Staff

Executive Director: M. Atkinson, Ph.D.

Associate Director: S. Charlebois, Ph.D. (Acting July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010)

Associate Director: K.A. Rasmussen, Ph.D. (on sabbatical leave July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010)

Professors: R. Hawkins, LL.M; G.P. Marchildon, Ph.D.; K.A. Rasmussen, Ph.D.

Assistant Professors: B. Dupeyron, Ph.D.; K. McNutt, Ph.D.;

Associated Faculty: Roy Romanow, LLB

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the entrance requirements of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, with the following additions (where applicable):

1. The M.P.A. programs are open to persons with a four-year undergraduate degree in any area. Students will be required to complete a qualifying course in introductory Statistics if one was not taken as part of their undergraduate program.
2. Those students without a background in economics may be required to complete introductory courses in micro and macro economics.
3. International applicants will be required to submit the results of GRE "general" Scores with their applications. Applicants with a four-year degree from an accredited institution in Canada and the United States are exempt from this requirement.

Programs

M.P.A. (Management) Project Option Program Requirements (30 credit hours)

• GSPP 801, GSPP 802, GSPP 804, GSPP 805, and GSPP 806 (15 credit hours)
• Two GSPP electives (800 level courses) (6 credit hours)
• One open elective (800 level course) (3 credit hours)
• GSPP 900 Project*** (6 credit hours)

M.P.A. (Management) Course-based Option Program Requirements (30 credit hours)

• GSPP 801, GSPP 802, GSPP 804, GSPP 805, and GSPP 806 (15 credit hours)
• Four GSPP Electives (800 level courses) (12 credit hours)
• One open elective (800 level course) (3 credit hours)

M.P.A. (Public Policy) Project Option Program Requirements (30 credit hours)

• GSPP 801, GSPP 802, GSPP 804, GSPP 805, and GSPP 806 (15 credit hours)
• Two GSPP Electives (800 level courses) (6 credit hours)
• One open elective (800 level course) (3 credit hours)
• GSPP 900 Project*** (6 credit hours)

M.P.A. (Public Policy) Course-based Option Program Requirements (30 credit hours)

• GSPP 801, GSPP 802, GSPP 804, GSPP 805, and GSPP 806 (15 credit hours)
• Four GSPP Electives (800 level courses) (12 credit hours)
• One open elective (800 level course) (3 credit hours)

Please Note: Students may take either GSPP 851 (Qualitative Research Methods) or SW 881 (Qualitative and Applied Research Methods) for credit as a GSPP elective.

*** Students following the project option must prepare and present a paper on a suitable topic. The project will be supervised by an accredited member of the Graduate School of Public Policy. The paper will be presented and defended at a seminar chaired by a member of the academic unit who will be the designated representative of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. The supervisor and an examining committee approved by the Graduate School of Public Policy will attend. A bound copy of the report will be filed with the Graduate School of Public Policy.

Master's Certificate Program

Master's Certificate Admission Requirements

• Completion of an undergraduate degree with a minimum overall GPA of 70%
• GRE or other test of English proficiency, if undergraduate instruction was not in English.
• The Public Policy Certificate requires introductory courses in micro and macro economics.

There is also a mid-career option for admission, in which prospective students with at least five years of government or non-profit organization management experience may be admitted without an undergraduate degree.

Master's Certificate in Public Management

This certificate should be of interest to individuals currently working in the public sector who do not have a background in administration and who want to improve their administrative and management skills. Students will develop the ability to analyze governing institutions and the processes of modern government along with some of the basic skills and techniques required to effectively manage in the public sector.

Master's Certificate in Non-Profit Management

This certificate will be of value either to those working in the non-profit sector or to those public servants who manage non-profit/government relationships. Students will develop an understanding of the role of the non-profit sector in modern Canadian society and the relationship between it and the public sector. Students will gain a solid foundation of skills useful in managing in the non-profit sector.

Master's Certificate in Health Systems Management

This certificate will be of interest either to those currently working in health care administration or to those who want to move into health care administration. Students will develop a good understanding of the complex issues that are encountered by those managing health systems in today’s changing health care organizations.

Master's Certificate in Public Policy Analysis

This certificate will be of interest to those directly involved in policy analysis development and to those involved in policy decisions who want to increase their understanding of the overall policy process. It will provide students with a basic foundation in public policy analysis, development, and evaluation. Students will develop analytic skills and gain a solid understanding of the basics of public policy implementation and development.

Master's Certificate in Economic Analysis for Public Policy

This certificate is designed for those currently working, or wanting to work, directly in the area of policy analysis in the public. It will provide students with the basic skills and techniques for sound economic analysis of public policy along with an understanding of the advantages or disadvantages of various policy models.

Qualifying Courses

Students who lack any of the following courses must successfully complete those courses (or substitutes) before taking more than one graduate level course. All qualifying courses must be passed with a grade no less than 70%. Qualifying students may be discontinued from their program if they receive one grade less than 70%.

Course Descriptions

GSPP 801 Governance and Administration (3)
Analyzes governing institutions and the process of modern government as a means of enhancing student's understanding of policy formulation and implementation. It is intended to provide a basis for critically assessing political and administrative decision-making and policy outcomes.

GSPP 802 Public Finance (3)
Provides a survey of Canadian public finance. Examines rationales for government intervention in a market economy, the assessment of public policy, how government decisions are made and the impact of government expenditures and taxation on the economy and the well-being of Canadians, in terms of economic efficiency and interpersonal equity.

GSPP 803 Quantitative Methods for Public Policy (3)
Provides students with an understanding of the statistical concepts and techniques used in conducting research and critically evaluating empirical studies. Topics include statistical inference, sampling theory, and data and regression analysis as applied to problems in public policy.

GSPP 804 Seminar on Research and Writing (3)
Introduction to research and writing in public policy including research design, sourcing, evaluation, analysis and presentation. The course is built on the progressive evolution of a major research paper, and will provide critique on both research design and methodology.

GSPP 805 Economics for Public Policy Analysis (3)
Examination of concepts in microeconomics and macroeconomics, focusing on issues relevant to the public sector. Intended for students who have had limited exposure to economics. This is a prerequisite for students wishing to take GSPP 820 and 821 but who do not have 300 level macro- and micro-economic classes.

GSPP 806 Public Policy Analysis (3)
Analysis of the processes whereby public policies arise and are enacted in Canada. Compares theories and models of policy-making and decision-making to illustrate the special requirements of the Canadian environment; examines the roles of various participants in the policy process: legislators, political parties, interest groups, administrators and administrative structures, citizens and the judiciary.

GSPP 807 Management Information Systems (3)
This focuses on information technology and management. Topics covered are information technology and organizations, information technology and individuals (privacy, ethics, job security, job changes), information technology and information security, information technology within the organization (technology introduction and implementation), business process engineering and information technology between organizations (electronic data interchange and electronic commerce).

GSPP 808 Leadership, Ethics and Democracy in Public Service (3)
There is a growing interest in leadership, ethics and democracy within the profession of public administration. This course examines these three key concepts in the making of a professional public servant and connects them to the environment in which decisions are made in government.

GSPP 809 Introduction to Law in Public Administration and Policy (3)
Introduction to Law in Public Administration and Policy: Law and regulation as it affects public administration and policy, including the methods and procedures followed in Canada as a Westminster-style parliamentary democracy, the nature of the law-making process, choice of legal instruments including administrative tribunals, and the legal methods by which administrative instruments are controlled.

GSPP 810 Public Enterprise and Privatization (3)
Joint partnerships between public enterprises - crown corporations, boards, commissions, regulatory agencies - and the private sector have become commonplace. This class compares the structures and functions of the arrangements in Canada and Saskatchewan, and evaluates their operations and consequences of public-private partnerships in terms of economic, political, cultural and organizational factors.

GSPP 811 Nongovernmental Organizations and Alternative Service Delivery (3)
This course examines the increasing role played by the third sector in Canada. Students will examine alternative allocations of responsibility for solving particular social and public problems - voluntary, not-for-profit, for-profit, joint public/private, public encouraged/subsidized, and publicly coerced - along with examples, reasons, and theories for particular forms of organization, new methods of accountability and tensions between government and its new partners.

GSPP 812 Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector (3) (Equivalent to GBUS 844)
History of union development in the public sector in Canada. Current structures in the public sector labour movement are assessed, as well as the impact of legislation on the nature of collective bargaining and implications for public sector policies. Students will examine the character and procedures of arbitration, mediation and conciliation in a public sector context.

GSPP 813 Managing Change (3) (Equivalent to GBUS 860)
This course seeks to bring about an awareness and understanding of how organizations are managing change. The course will provide perspectives of the change strategists, the change implementers, and the change recipients. The objective of the course is to develop sensitive and effective change-agent skills in management ranks.

GSPP 814 Comparative Public Sector Management (3)
This course compares the structures, functions, and processes of the executive branch in Canada with federal countries such as the United States of America, Australia, Belgium, and Switzerland.

GSPP 815 Strategic Human Resource Management (3) (Equivalent to GBUS 843)
Examination of human resources functions in public and private organizations from a strategic and institutional perspective. The topics include human resource planning, recruitment and selection, performance measurement and assessment, training and development, and the design of reward systems.

GSPP 816 Tax Policy and Fiscal Federalism (3)
Examination of objectives of tax policy and basic principles of taxation, with special reference to Canada. Various types of Canadian taxes - federal, provincial, municipal - will be analyzed and evaluated, including those on personal income, corporation income, manufacturers' sales, resource property and other taxes. Emphasis on evaluation of specific taxes and current issues in tax policies in Canada.

GSPP 817 (PSCI 844) Health Policy (3)
The course will review the historical development of the Canadian health care system and its supporting principles, governance structures and fiscal arrangements; and examine contemporary structures and relationships. Issues such as benefit coverage, health human resources, user fees, pharmaceuticals, regional health boards, and health reform in a comparative context will be examined.

GSPP 818 Program Evaluation (3)
Through extensive use of examples from various fields, students will be exposed to the art and science of applying evaluation methodologies and techniques to programs in both the public and nonprofit sectors.
Prerequisite: GSPP 806 or permission.

GSPP 819 Gender and Public Policy (3)
The course will compare neo-classical and feminist approaches to the analysis of public policy. Students will examine the labour market and gender-based inequality; the family, with a particular focus on intrahousehold resource allocation; and will consider macro-economic issues and provide gender-based analysis in relation to public policy in Canada.

GSPP 820 Micro-Economics for Policy Analysis (3)
The microeconomic tools needed for public policy analysis. Introduces students to an economic approach to the study of human behaviour, with special emphasis on the study of the circumstances under which markets achieve, or fail to achieve, an efficient allocation of the economy’s resources.
Prerequisite: GSPP 805 or permission.

GSPP 821 Macro-Economics for Policy Analysis (3)
An introduction to the major policy questions of macroeconomics, presenting macroeconomic models to assist policy development. An emphasis is placed on current policy issues including monetary policy, fiscal policy, currency regimes, productivity and growth, demographics patterns and fiscal sustainability.
Prerequisites: GSPP 805 or permission.

GSPP 822 Comparative Public Policy (3)
Using a comparative perspective, students will analyze how public policy is formulated, how it changes, and why. The role of formal and informal institutions, actors, structures and networks is examined, providing an increased understanding of theories of public policy, and the ability to critically analyze and compare public policy.

GSPP 823 Regional Economic Policy (3)
This course provides theoretical and policy perspectives on the regional distribution of economic activity, including trade and development. Particular attention will be paid to the impact of government policies such as taxation, transfers and employment insurance. Some attention will also be given to municipalities as distinct economic regions.

GSPP 824 Saskatchewan's Model of Government (3)
The Government of Saskatchewan has made a tremendous contribution to public administration in Canada in the postwar era. From the cabinet system, to personnel policies and the use of crown corporations, Saskatchewan has developed a durable and unique model of public administration. This class will explore the historical changes in the operations of this model and how it is currently performing.

GSPP 825 Saskatchewan in Canadian Federalism (3)
Examines Canadian federalism from the perspective of Saskatchewan's postwar role in shaping national policy. The province's impact on the federation is analyzed through a series of topics.

GSPP 826 Labour Market Policy (3)
Topics in labour market policy, including education and training; demographic change and its impacts on labour markets and pensions; migration and the brain drain; alternative income maintenance schemes; plant closures, unions; policies towards families and the labour market; discrimination and pay equity; public sector wage determination; minimum wage laws.

GSPP 827 Health Care Organization and Administration (3)
This course will provide students with an understanding of issues involved in the management and organization of health services. Students will examine issues related to managing health in terms of regional health authorities, health ministries and individual health organizations.

GSPP 828 Project Management (3) (Equivalent to GBUS 865)
An introduction to the many phases of a project’s life cycle. Students will gain knowledge and understanding of Project Management principles and learn how to manage them effectively using Project Management techniques by monitoring and maintaining control of scope, time and costs within a project.

GSPP 829 Human Behaviour in Organizations (3)
The class will study the individual's interaction within work groups and the organization. It will examine relevant concepts from the behavioural sciences: interpersonal, intrapersonal, group and organizational processes. Discussion will focus on these concepts in the workplace with the intent of increasing the student's ability to manage.

GSPP 830 Public Choice (3)
Public Choice is best described as the economic analysis of political science, developing toward an axiomatic theory of government involving neoclassical economic theory. Issues covered in class include the role and function of government, and governmental decision-making; the intersection between public and private interests; and how and why people vote.

GSPP 831 Seminar on Public Administration (3)
The course examines the principles underlying the application of selected aspects of public management and examines ways in which governments apply the principles. The course compares approaches of different governments and examines some specific applications and strives to develop in students the competencies required of public servants.

GSPP 832 Population Based Health Program Management (3)
This course will apply the techniques of epidemiology and biostatistics to evaluate population-based health programs. In addition, students will become familiar with principles of public health, prevention, and health care quality management.

GSPP 833 Performance Measurement in Health Care Organizations (3)
Focusing on the health care imperative of accountability to the community, this course deals with the measurement of performance in health care organizations. Management control focuses on the implementation of business strategies and the attainment of organizational goals.

GSPP 834 Financial Management of Health Care Organizations (3)
This course covers the financial management function in health care organizations including operating and capital budgeting processes along with budgetary and financial controls. There will be extensive use of financial analysis tools for the health care organization and skills needed to develop basic finance and accounting foundations will be reviewed.

GSPP 835AL Foreign Aid Policy (3)
The course will examine the reasons for the acute and widespread poverty that still exists in many countries despite the vast amounts of money spent on foreign aid during the last 50 years. Policies enhancing the effectiveness of aid are examined, along with institutions such as the IMF and other governmental responses.

GSPP 835AM International Trade Policy (3)
This course will be an overview of international trade theory and policy. It is intended that students will gain an understanding of the basic organizational framework within which international trade in goods and services takes place, and methods of protection by importers and exporters.

GSPP 836AA-ZZ Selected Topics in Public Administration (3)
Examination of one or more selected problems in public sector management relative to the interests of the instructor and students. A multidisciplinary application of knowledge, concepts and analytical tools to contemporary issues challenging government executives.

GSPP 837 Health Economics (3)
This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to economic concepts and analysis relevant to health, health care and health care systems. Students will examine economic aspects of various elements of the health-care sector, identify relevant policy questions and apply economic concepts and techniques to analyze them.

GSPP 838 Public Budgeting and Financial Management (3)
This course gives an overview of how to budget in the public and non-profit sector. Topics covered will include the budget cycle, from conceptual creation to development of practical options; rules and regulations regarding transfers between programs; issues associated with the audit process; and oversight of third-party budgets.

GSPP 839 Classic and Contemporary Readings in Policy Theory (3)
This course surveys classic and contemporary theories in public policy and public administration. It is intended to provide students with a solid theoretical foundation in decision-making processes, policy learning, policy change, institutionalism and the intellectual developments associated with the policy process.

GSPP 840 Public Policy and Public Opinion (3)
Public opinion in its many forms has become increasingly important for government decision-making and accountability processes. This course examines the underlying assumptions and research methodology used in assessing public opinion as well as government’s use of public opinion and its impact on decision-making and accountability practices.

GSPP 841 Public Sector Labour Relations (3)
This course will explore the concepts, legal framework and current issues with respect to public sector labour relations in Canada, with emphasis on collective bargaining and the Saskatchewan experience. For this course, the “Public Sector” will include the federal, provincial and municipal jurisdictions, Crown corporations and the “para-public” sector.

GSPP 842 American Foreign Policy in a New Era (3)
Foreign policy decisions are the product of an historical context (individual and cultural), a complex bureaucratic process, and an intertwined domestic and international political and economic environment. In order to criticize, evaluate, and understand those decisions, this course will examine all these components in relation to emerging doctrines of U.S. foreign policy.

GSPP 843 Development Policy and International Organizations (3)
Students examine an array of international institutions and their policies in relation to economic development activities, and their participation in social, political and cultural areas. They will examine the increasing role of these organizations in domestic public policy formulation in order to broaden students’ understanding of policy formulation and implementation.

GSPP 844 Agricultural Policy (3)
An examination of agri-food sector policies, with particular emphasis on those of Canada and Saskatchewan. Students study the policy process and groups involved in agri-food policy-making, analyzing the economic and political rationales for agricultural policies, and critically assessing current and emerging farm programs and agri-food policies in Canada and the U.S.

GSPP 845 Behavioural Social Policy (3)
A study of Canadian social policies: their value base, financial and political sustainability, behavioural impacts, and outcomes for social relations and the economy. Students will study the development of social policy, gaining an analytical framework for considering social policy as a means to achieve equity and cohesion within a market economy.

GSPP 846 Philanthropy and Fundraising for Non-profit Organizations (3)
This course examines issues confronting non-profit organizations related to fundraising and philanthropic purposes in society. Students will learn fund raising strategies such as conducting annual campaigns, developing and managing individual donors, and will examine ethical fundraising issues.

GSPP 847 Strategic Planning for Non-Profit and Public Organizations (3)
Strategic and operational planning through discussion of the relevance of organizational values, development of mission and vision statements and techniques to align goals and objectives with organizational priorities. Financial capability analysis and budgetary role in planning will be addressed. Skills developed include critical thinking, problem solving, writing, and presentation skills.

GSPP 848 Financial Management for Non-Profit Organizations (3)
During the course students will review key financial-analysis tools and techniques. They will discuss information found in non-profit financial statements and explore principles of financial management and operating and capital-budgeting processes, with the goal of gaining appreciation of how available resources are allocated to both short-term and long-term objectives.

GSPP 850AA-ZZ - Selected Executive Internships
This internship is for students who have completed at least 50% of their program, including the core program courses, and have little or no experience in the public sector. Students will be exposed to the skills used by manager at senior levels in the public sector and will perform a variety of tasks.

GSPP 851 Qualitative Research Methods (3)
This class provides students with advanced skills in qualitative research methods used for policy analysis and programme evaluation. The course surveys validity and reliability measurements, the methodological branches of qualitative research, and a range of applications. Topics include: case studies, interviewing, consultation, focus groups, documentary analysis, Web-research, and content analysis.

GSPP 852 Inside Government - Practice and Procedures (3)
Examines the principles underlying aspects of public management with an emphasis on the machinery of government and the ways in which governments apply public administration principles and use various instruments. Students will practice some of the competencies expected of public servants through lectures, student presentations, in-class exercises and field trips.

GSPP 853 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (3)
This course addresses Negotiations & Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the workplace, including theoretical models and applications relevant to managing conflict in employment settings. Students will gain a firm understanding of how to resolve workplace conflict in both unionized and non-unionized environments.

GSPP 855AA-ZZ Advanced Standing for Professional Programs (Variable credit 3-9)
Advanced standing of up to 9 credit hours in the MPA program for prior completion of approved professional programs. Students who receive advance standing for approved programs may be excluded from taking up to 3 electives.

GSPP 880 Approaches to Legal Theory and Scholarship (3)
An examination of alternative frameworks within which legal problems can be analyzed which may include frameworks provided by "law and economics", "law and philosophy", legal history, critical legal studies, feminism, and sociological theories of law. Examples of legal scholarship in each will form the subject matter of the seminar.

GSPP 881 Constitutional Law and Public Policy (3)
Students will develop the critical skills necessary to examine Canada’s constitutional framework, including the judicial system the division of powers, the treatment and rights of Aboriginal Peoples, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

GSPP 882 Constitutional Law (3)
Will assist students in developing the critical skills necessary to examine Canada's constitutional framework, including the judicial system, the division of powers, the treatment and rights of Aboriginal Peoples, and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

GSPP 890AA-ZZ Directed Readings (3-6 credit hours)
Directed readings for individual students or groups of students on selected topics. Prerequisite: Permission of Department Head.

GSPP 900 Research Project (3 or 6 credit hours)
Under the guidance of a supervisory committee, a student analyzes a significant organizational problem with a view to recommending a feasible solution. Problems may be either specific or general, requiring either a particular disciplinary background or a multidisciplinary approach. Students are required to register in a minimum of 6 credit hours of project research. The course will be graded in a credit/nocredit (C/N) basis.

GSPP 901 Research (Variable credit 3-15)
Thesis research.

GSPP 906 PhD Seminar (3)
This is a seminar class in which Ph.D. candidates will participate with faculty and associate faculty. Their research to date will be critiqued at a number of seminars. Candidates will also be required to review and critique research work being presented by other Ph.D. students and GSPP faculty members participating in the seminar.