Undergraduate Degrees, page 3
School of Public Administration

Minor in Public Management

The minor in public management has several goals: to introduce the student to the public sector and its relationship to other institutions of society; to provide a representative sample of courses in the field of public management for students majoring in another subject but considering a career in the public or nonprofit sectors; and to help students become more active, involved and understanding citizens.

Required coursesUnits
PPMT 215Public Organizations and Management4
PPMT 316Administration of Personnel Resources4
PPMT 351Financial Accounting in Public and Nonprofit Organizations4
PPMT 414Financial Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations4
PPMT 485Organizational Behavior in Public Administration4
PPMT 486Politics and Administration4

Minor in Public Policy

This minor prepares the student to understand the context, theory, formulation, analysis and implementation of public policy and complements majors in fields such as sociology, economics, political science and history and gerontology.

Required coursesUnits
PPMT 215Public Organizations and Management4
PPMT 225Public Policy Processes and Institutions4
PPMT 357Government and Business4
PPMT 404Statistics in Public Policy and Management4
PPMT 473Policy Analysis4
PPMT 486Politics and Administration4

Minor in Human Resources Management

This minor provides students with the background necessary for entry level positions in human resources management.

Required coursesUnits
PPMT 215Public Organizations and Management4
PPMT 316Administration of Personnel Resources4
PPMT 403Management Analysis4
PPMT 416Introduction to Personnel Technology in Public Employment4
PPMT 417Training and Applied Behavioral Science4
PPMT 485Organizational Behavior in Public Administration4

Minor in Health Services Administration

This minor provides the student with a background in the institutions, policy and management issues in the field of health care.

Required coursesUnits
PPMT 230Health Care and American Public Decisions4
PPMT 330Introduction to Health Care Systems4
PPMT 351Financial Accounting in Public and Nonprofit Organizations4
PPMT 414Financial Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations4
PPMT 439Administration of Health Care Organizations4
PPMT 485Organizational Behavior in Public Administration4

Internships

Public Policy and Management and Public Policy Management and Planning majors are required to complete at least one internship. Public Policy and Management majors, and other students, may participate in internships by enrolling in PPMT 401 Public Policy and Management Issues and Practices or PPMT 410b as part of the Washington D.C. Semester. Internships are matched as closely as possible to the student's interests and skills.

PPMT 401 and PPMT 410b and the accompanying service in a position provide numerous opportunities to develop and formulate future career goals, as well as to gain personal and professional experience while completing the undergraduate degree.

Semester Programs

The eight-unit and 16-unit semester programs allow the student to benefit from both traditional and experiential learning modes and to become involved in a particular area of professional activity.

Los Angeles Semester

The Los Angeles Semester program provides opportunities to study and experience metropolitan Los Angeles, its many diverse communities, and its centers of power, influence and tradition.

The Los Angeles Semester is offered as an eight-unit program and consists of the urban foundation and the seminar.

The urban foundation provides an orientation to the study of urban affairs and serves as a conceptual framework for all other Los Angeles Semester activities. The urban foundation introduces participants to Los Angeles and to its metropolitan area from several perspectives: historical, political, sociological, architectural, cultural and ethnic. Students may fulfill the university diversity requirement by completing the urban foundation.

The seminar offers an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at a specific urban issue. Typical seminar topics are housing, transportation, health care, education, or a particular neighborhood in Los Angeles.

Washington, D.C. Semester

The Washington, D.C. Semester program provides an intensive semester of confrontation with the political center of the nation and its complex components. The program offers opportunities for behind-the-scenes work in national government agencies and related organizations, combined with an academic environment and the chance to explore, share and learn with a group of fellow students.

During the fall and spring semesters, the Washington, D.C. Semester has four components: two seminars, independent study and the internship.

The seminar serves as the focal point of the program, giving students the opportunity to integrate their experiences and learning through extensive discussions, papers and presentations. Meeting in small groups, students prepare briefings on current issues, integrate political/administrative theory and practical experience and share internship insights. Seminar participants visit the White House, the Supreme Court, Congress, many Cabinet departments, embassies and other agencies and organizations. In the seminar, students are encouraged to recognize the interrelationships among the various experiences that constitute the semester program. This integration of learning is central to the seminar. The independent study component allows students to pursue in-depth a national topic that is of particular interest. The design, research and resulting paper are done in consultation with a member of the faculty at the Washington Public Affairs Center. Students include personal interviews with decision makers in their research designs. The study culminates in a substantial written report and an oral presentation to all Washington, D.C. Semester participants.

A 10-week Summer Program in Washington, D.C. is occasionally available. This eight-unit semester is divided into two major components: an internship and a seminar on American government and politics.

Sacramento Semester

The Sacramento Semester is offered occasionally as a 16-unit program and, in the summer only, as an eight-unit program. The 16-unit program has four components -- seminar, field experiences, independent study and an internship; the eight-unit program consists of the seminar and the internship.

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Produced by the USC Division of Student Affairs, Office of University Publications, May 1, 1995
David Henriquez
univpub@stuaff.usc.edu