Course Descriptions

CSPS 7333

Program Planning and Development (3 credit hours)

This course provides students with the analytical tools to enhance their skills and competencies to effectively diagnose problems and formulate solutions within organizations and communities. Emphasis will be placed on models, theories, methods and processes used to systematically plan public service interventions that contribute to the wellbeing of communities and organizations. Topics covered include identifying and assessing needs and assets, setting goals and objectives, researching best practices, developing a feasible and sustainable plan for change, and assessing how well the plan is likely to effect the change envisioned. Underlying values of social justice and collaborative problem-solving provide a benchmark for discussions on these topics. Prerequisite: CSPS 7334 - Field Research in Public Service.

CSPS 7334

Seminar in Program Evaluation (3 credit hours)

This course builds on the skills students gain in Program Planning and Development and Field Research in Public Service. The primary objective is for students to learn and apply tools that are frequently used to determine whether public policies and programs at local, national and international levels are achieving their intended objectives. In this course, students learn how to use appropriate research methods to evaluate public and not-for-profit programs and entities (e.g., non-profit organizations, foundations, NGO’s), how to develop strategies for doing evaluation, and how to manage evaluation projects. Prerequisite: CSPS 7333 - Program Planning and Development.

CSPS 7324

Leadership in Public Service (3 credit hours)

Leadership in public service requires strong interpersonal skills, both to direct an organization effectively and to work successfully with other individuals/organizations in the public, private and non-governmental sectors. This course provides the foundation of theory and practice of administrative leadership. It is designed to increase students’ knowledge of leadership concepts and best practices, provide opportunities and experiences that improve leadership skills and techniques, and enhance capabilities in organizational management.

CSPS 7310

Philanthropy Leadership and the Non-profit Sector (3 credit hours)

Philanthropic intuitions often aim giving toward major societal issues including environmental justice, quality education, race relations, immigration, health care and public health with the goal of helping individuals and communities in need. More foundations are widening their focus from just meeting needs to building sustainable local change. This course will explore community philanthropy as the giving and sharing from within communities that is characteristic of positive change and lasting development. It will examine the principles, standards and practices of community philanthropy and study the leadership role of foundations and nonprofit organizations in creating social change.

CSPS 7301

Ethical and Legal Dimensions of Public Service (3 credit hours)

Ethical and legal considerations shape every aspect of effective public service. This course will provide an overview of the primary ethical principles and legal concepts that guide difficult decisions in the public realm. Traditional academic study of ethical and legal theory will be combined with practical approaches to problem solving. Students will explore issues of economic, political, and social justice through case studies of current issues. Students will construct cases that are relevant to their own fields and present them to the class, identifying ethical and legal constraints on decision-making and implementation.

CSPS 7310

Advocacy in Public Service (3 credit hours)

This course examines the role of public discourse in constituting (molding, shaping, and even distorting) publics, public decisions, and ultimately public life. Specifically, it considers persuasion (human communication designed to influence the autonomous judgments and actions of others) and advocacy (the use of propositions, evidence, reasons, and the general rhetorical strategies to promote and advance one’s public or civic interests) and their influence on democratic processes and public policy.

CPSP 7320

Capstone (3 credit hours) (a grade of at least a C in all completed core courses)

Note: If a student has an incomplete in a core course before Capstone enrollment, her or his enrollment in CPSP 7320 may be delayed until the course work is complete and the student has received a passing grade.

The Capstone is the culminating field course, designed to provide students an opportunity to demonstrate their expertise. The Capstone employs an independent study format primarily overseen by a UACS faculty advisor. Through the Capstone students: (1) apply the knowledge, skills, and values from the UACS program in a sophisticated way to a real-world problem or challenge; (2) understand, engage, and seek to transform complex systems; and (3) produce a deliverable that meets an identified community need and exemplifies, in its product, the knowledge, skills and values of the UACS curriculum.

Rules Governing Capstone Work

1. Any incompletes in core courses must be resolved before enrolling in the capstone course.
2. Students have one year to complete the Capstone from the day they enroll.
3. The student’s capstone advisor must approve capstone projects before capstone contact hours can begin.
4. If a student withdraws or receives a failing grade on the Capstone, he/she must reenroll at his/her own expense.
5. If a student has to reenroll in the capstone course, she or he may be required to find a new capstone project and will have one year from re-enrollment to complete the new capstone project.
6. Capstone work must align with the Fair Labor Standards Act.
7. UACS does not generally support students traveling to countries under a Travel Warning Level 3 as determined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or that are under a level 3 or level 4 Travel Advisory level as determined by the U.S. Department of State. This includes countries that are under a level 1 or level 2 Travel Advisory but have states, regions, cities, towns, or areas within the country that are under a level 3 (reconsider travel) or level 4 (do not travel) advisory. Travel to a level 1 or level 2 country with embedded level 3 and level 4 advisories will be approved if the student agrees not to travel to those areas within the country that are under a level 3 or level 4 advisory.
8. The Clinton School does not assume responsibility for any costs associated with not having adequate health or accident insurance.
9. The Clinton School does not assume responsibility for any injuries suffered or sustained by students while students are in transit to/from or working on their Capstone projects.
10. Students are responsible for ensuring that they do not complete any project work where Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is needed until that approval is received.
11. The project supervisor(s) and the UACS Director of Communications must approve all information released to any media outlets about any field projects.
12. An individual student cannot distribute their Capstone work results unless the field project supervisor, the faculty advisor, and any co-authors approve that distribution.
13. In the case where a Capstone project involves working within an existing research study or program, publication of results, including manuscript authorship, will follow the established protocol of the research program.
14. Any exception to these rules must be approved by the student’s capstone advisor and the Academic Dean.

Electives

(3 credit hours)

The student’s faculty advisor will work with the student to choose elective courses that are of interest to the student and that will be appropriate for the student’s future career.