Education for the Public Service

Abstract

What curriculum components are contained in professional master's programs in public affairs and administration? Using information from Self Study Reports submitted by graduate programs in public affairs and administration in the period 1983-1989 as part of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration's (NASPAA) accreditation process, core curriculum components are described and assessed. To explore why NASPAA-accredited programs vary in their curricula, relationships between curriculum emphases and other program characteristics are analyzed. Programs are covering NASPAA curriculum components, but not in any uniform manner. Although programs vary in allocations of time to the various curriculum components, two relatively distinct curriculum emphases can be delineated Programs tend to have primarily an institutional/management orientation or an analytical orientation. These curriculum emphases are related to several program characteristics including institutional location, numbers and types of students, credit hour requirements, and program age.

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