UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
School of Public
Administration Ranked Among the Best
Leading the way to your future SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
From the The School of Public Administration (SPA) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is unique in its comprehensive approach to education and innovation. The School offers five degrees across all three levels – two Bachelor of Science degrees, one in Aviation and the other in Emergency Management; a Master of Public Administration (one of the first totally online degrees at UNO and one of the first accredited online degrees in public administration) and a Master of Science in Urban Studies; and a PhD in Public Administration, the only doctorate in public administration in the Great Plains region. Located in a rich and thriving metropolitan area, programs in the School offer high quality education, outstanding faculty, and small, engaging classes. The School has a longstanding reputation of academic excellence. School faculty members are nationally and internationally recognized for work in their respective areas of specialization. There are five fellows in the National Academy of Public Administration. Our Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree ranks among the top ten in the nation - 6th in Information Technology and Budget and Finance, 11th in Nonprofit Management and 14th in Urban Management. At the undergraduate level, for four consecutive years (2009-2012), the Aviation Flight team (the Flying Mavs), has been regional champions. In 2012 the Aviation Institute received the Loehning Trophy for being the most outstanding collegiate aviation program in the country. In addition to its strong academic programs the SPA also offers professional education through the Nebraska Certified Public Manager Program, the Nebraska Municipal Clerks School and Academy and the NASA Space Grant
Program. NASA provides a link to STEM education through providing grants to K-12 teachers, offering summer workshops and other activities as well as providing grants for higher education research. In all of the School’s programs students receive a quality education from faculty members who are engaged in research as well as with the Omaha and Nebraska communities. They serve as consultants and as members on national, state and local boards and Commissions such as the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), the State of Nebraska’s Judicial Nominating Commission and Environmental Quality
Director’s Desk
Council, the Omaha Pension Board, City of Omaha’s Personnel Board and the Library Board. The School’s emphasis reflects the University’s priorities and the mission of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service through engaging citizens, creating solutions, and serving the community. We invite you to explore the many opportunities of the School of Public Administration. Enjoy the read! Ethel Williams, PhD Reynolds Professor of Public Affairs Director, School of Public Administration
Why SPA? Contemporary society doesn’t function on its own. Leaders must prepare to face challenging questions and guide it. The School of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is home to nationally known faculty whose dedication prepares tomorrow’s leaders to manage organizations, plan cities, protect natural resources, hold elected office and ensure access to human services.
The School of Public Administration at UNO is a national leader in public service education, with five of its programs ranked in the nation’s top 25 by U.S. News & World Report. If you think public service is in your future, you’ll find that our diverse programming can complement your interests and provide a strong orientation to the field.
Why UNO? The University of Nebraska at Omaha offers premier graduate education at extremely competitive tuition rates, which are the most affordable in the region. Whether you are a full-time or part-time student, or taking a course for professional development, you have full access to a traditional university experience on a metropolitan campus with nationally recognized faculty and accredited curriculum.
After you have completed your course of study and have earned your UNO graduate degree or certificate, you will find the value of your education is highly sought after and will set you on the path to not only getting your dream job but thriving in your career. Approximately 2,800 graduate students from 41 states and 83 countries attend UNO.
Why Omaha? #1 The 10 Best Cities to Raise a Family in America Movoto Blog, Jan. 2014
#2 Best Cities to Find a Job in 2015 Fortune, June 2015
The 5 Best Big Cities in the Midwest Time.com/money, Aug. 2015
Omaha Advantage The Omaha metropolitan area provides excellent opportunities for personal growth and enrichment. Omaha is home to numerous performing arts venues, leading technology centers, national sporting events and exciting urban nightlife. Affordable housing options are available near campus and in a variety of dynamic neighborhoods. UNO serves as a gateway to a metropolitan environment and is an indispensable part of the Omaha community. Omaha is home to five Fortune 500 companies. More than 50 Fortune 500 companies have operations in the Omaha area as well. UNO Graduate Studies programs take full advantage of the opportunities Omaha has to offer. All graduate programs have strong connections and partnerships with corporations and nonprofit organizations that value and recruit professionals with a UNO graduate degree. These close ties to businesses offer a multitude of opportunities for internships, mentoring, networking and jobs.
The real question is: Why not Omaha?
School of Public Administration
Degree Offerings We offer the following degrees in the School of Public Administration: • • • • • • •
Bachelor of Science in Aviation Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management Master of Public Administration Master of Public Administration/Management Information Systems Master of Public Administration/Master of Social Work Master of Science in Urban Studies PhD in Public Administration
The School of Public Administration also offers a Graduate Certificate in Public Management, the Nebraska Certified Public Manager program and the Nebraska Municipal Clerk Institute and Academy.
Professional Programs Nebraska Certified Public Manager Program The Nebraska Certified Public ManagerÂŽ (CPM) program offered by the School of Public Administration of the University of Nebraska at Omaha is a nationally accredited comprehensive management development program specifically for current and aspiring managers in federal, state, and local government and in non-profit organizations, and based on the assumption that well-trained public managers provide better service to the public.
Nebraska Municipal Clerk Institute & Academy The Nebraska Municipal Clerk Institute and Academy is an annual continuing education professional seminar held in Nebraska during March of each year for municipal clerks in Nebraska. This training program is one of the only accredited programs in the country. The program was initiated in 1976 by the Department of Public Administration at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, in conjunction with the League of Nebraska Municipalities and the Nebraska Municipal Clerks’ Association section of the League of Nebraska Municipalities.
Master of Public Administratio
A master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha is more than just a professional degree. It’s a gateway to transforming society through a career in public service. It’s a chance to develop your own intellectual identity. It’s a way to gain exposure to people who are already guiding communities, operating nonprofit agencies or helping others in emergency services.
Prest & Q
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Our Mission
Our mission is to strengthen the public service in a democratic and diverse society by educating students to manage and lead public and nonprofit institutions effectively, ethically, and democratically. Our alumni work in a variety of areas including: federal, state, and local governments; in nonprofit organizations delivering services such as health care, youth and human services, and community development; in international development; and in public service-related private businesses.
We specialize in seven MPA concentrations: • • • • • • •
Aviation Emergency Management Healthcare Administration Local Government Nonprofit Management Public Management Public Policy
Two specializations are also offered in: Criminology & Criminal Justice, and Information & Technology Management.
The Value of an MPA In today’s working world, an advanced degree is becoming essential. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that occupations typically requiring a master’s degree will increase by 18 percent between 2008 and 2018— nearly twice the expected rate of growth for all occupations.
Quality
The MPA degree is the recognized graduate degree for professionals in public service. According to the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), graduate education is expected to continue giving persons working or seeking careers in the public and nonprofit sectors a competitive edge. The MPA is offered on campus at UNO and online.
PhD in Public Administration
We will empower you to establish a strong intellectual identity. You will be introduced to different knowledge traditions and become thoroughly immersed in the discourse of public administration and its integration of theory and practice. We foster a culture of openness where the process of knowledge creation among students is a common enterprise. As our students move through the PhD program, they have opportunities to teach and to work hand-in-hand with faculty. When they graduate, they are prepared to understand and help solve public problems whether as an academic or as a practitioner.
We are an established Carnegie designated PhD Program with a robust research tradition.
Academic Focus
The graduate faculty at UNO is world-class and internationally recognized through professional academic associations. The faculty members are dedicated to individual student instruction and mentoring to help guide students through their courses of study. The average class size is seven students.
Intellectual Identity
Successful completion of the PhD requires each student to have a sophisticated relationship with knowledge and an awareness of one’s own intellectual project. Doctoral students are introduced to the ontological and epistemological foundations of knowledge. This occurs within an academic culture of openness and the shared understanding of terms, ideas and concepts in order to work scientifically and creatively. Students are able to identify with a specific research tradition and method of inquiry that matches their own paradigmatic commitments.
Academic Rigor
Doctoral study requires a tenacious commitment to the advancement of knowledge. This ideal is reflected in the level of difficulty of the course work, exams and dissertation process. Students can expect rich and intense subject matter interaction with faculty and fellow students. A successful dissertation defense is the pinnacle of these expectations for high academic achievement, content expertise and intellectual complexity.
Excellent Placements
Graduates of the PhD in Public Administration Program include faculty at the following institutions: • • • • •
Rutgers University SUNY Albany Florida International University California State University, Fullerton Sun Yat Sen University (People’s Republic of China)
Specializations
The faculty offer six areas of specialization. Doctoral students choose two courses (6 hours) in each of two areas, for a total of 12 credit hours. The area of specialization includes a seminar or proseminar and second course drawn from the graduate curriculum of Public Administration or a related academic unit in the university system. The six specialization areas are: • • • • • •
Public Administration Theory Public Aviation & Transportation Public Budgeting & Finance Public Policy Urban Management Information & Technology Management
Academic Programs Bachelor of Science in Master of Science in Aviation Urban Studies UNO is home to one of the nation’s best-kept secrets in the sky: its Aviation Institute. Since its inception in 1990, the institute has soared to great heights, offering students flight instruction and education in the many other facets of aviation such as air traffic control, airport management, ground operations and security.
How far can you soar with a degree in aviation? The faculty, students and graduates of the Aviation Institute will tell you—the sky’s not even the limit.
Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management
The Bachelor of Science is interdisciplinary in nature with core coursework focusing on emergency services and management. The program is intended to academically prepare students for employment in the public sector at the local, state, or federal level of government, in numerous agencies, as well as certain nonprofit and private organizations performing emergency planning, mitigation, response, recovery, and prevention. Students will gain a thorough understanding of interagency cooperation, coordination, and communication as well as administrative issues involving policies and procedures, labor relations, and fiscal matters.
The Master of Science in Urban Studies (MSUS) is the degree for individuals desiring to make a difference in society! The MSUS at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is a professional degree that provides students with the conceptual knowledge and technical skills they need to understand and analyze the physical, social, political and economic environment of large and small urban centers.
Graduate Certificate in Public Management Working professionals with careers in the public sector and graduate students in a related field of study can expand their educational background and enhance their knowledge in the area of public management. The certificate program is for students who have already completed a four-year undergraduate degree, have at least three years of work experience in the public sector or completed part of their graduate course work in a related field of study and have a need and aspiration to expand their knowledge of public management. The certificate is offered in Omaha and online.
School of Public Administration
NUMBERS by the
5
SPA Faculty
& Staff are Leaders of
National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) Fellows
22
2
Past NASPAA Presidents on our Faculty
National
Organizations
6
Students & Faculty lead the Global Digital Governance Lab
3
Distinguished UNO Alumni Award Recipients
13:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
2 Presidential Management Fellows in 2015
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION University of Nebraska at Omaha School of Public Administration College of Public Affairs & Community Service 6001 Dodge Street Omaha, NE 68182
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SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Leading the way to your future
UNO SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION