Using Cases to Teach Financial Management Skills in MPA Programs

Abstract

Prior research has called for an increase and more rigorous use of the case method in public administration education. However, the pedagogical literature contains very little on how cases are being used in master of public administration (MPA) programs to teach financial management skills. This article presents major lessons learned from using the case method within the context of active learning to teach an elective on advanced budgeting and financial analysis in the MPA program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, including the willingness of instructors to write or modify cases to ensure that data analysis is an essential part of the management dilemma. Its purpose is to encourage more instructors to use the case method of instruction and to write local government budgeting and financial management cases.