Master of Public
Administration (MPA)
in Human Resource
Management
4-week
COURSES
Year-round
enrollment
240K+ Alumni Worldwide
Overview
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is for those looking to pursue a leadership career in government management at the federal, state, or local level and nonprofit management. The instruction, case studies, research, and presentations allow you to develop and strengthen skills in financial management, budgeting, quantitative methods, urban planning and redevelopment, personnel policies, politics, and grant writing.
The Human Resource Management (HRM) specialization prepares you to manage people, their needs, and their organizational performance. Coursework focuses on recruiting, selecting, training, evaluating, and compensating employees. You’ll explore changes in the workplace — such as governmental regulations, global competition, developing technologies, and organizational transformations — and their influence on worker performance. With technical knowledge and practical skills for supporting a multicultural workforce, you’ll be ready to bring new ideas, efficient tools, and leadership skills to managing an organization’s most valuable resource: its people.
Admission Requirements
A conferred bachelor’s degree or a master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution.
Course Details
Required Courses
For the Master of Public Administration degree with a specialization in Human Resource Management, you must complete eight foundational courses and four specialization courses.
Foundation Courses
Course Name
A general survey course covering the role of the public sector manager in American society today. Studies current issues and leading concepts in the field of non-profit management.
An examination of influences affecting decisions in the urban political arena. Covers segments of the community that impact the decision-making process (i.e., employee groups, labor influences, community groups, media and other special interests). Examines the relationship between intergovernmental agencies.
An examination of the important aspects of personnel management in government, including civil service procedures, affirmative action, employee motivation and organizational development.
A practical study of graphical methods and statistical procedures specifically aimed at presenting, interpreting and solving problems related to public administration.
Role, values, and issues of public management in democratic governance, citizen participation, power structures, and professional codes of conduct.
An examination of historical development of urban planning practices and concepts, general plans and their elements in the urban community. Also discusses the use of technology in planning. Students must complete a minimum of five Public Administration courses prior to taking this course.
An exploration of current governmental fiscal management techniques and issues. Examines various types of financial and technical assistance to quasi-governmental and non-profit management organizations.
A project where students work in teams or individually under the guidance of an assigned faculty advisor. Students clarify research topics and identify data sources in preparation for the project. Students then gather data and present their research in both written and oral form to faculty and classmates. Grading is H, S, or U only. PAD 644 is two months in length.
* You must complete five Public Administration courses — minimum — before taking this course.
Specialization Courses
Course Name
A comprehensive analysis of the laws and regulations, both federal and state, that impact human resources management. The course emphasizes equal employment opportunity affirmative action, health and safety, privacy of information and methods of liability prevention in employment matters. Integrated into the course are aspects of ethical considerations as related to Human Resources Management, including employer use of power, organizational business practices, and safety concerns.
A comparison and evaluation of planning, organizing, directing and monitoring of human resources planning processes, including recruiting, selecting, placing and integrating individuals within organizations. A key aspect of the course is the selection process (testing and assessment of skills and traits that influence work performance), employee orientation and integration (employee development and career planning), and aspects of performance management. The course also covers current trends in employee outsourcing.
Employee development is the responsibility of the line manager, the human resources professional, and the employee. This course provides essential managerial-level comprehension of training theory and its practical applications in the business and management environment. Students learn the functions and duties of training: trainer/developer, the identification and assessment of training needs, program design and development, selection of delivery methods and means of instruction, the implementation of training programs, and evaluation. The course integrates training and development, organizational development and career development, critical components of Human Resource Development.
This course provides an overview of the latest technology as it applies to the human resources function and its impact of human resource management administration and organizational development. The course also integrates and assesses fundamental aspects of wage, salary, benefit administration, and employee rewards and incentives as they are becoming increasingly supported by automated systems.
Learning Outcomes
In addition to the academic outcomes for all Master of Public Administration graduates, students completing the Human Resource Management specialization will learn to:
- Complete a job analysis for a specific job for recruiting, selection, training, performance appraisal, and compensation
- Develop a recruiting plan and design a selection process for recruiting, interviewing, and selecting job candidates within an organization
- Conduct a needs assessment and design a training program for employees on a specific topic related to organizational goals
- Assess benefits relevant to the employee population and organizational structure, and formulate a compensation system based on merit, knowledge, and skill acquisition
- Recognize, analyze, and effectively address ethical, legal, and safety challenges faced in the workplace, and develop policies designed to prevent employer liability
Program Disclosure
Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.
Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.
NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.
All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.
National University degrees do not guarantee employment or salary of any kind. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review desired job positions to review degrees, education, and/or training required to apply for desired positions. Prospective students should monitor these positions as requirements, salary, and other relevant factors can change over time.