In a memorandum to the University of Southern California's Washington Public Affairs Center, its founding director reflects on the experience of establishing the doctoral program in public administration and the assumptions, practices, and resource issues associated with it, including essential elements such as careful selection of students and…

A survey of alumni of two disparate Master's in Public Administration (MPA) programs, at Evergreen State College (Washington) (n=114) and University of Akron (Ohio) (n=91), found more similarities than expected in program experiences, perceptions of what is important in their careers, and how an MPA program can contribute to careers. Implications…

The role of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) in promoting professionalism in public administration is explored, and potential problems associated with that role are discussed. The recent movement toward accreditation in public administration education based on a Total Quality Management mission is…

Collaboration between a public affairs faculty member and an instructional developer resulted in design of a learner-centered large lecture course. Evaluation after three years revealed which elements of the course format generated the most student interest and, in some cases, changed attitudes about learning in college. Suggestions are made for…

The shift to mission-based assessment for accreditation of public administration education programs is discussed from two perspectives: that of the chair of the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA), and that of a faculty member with experience in preparing for, undergoing, and responding to COPRA concerns during an accreditation…

Two models for public administration field experience programs are outlined, both designed to connect management theory to practice through observation and peer interaction. In the first, student teams observe and report daily operations of an organization; in the second, teams observe, report, and also serve as organizational consultants. Both…

Describes a graduate-level public administration course on valuing diversity, which provided opportunities to examine in detail the ethical dilemmas, public attitudes and values, and social consequences of compelling diversity issues. Reports on a content analysis of students' final papers, identifying common themes in students' development of…

Argues that, despite some current antitheory sentiment in public administration education, in this profession practice and theory converge directly, with theory a reflection on and critique of practice. Facility with conceptual schemata, models, and systems of thought, and the ability to engage in discourse, listen, read, and articulate ideas are…

An approach to designing a competency-based master's program in public administration that integrates political science, management, and value-based approaches into a holistic package is described. Pedagogically the approach seeks to balance conceptual knowledge with skill acquisition for specific situations, providing a curriculum more relevant…

The role of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) in defining the field and the curriculum content for graduate study is examined on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. Stressed is the organization's potential future role as the field confronts changing political, social, economic, and technological…