasis is on the integration of management theory and concepts with practical application to develop and reinforce management skills and competencies to prepare and enhance managers’ capabilities for administering complex government programs and increase their leadership potential. The program also provides a comprehensive experience about the American political system and American culture.

The MPA International Executive Program combines a broad theoretical base of course work in government administration with practical, hands-on experience. The curriculum is supplemented with guest lectures by leaders of the governmental community, field visits to government and social service agencies as appropriate, and participation in social and cultural events that provide opportunities for networking and learning about government and culture. The program culminates in a one-month field experience with a government agency, allowing the student to observe and apply the concepts and techniques learned in classes.

The MPA International Executive Program is a twelve-month program divided into three parts. In the first part, students will:

• Receive an orientation to Roosevelt University and the city of Chicago and be assisted in adjusting to living and studying in the United States.
• Receive one month of English language training to strengthen skills in speaking, hearing, reading, and writing.
• Receive Computer training on popular computer software programs, including Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and the Internet.

In the second part, students will take 12 courses over ten months. The following is a draft list of the possible courses that students will take. The exact courses offered will be determined based on the needs of the students.

PADM 400 Public Service in the United States
Introduction to theory and practice of public administration in the US. Emphases on US governmental structure and processes, nature and theory of complex service organizations, and current trends with future directions of public service management.

PADM 401 Management Practices for the Public Service
Management competencies relevant for public, health, environmental, criminal justice. and nonprofit organizations. Overview of management concepts, theories, models, and techniques in managing change, supervision, communication, ethics, and organization.

PADM 402 Issues in the Development and Administration of Public Policy
The process of making and implementing effective public policy with special attention to the influences of politics, bureaucracy, media, interest groups, and intergovernmental structure. Case studies of selected issues.

PADM 403 Quantitative Methods and Tools for Public Administrators
Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. Computer applications that support the presentation and analysis of quantitative data and the role of computers in information systems management.

PADM 404 Human Resource Management
Skills, techniques, and practices used in public and nonprofit organizations. Topics include organizing, staffing, the personnel function, merit systems, labor relations, equal employment opportunity, workplace diversity, and employee rights.

PADM 405 Public Budgeting and Financial Management
Concepts, methods, and processes of financial management with an emphasis on the public sector. Topics include budget preparation, financial analysis, organization of the finance function, pricing of services, taxes and other revenue sources, and financial reporting.

PADM 406 Research and Evaluation Methods
Methods and concepts for program and policy analysis including problem formulation, research design, and data collection methods. Emphasis on management skills of needs assessment, program design, implementation, evaluation, and cost analysis.

PADM 418 Emerging Management Techniques and Theory
Analysis of major emerging techniques for change management, such as total quality management (TQM), re-engineering, reinventing government Topics include organization culture, leadership, conflict, the management team, performance indicators, technology, and communication.

PADM 448 Leadership in Public Policy
Leadership in the management of public programs and the development of public policy, including models of leadership and public/private partnerships in local governance.

ECON 470 Economics of the Public Sector
Theory and practice of government involvement in resource allocation and distribution. Cost-benefit analysis. Economic analysis of public policy issues such as health care, crime, and poverty.

PADM 475 Topics in Public Administration
Major issues and topics in public administration including privatization, ethical considerations, and political aspects of policy implementation.

PADM 491 Capstone Project
Major paper integrating research and management techniques and concepts taught in the program to evaluate a public program or solve a practical administrative issue or problem encountered in the student’s agency.

The third and final portion of the program will consist of a one-month field experience. Students will be placed either individually or in small teams in governmental or social service agencies to participate in administering government and social service programs and interacting with political and management leaders in the development and administration of government programs. The field experience is the culminating experience in the Executive MPA Program and is intended to give the student first-hand experiences with American government. Students will be able to apply management techniques that they have learned and observe how problems are resolved. The field experience will include some class meetings and a paper on the student’s experience in the organization and an analysis of the organization including recommendations to improve its operations.

Requirements for admission into the program are as follows:

• An undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university;
• A senior administrator in government;
• A minimum of five years experience in government; and
• Ability to understand, speak, and write in English. Students should have at least a passing score in the BFT test or a satisfactory score in an acknowledged English proficiency test such TOEFL.