MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Upon completion of studies at the MPA level, a student is expected to have had at least 48 credits. These are divided into general course (4 credits), core courses (16 credits) and concentration courses including Internship and a Master’s Thesis (28 credits).
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
The Department of Public Policy offers MPA concentrations such as Criminal Justice Administration, Human Rights, Peace & Conflict Studies and Public Security Administration. But all students in this department must take the following concentration courses irrespective of their of their concentrations.
Core Courses
Everyone studying for the MPA at SMU must take the following 4 core courses to make up 16 credits. All courses carry four credits. The courses include:
COURSE STRUCTURE
PAD 610: Political Philosophy
PAD 620: Political Economy, Development & Globalization
PAD 630: Public Law & Ethics, & Corporate Social Responsibility
PAD 640: Political Science
PAD 610: Political Philosophy
Apart from introducing the student to philosophical questions, making them aware of how some of history’s greatest philosophers have approached those questions and what they have had to say about them, it concentrates on political philosophy. Here, various political philosophers will be studied and their theories of the state analysed.
PAD 620: Political Economy, Development & Globalization
Explores the basic philosophical, psychological, political, and economic underpinnings of contemporary public policy, with an emphasis on the United States. Considers the core philosophical and political theories of conservative, liberal, and radical political economy and examines the economic structures consistent with these competing theories.
PAD 630: Public Law & Ethics, & Corporate Social Responsibility
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming an expected element of business strategy. This course critically evaluates CSR from a number of perspectives, drawing on material from a variety of different disciplines. Students analyze the emergence of CSR, its theoretical basis, the business case for the adoption of CSR programs, as well as the social impacts of such policies. The opening lectures of the course focus on globalization and international labor standards, and provide an understanding of how CSR relates to international regulatory institutions such as the International Labor Organization. Subsequent lectures focus on the different aspects of CSR mentioned above, as well as topics such as comparative CSR. In terms of the impact and design of CSR policies, the course mainly focuses on issues relating to labor standards, but supplementary material on sustainability is also included. As well as traditional academic readings and case studies, students will critically examine publically available material such as corporate policies and reports. Seminars will follow a mixture of formats including group activities and presentations. The course will include one lecture from a CSR professional
PAD 640: Political Science
This introduction addresses the discipline, fields, concepts, and methods of political science, the ideologies that have shaped politics, and the institutions through which politics is conducted. The course does a comparative study of the various forms of government in Presidential and Parliamentary regimes.
