Faculty

Neil Bania, associate professor (poverty, low-skill labor markets, welfare reform and income policy). B.A., 1980, M.A., 1983, Ph.D., 1985, Oregon. (2004)

Robert J. Choquette, adjunct instructor (strategic planning, project management). B.S., 1982, M.U.P., 1991, Oregon. (1991)

Jessica Greene, assistant professor (health policy, quantitative methods, evaluation research). B.A., 1989, Michigan, Ann Arbor; M.P.H., M.I.A., 1996, Columbia; Ph.D., 2003, New York University. (2003)

Judith H. Hibbard, professor (social epidemiology, health policy, women’s health). B.S., 1974, California State, Northridge; M.P.H., 1975, California, Los Angeles; Dr.P.H., 1982, California, Berkeley. (1982)

Michael Hibbard, professor (community and regional development). B.S., 1968, California Polytechnic; M.S.W., 1971, San Diego State; Ph.D., 1980, California, Los Angeles. (1980)

Renee A. Irvin, associate professor (nonprofit and philanthropic sector economies, wealth policy). B.A., 1984, Oregon; M.A., 1991, Ph.D., 1998, Washington (Seattle). (2001)

Andre P. LeDuc, senior research assistant (Community Service Center). B.S., 1996, Wisconsin, Green Bay; M.C.R.P., 1999, Oregon. (2000)

Richard D. Margerum, associate professor (environmental planning and management, planning processes, conflict management). B.A., 1987, Wittenberg; M.C.P., 1989, Cincinnati; M.S., 1992, Ph.D., 1995, Wisconsin, Madison. On leave 2007–8. (2001)

Robert G. Parker, instructor (community planning workshop, microcomputers in planning and policy analysis). B.S., 1986, Colorado State; M.U.P., 1989, Oregon. (1989)

Marc Schlossberg, assistant professor (geographic information systems, social planning, transportation planning). B.B.A., 1987, Texas at Austin; M.U.P., 1995, San Jose State; Ph.D., 2001, Michigan. (2001)

Megan E. Smith, senior research assistant (community outreach, watershed planning, rural planning). B.A., 1990, Southern Oregon State; M.C.R.P., 1996, Oregon. (1996)

Edward C. Weeks, associate professor (evaluation research, research methods). B.A., 1973, Ph.D., 1978, California, Irvine. (1978)

Yizhao Yang, assistant professor (environmental planning, sustainable living design and analysis, geographic information systems). B.Arch., 1995, Tianjin; M.S., 1998, Tsinghua; M.R.P., 2001, Ph.D., 2007, Cornell. (2006)

Courtesy

Richard A. Anderson, courtesy professor (urban development, Kuwait regional architecture, city planning). B.A., 1958, Stanford, M.U.P., 1965, Washington, Ph.D., 1969, Michigan State. (2004)

Robert Doppelt, courtesy associate professor (environmental governance, sustainable development). B.S., 1973, Lewis and Clark; M.S., 1975, M.S., 1976, Oregon. (2002)

Donald G. Holtgrieve, courtesy professor (local government planning). See Geography.

Cassandra Moseley, courtesy assistant professor (natural resource policy, community-based conservation). B.A., 1990, Cornell; M.A., 1993, M.Phil., 1994, Ph.D., 1999, Yale. (2002)

Emeriti

Bryan T. Downes, professor emeritus. B.S., 1962, M.S., 1963, Oregon; Ph.D., 1966, Washington (St. Louis). (1976)

Orval Etter, associate professor emeritus. B.S., 1937, J.D., 1939, Oregon. (1939)

Maradel K. Gale, associate professor emerita. B.A., 1961, Washington State; M.A., 1967, Michigan State; J.D., 1974, Oregon. (1974)

Carl J. Hosticka, associate professor emeritus. B.A., 1965, Brown; Ph.D., 1976, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (1977)

Robert E. Keith, planning consultant emeritus. B.S., 1944, Kansas State; M.Arch., 1950, Oregon. (1963)

David C. Povey, professor emeritus. B.S., 1963, Lewis and Clark; M.U.P., 1969, Ph.D., 1972, Cornell. (1973)

Jean Stockard, professor emerita. B.A., 1969, M.A., 1972, Ph.D., 1974, Oregon. (1974)

Kenneth C. Tollenaar, director emeritus. B.A., 1950, Reed; M.A., 1953, Minnesota. (1966)

The date in parentheses at the end of each entry is the first year on the University of Oregon faculty.

Participating

Robert G. Ribe, landscape architecture

Philip J. Romero, finance

Thomas A. Stave, library

Anita M. Weiss, international studies

About the Department

Mission Statement. The Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM) prepares future public leaders, creates and disseminates new knowledge, and assists communities and organizations. The department’s faculty, staff, and students seek to understand and improve economic, environmental, and social conditions through teaching, scholarship, and service.

In pursuing this mission, the department is dedicated to

• The highest standards of scholarship by faculty members and students

• Informed theory and empirical evidence

• Engaging the civic community-public, private, and nonprofit-in democratic processes addressing economic, environmental, and social issues

• Seeking good ideas and approaches from around the world and testing the transferability of these ideas from one part of the world to another

•Using an approach that builds on the strengths of communities and organizations to increase their capacity to take advantage of opportunities and respond effectively to challenges

• Work that ranges from local to regional to national to international

• Ecological, social, and economic sustainablility

Undergraduate Studies [back to top]

The undergraduate program provides an interdisciplinary liberal arts education that prepares students for leadership around the world. Through course work that integrates theory and practice, the curriculum focuses on the ways governments, nonprofit organizations, and other institutions address public problems. Students explore the economic, social, and environmental characteristics of communities and systems of governance to determine effective ways to advance the public’s goals. The curriculum helps students develop knowledge of core scholarly issues related to public policy and management as well as a specialized expertise in an area of their choosing. Emphasis is placed on developing skills in research; verbal, written, and digital communication; and working in group settings.

Preparation. High school students who want to study planning, public policy and management should develop communication skills, conceptual skills, and community experience. Communication skills can best be developed through courses in speech, English, and other languages. Debate and related public-speaking experience are fine ways to improve communication skills. Conceptual skills can best be developed through courses, such as mathematics and history, that require the student to think independently and analytically. Volunteer work, paid after-school jobs, and travel are ways of acquiring community experience.

Careers. The bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.) degree in planning, public policy and management provides students with a broad, interdisciplinary, liberal-arts background and a sound basis for graduate study in fields such as urban planning, public policy and management, business, law, journalism, and social welfare. In addition, graduates are prepared for entry-level positions in public service agencies and nonprofit organizations.

Admission Requirements

The major in PPPM is offered to upper-division students. Students may apply for admission the term they achieve upper-division standing. They must apply and be accepted by the department before they have completed 50 percent of the course work for the major. Preference in admission is given to applicants who have (1) a grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better, (2) some experience-paid or volunteer-in public service, and (3) fulfilled university general-education requirements.

In completing group requirements, the following courses (or their equivalents, for transfer students) are recommended:

Social Science. Introduction to Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM 201) or Healthy Communities (PPPM 202) or Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector (PPPM 280), United States Politics (PS 201), Introduction to Economic Analysis: Microeconomics (EC 201), Introduction to Economic Analysis: Macroeconomics (EC 202), State and Local Government (PS 203), Community, Environment, and Society (SOC 304)

Science. Concepts of Computing: Computers and Computation (CIS 111), The Natural Environment (GEOG 141)

Sample Program

This two-year sample program for PPPM premajors is typical preparation for admission to the program in the junior year.

Admission Procedures

The department admits students fall, winter, and spring terms. Deadlines are available from the department office. To be considered for admission, students must submit the following materials:

1. Completed application form, available from the department office or website

2. Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended

3. Personal statement describing career goals and how the major in PPPM will help attain those goals. This statement should be limited to two or three typed, double-spaced pages

4. Brief résumé of education and employment history

Major Requirements

The major in PPPM is organized into a common core, a concentration area, an internship, and a thesis option for students intending to graduate with honors. Students should expect extensive writing, policy analysis, and collaborative projects as part of their education in PPPM. For more information, contact a staff member in the department.

Core (28 credits)

The core curriculum requirement is distributed as follows:

Appropriate courses may be substituted with the faculty adviser’s permission.

PPPM majors must take core courses for letter grades and pass them with grades of C- or better.

Concentration Area (24 credits)

Each student develops a concentration area, chosen to advance the student’s educational goals. The concentration area consists of upper-division courses, totaling at least 24 credits, that address a coherent substantive area or set of competencies in the field of planning, public policy and management. At least 16 credits must be taken in the department. The department’s strengths lie in the areas of sustainable community development, environmental policy and management, health and social policy, policy analysis, and public and nonprofit management. The concentration area and course of study are chosen in close consultation with the undergraduate adviser and department faculty members whose interests coincide with those of the student. Courses must be passed with a P or C– or better.

Internship (12 credits)

During the internship, students explore their concentration areas outside the classroom. The internship complements academic work by allowing the student to apply ideas and concepts to real-world situations. Students can enroll in the required internship full time for one term (thirty-six hours a week for ten weeks) or part-time (eighteen hours a week for two ten-week terms). Students are placed with a variety of federal, state, and local government agencies, with nonprofit organizations, and—when appropriate—with private firms. Internships are arranged through and supervised by the internship director. Students earn 12 credits in Internship (PPPM 404).

Community Planning Workshop. Undergraduate students have the opportunity to work on applied research projects through the Community Planning Workshop, which is described later in this section of the catalog. Up to 10 credits in Community Planning Workshop (PPPM 419) may be applied to the internship requirement.

Honors Program

The honors program offers qualified students a challenging academic experience, opportunities for independent work, and interaction with faculty members. The bachelor’s degree with honors centers around an independent project of original research developed by the student and carried out under the direction of one or two faculty members.

Students are recommended by a faculty member for admission to the honors program no later than the first term of their senior year. Entry into the program is determined by the undergraduate program director after a review of the student’s achievement in PPPM courses and other evidence of superior academic and professional ability. To be considered for the honors program, a student must have a grade point average of 3.75 in course work for the major and in all work attempted at the university.

Minors

Planning, Public Policy and Management

The planning, public policy and management minor complements majors in the humanities or social sciences-anthropology, geography, or economics for example. It enhances any student’s undergraduate education with preparation for a variety of professional occupations and graduate study. The minor provides a professional context in which to apply the knowledge, theories, and methods of the student’s major discipline.

Students may declare the minor in planning, public policy and management at any time during or after the term in which they achieve upper-division standing. Materials for declaring the minor are available in the department office.

Up to 8 credits in Internship (PPPM 404) or 10 credits in Community Planning Workshop (PPPM 419) may be used to satisfy the elective requirement.

PPPM 201, 325, 326, and 337 must be taken for letter grades and passed with grades of C- or better.

Nonprofit Administration

The PPPM department offers a minor of special value to students interested in a career in the nonprofit sector. Through the minor, students can enhance their undergraduate education to include preparation for occupations and graduate study in nonprofit administration. Nonprofits are one of the fastest growing employment sectors in the country, creating a high demand for graduates with skills to work for these diverse and exciting organizations.

Students may declare the minor in nonprofit administration at any time during or after the term in which they achieve upper-division standing. Materials for declaring the minor are available in the department office.

Courses must be taken for letter grades and passed with grades of C– or better, unless offered pass/no pass only.

Graduate Studies [back to top]

Programs for themaster of community and regional planning (M.C.R.P.) degree and the master of public administration (M.P.A.) require two years for completion. The M.C.R.P. degree is accredited nationally by the Planning Accreditation Board. The M.P.A. is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. The department also offers a 24-credit graduate certificate in not-for-profit management.

The interdisciplinary and eclectic fields of planning, public policy, and public management are concerned with systematically shaping the future. Professionals in these fields frequently lead efforts to plan for change. Most often they are involved in analysis, preparation of recommendations, and implementation of policies and programs that affect public facilities and services and the quality of community life. These professionals assume responsibility for planning, policy, and management in community and regional development, natural resources, economic development, land use, transportation, and law enforcement.

Planning, public policy and management graduates have a basic understanding of economic, environmental, fiscal, physical, political, and social characteristics of a community. Graduates are expected to provide leadership and to otherwise participate effectively in efforts to enhance the capacity of communities to deal innovatively and creatively with change.

Students should own or have unlimited use of a personal computer.

Financial Aid

Approximately 40 percent of the department’s students receive some financial assistance (e.g., graduate teaching fellowships, work-study assistance, or research stipends). Graduate teaching fellowships (GTFs) are offered to approximately twenty students each year. Each fellowship includes a stipend and a waiver of tuition and fees for one or more terms. Graduate students also may work on planning and public policy projects through the Community Planning Workshop. Each year five to fifteen students receive stipends for research on contracts developed and administered in the workshop. Research and GTF appointments typically are not offered until the student has been in a PPPM program for at least one term.

Graduate students are eligible for fellowship awards, granted by federal agencies and privately endowed foundations, and loans from university and federal student-loan programs. Information about grants and loans may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, 1278 University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1278.

Applicants to PPPM programs are strongly urged to apply for university financial assistance before February of the year of application in order to be eligible for work-study and other assistance offered by the student financial aid office.

The University of Oregon offers Diversity-Building Scholarships for graduate students who are United States citizens. For more information, visit the website for the Center on Diversity and Community and choose the research link.

Community and Regional Planning

The master’s degree program in community and regional planning trains policy-oriented planners for leadership positions in planning and planning-related organizations. The field of planning is concerned with rational and sensitive guidance of community and regional change. Planners are responsible for identifying and clarifying the nature and effect of planning problems, formulating potential solutions to these problems, and assisting in the implementation of alternative policies.

To realize these objectives, the planner must draw on the skills and insights of many professions and disciplines. The planner must have a basic understanding of the cultural, economic, social, political, and physical characteristics of a community. While applying analytical skills at community and regional levels, the planner must make subjective judgments in the consideration of problems and their solutions.

Entering students should be prepared to become involved in and committed to resolving important social, economic, environmental, political, and cultural problems. Courses in and outside the department provide students with an integrated understanding of planning, public policy, and public management as well as specific skills needed for a chosen professional area.

Oregon is an especially fruitful laboratory in which to study planning. The state has an international reputation as a source of innovative approaches to addressing planning issues.

Students select a set of courses in consultation with their advisers that focus their elective work on an area of special interest. The program has exceptional strengths in community and regional development, environmental planning, and social planning. In addition, the department’s strengths in nonprofit management, local government management, and budget and finance are of interest to many students in the field of planning.

The program has strong ties with other programs on campus. Students often pursue concurrent degrees in planning and landscape architecture, business, economics, geography, international studies, or public administration. See Concurrent Master’s Degrees later in this section.

Preparation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete a thorough social science undergraduate program including courses in economics, sociology, geography, and history. Work experience, particularly if related to planning, is valuable, as are writing and public-speaking skills. Courses in the natural sciences, policy sciences, environmental design, or analytic methods are helpful as background for advanced graduate work in a concentration area of interest to the student.

Students must complete either an advanced undergraduate or a graduate-level introductory course in statistics as a pre- or corequisite to Planning Analysis
(PPPM 613). No credit toward the M.C.R.P. degree is allowed for the statistics course. The requirement is waived for students with equivalent courses or work experience. Entering students are urged to satisfy this requirement before enrolling in the program.

Students may file petitions to transfer up to 15 graduate credits taken prior to admission to the planning program. Such petitions must be submitted during the first term in the program.

Juniors and seniors who anticipate applying for admission are encouraged to seek advice at the department office.

Careers. Graduates with an M.C.R.P. degree find employment in public, private, and nonprofit sectors. In the public sector, three kinds of agencies provide career opportunities: local land use and zoning agencies; agencies for housing, social services, community renewal, parks, transportation, and other community facilities; and agencies for economic development, natural resource management, and the connections between them. In the private sector, graduates are employed by consulting planners, private developers, and utility companies. Graduates are also employed by such nonprofit organizations as environmental and social justice advocacy groups, political associations, and research firms.

Application Procedures

Importance is placed on the student’s preference for and ability to undertake self-directed educational activity.

Because there are more than sixty-five accredited graduate programs in planning in the United States, the department’s admissions committee emphasizes the selection of candidates who present clear and specific reasons for choosing to pursue their graduate work in planning at the University of Oregon.

Application Materials

1. Graduate Admission Application, available online—follow the instructions on the department’s website

2. A résumé

3. A word-processed statement, prepared by the applicant, explaining why admission to the UO planning program is sought and what the applicant’s expectations are from the field

4. At least three letters of recommendation from people familiar with the applicant’s ability to pursue graduate-level studies in planning

5. Transcripts from all the colleges and universities attended, including evidence of completion of an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university

6. Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) scores are optional. If submitted, they are considered along with other application materials

7. Applicants whose native language is not English must supply results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable TOEFL score for admission is 575 (paper-based test), 233 (computer-based test), or 90–91 (Internet-based test). The results of the examination should be sent to the Office of Admissions, 1217 University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1217

Applications are accepted beginning September 15 for admission fall term a year later. The deadline for application to the program is February 1. Applicants are notified of admission decisions early in March. Students generally are admitted for fall term only. For more information, call or write the department’s admissions secretary.

The Planning Curriculum

A total of 72 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree is required for the M.C.R.P. degree.

Students are expected to enroll for six terms with an average course load of 12 credits a term. During the summer, students are encouraged to engage in planning work. The planning program offers research stipends and course credit for qualified applicants who take part in research conducted by the Community Planning Workshop. Planning internships are also available; some provide compensation.

Community Planning Workshop. A distinctive feature of the planning graduate curriculum is the Community Planning Workshop, an applied research and service program that is required for first-year students. Students work on six-month planning projects in small teams supervised by program faculty members and second-year graduate students in planning. Clients have included federal, state, county, and local governments as well as nonprofit organizations.

Projects typically focus on issues of immediate environmental, social, and economic importance to the client group and the general public. Recent project topics include

• Citizen involvement in planning process

• Housing-needs analysis

• Land use planning

• Natural hazards mitigation

• Program evaluation

• Strategic plans for communities and regions

• Tourism and recreational development

• Watershed planning

Each year first-year graduate students enrolled in Community Planning Workshop (PPPM 608) complete five to ten planning projects. Final written reports, prepared by each student team, provide evidence of the students’ expertise and ability to conduct planning research and to prepare and present high-quality professional reports. After completing two terms of PPPM 608, selected students may continue to engage in planning research projects for compensation. The popularity of the program with students-and with a growing number of government and private-sector clients-has enabled the Community Planning Workshop to provide research support for five to fifteen students a year.

Federal grants from the United States Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education and support from a variety of state agencies have helped the Community Planning Workshop become one of the most successful community planning assistance programs in the nation. Projects have received numerous state and national awards.

Course Requirements

Core courses must be taken for letter grades.

Public Policy and Management

The master of public administration (M.P.A.) is a two-year program for people interested in careers that address the critical social, economic, and environmental issues of our time. The curriculum is designed to provide a combination of academic theory, analytic skills, and real-world applications so that students become effective and creative leaders in public service.

A central focus of the program is to prepare students to become evidence-based policymakers, analysts, and managers. Evidence-based policymaking—the idea that the formulation of policy and its implementation should be based on evidence of effectiveness—has been gaining widespread acceptance in the policy community, both in the United States and abroad, and requires a closer connection between research and practice. It requires that researchers ask policy-relevant questions and conduct meaningful and timely analyses that support the policy process; conversely, it requires that policymakers, managers, and leaders think critically about research and integrate appropriate evidence in the implementation and formulation of policy and practice.

Recent graduates work as advisers, policy analysts, and strategic planners in all levels of government, in Oregon, throughout the U.S., and around the globe. Their work addresses the full range of social issues, from improving health-care access, increasing government efficiency, and responsiveness to creating new governmental structures in developing democracies. Graduates also work in a broad range of nonprofit organizations, for instance, as executive staff members in social service, arts, and environmental organizations.

The State of Oregon is an exciting place to study public administration. As a “laboratory of democracy,” it has a long and distinguished record of policy innovation. Most recently, Oregon has been on the forefront of advances in land-use, health-care, and environmental policy.

Unique Aspects of the Program

The relatively small size of the program means that students are not “a number” at the University of Oregon. Students receive a tremendous amount of individual attention, particularly in the second year when they conduct an independent policy-research project. The close, collegial working relationships between students and instructors means that faculty members are often able to help students attain relevant alumni contacts, internships, and job opportunities.

Since the department also houses a master’s degree program in community and regional planning (M.C.R.P.), master of public administration students benefit from additional faculty and planning-related course offerings. In particular, students are invited in their first year to enroll in a two-term, field-based course in which students consult on a topical issue for a local government or nonprofit agency in Oregon.

Students interested in a career in nonprofits can earn a certificate in not-for-profit management concurrently with their master of public administration. The certificate program offers innovative courses including one on board governance, in which students serve on a nonprofit board, and another on philanthropy, in which students award a $10,000 grant to a local agency.

Oregon is known for its progressive policymaking, from the Bottle Bill, to vote-by-mail, to current efforts to reform the health-care system. Students find policymakers and public managers unusually accessible in Oregon.

Application Procedures

To be eligible for the graduate program in public policy and management, an applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree.

Submit the following documents:

1. Graduate Admission Application, available online—follow the instructions on the department’s website

2. Comprehensive employment and education résumé

3. A two-page, typed statement of purpose that clearly describes the applicant’s reasons for pursuing graduate study in the program at Oregon, his or her professional goals and objectives, and professional work experience

4. Transcripts of grades in courses taken for the bachelor’s degree and of any other college-level work. They should be sent directly by the institution that awarded the course credits

5. Three letters of recommendation; two may be from academic sources

6. The Graduate Record Examination is highly recommended, but not required for admission

7. Applicants whose native language is not English must supply results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable TOEFL score for admission is 575 (paper-based test), 233 (computer-based test), or 90–91 (Internet-based test). The results of the examination should be sent to the Office of Admissions, 1217 University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1217

Students are selected for the program based on a combination of their undergraduate academic performance, intellectual aptitude, public service experience, and written statement. The deadline for fall term admission is February 1.

The department strongly encourages applications from people of all backgrounds, and is dedicated to fostering a diverse academic environment. This, we believe, will help prepare better future public leaders.

Curriculum

The program prepares participants to become effective, creative leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors. The curriculum provides a combination of substantive knowledge, analytic skills, and professional experience that primes students for careers as evidence-based policymakers, analysts, or managers. The program comprises four components: 1) core courses, 2) courses in an area of concentration, 3) a supervised internship in a public agency or nonprofit, and 4) a final synthesizing research project. Core courses must be taken for letter grades.

Area of Concentration. Students focus their studies by taking a minimum of 24 credits of course work in one of five areas of concentration: policy, public management, nonprofit management, planning, or environmental policy. A list of potential courses for each concentration is available at the department’s website. Students who would like to develop their own concentration are able to do so in consultation with a faculty adviser. Recent graduates have created customized concentrations in labor issues, health policy, and international development.
Supervised Field Internship. Working with the internship director, each student is placed in an internship that provides on-the-job experience working in a public agency, nonprofit organization, or private agency oriented toward public service. Students typically are placed in an internship during the summer between their first and second year. During the internship, the student tests classroom theory, gains professional experience in his or her field of interest, and develops contacts that can help lead to securing a position after graduation.

Students enroll in 10–12 credits of Internship (PPPM 604), graded P/N (pass/no pass). A written paper is required, as is a supervisor’s evaluation, a contract, and two class meetings.

Applied Research Project. The master of public administration (M.P.A.) program requires students to conduct an original piece of research that is relevant to the fields of public policy, nonprofit management, or public management. Early in the second year of study, students identify a research question that has relevance to policymakers or managers, then develop a research methodology to address the question, analyze appropriate data, and report findings in an accessible, accurate, and actionable fashion. This final project is intended to consolidate students’ knowledge and challenge them to think in a clear, creative, and concise manner.

Students must enroll in Student Research Colloquium (PPPM 690), which assists students in developing a feasible research question. One credit is taken spring term of the first year, followed by 2 credits fall term of the second year. Early in the second year, students identify a faculty member to serve as the chair of their project committee. The faculty member helps narrow the research question, designs the methodology, and provides feedback on drafts. A two- or three-member committee approves the final written project. At the end of the academic year, students orally defend their research and present a poster summarizing their research at the annual department awards ceremony.

Most students enroll in 6 credits of Terminal Project (PPPM 609) while completing their research. On occasion, an M.P.A. student will complete a master’s thesis. The process is more rigorous than the requirements for a terminal project and requires three additional credits. The thesis option would be appropriate for a student interested in entering a doctoral program in public policy after completing his or her master’s degree. Students interested in pursuing this option should consult with their adviser before the end of the first year of the program.

Graduate Certificate in Not-for-Profit Management

The graduate certificate in not-for-profit management prepares students for leadership in the nonprofit sector. The focused curriculum develops specific skills that are critical for success in managing nonprofit organizations.

Phenomenal growth in assets and activities of the nonprofit sector over the past two decades have led to career opportunities in the many areas of the nonprofit sector, including cultural and arts organizations, education, health care, human services, international development, and advocacy organizations. Nonprofit enterprise has broadened with developing sources of funding, and the complexities of its management require professional skills specific to the nonprofit sector.

Course Requirements

The certificate requires completion of 24 graduate credits. Core courses must be taken for letter grades unless offered P/N only.

Admission

Graduate students from any UO department may apply for admission and add the certificate to their degree programs. Students who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university may apply to complete the certificate as a stand-alone program. Applications are reviewed for admission four times a year. Complete information about admission to the program is available on the not-for-profit management certificate section of the department’s website.

Concurrent Master’s Degrees

Students may participate in a concurrent master’s degree program. The fields of planning and of public policy and management draw on knowledge and expertise from other areas such as business, law, economics, political science, environmental studies, geography, landscape architecture, and architecture. Through the concurrent degree program, students enroll in two master’s programs simultaneously in order to complete requirements for both degrees with three years of course work. Students interested in this option should seek program advice from a member of the faculty. Students must be admitted to both programs and make special arrangements with both program directors.

Community Service Center

The Community Service Center, an interdisciplinary organization, assists Oregon communities by providing planning and technical assistance to help solve local issues, improve the quality of life in rural Oregon, and help make Oregon communities more self-sufficient.

The center incorporates a number of programs including those listed below:

Community Planning Workshop. (See description under Planning Curriculum.)

Resource Assistance for Rural Environments. The Americorps program, RARE, trains graduate students, then places them for a year in rural communities, where they help improve economic and environmental conditions. Qualified students receive a monthly stipend and an educational award of $4,725 when they finish their service. More information about this project is available in 109 Hendricks Hall.

The Oregon Natural Hazard Work Group (ONHW). Two key activities in natural hazards risk and loss reduction are addressed: (1) regional and community natural hazard planning and (2) coordination of community outreach, workshops, public education and information dissemination. Through its projects and services, ONHW

• Facilitates the development and delivery of education and training to Oregon communities, regional organizations, and the public and private sector on risk reduction activities

• Coordinates the Partners for Disaster Resistance: Oregon Showcase State Program

• Provides technical assistance to Oregon communities

• Offers service learning opportunities to graduate students in planning, policy, environmental studies, and other university programs

Planning, Public Policy and Management Courses (PPPM) [back to top]

Every course cannot be offered every year; students should consult the most recent UO Schedule of Classes or inquire at the department office.

199 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–5R)

201 Introduction to Planning, Public Policy and Management (4) Overview of professional public service and the planning and management of public issues. Focuses on the goals of public services within their economic, social, and political contexts. Weeks.

202 Healthy Communities (4) Historical relationships of public policy, planning, and public health; how public policies can promote health; relationship of planning and policies to inequalities in health outcomes. Greene.

280 Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector (4) Overview of the nonprofit sector includes its origin, growth, oversight, and varied elements. Examines theory and research into the effectiveness of nonprofit strategies and structures. Schlossberg.

322 Introduction to Public Service Management (4) Theories relevant to the effective management of large and small organizations that deliver service to the public. Weeks.

325 Community Leadership and Change (4) Explores sustainable change at the community level by examining local systems and institutions: transportation, social influences, environment, housing, and the economy. Schlossberg.

326 Regional Leadership and Change (4) Economic, sociocultural, and political forces that produce the internal structure of regions. Explores the institutions and leadership roles that guide regional change. M. Hibbard.

327 Global Leadership and Change (4) Explores the role of leadership in global social, economic, and ecological sustainability. Considers population, consumption, technology, diversity, scale, nonviolent change, and community.

330 Policy and Planning Analysis (4) Applied problem solving in the public policy and planning process. Examines the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of policy and planning analysis.

331 Environmental Management (4) Introduction to environmental management. Focuses on solutions to problems in managing population, pollution, and resources.

399 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–5R)

401 Research: [Topic] (1–21R)

403 Thesis (1–12R)

404 Internship: [Topic] (1–18R) Twelve-credit maximum per term. Participation in the activities of public or private community agencies and organizations, under faculty supervision and with coordinated instruction. Smith.

405 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–21R)

406 Special Problems: [Topic] (1–21R)

407/507 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R) A recent topic is Evaluation Research.

408/508 Workshop: [Topic] (1–21R)

410/510 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R) Trial courses are taught under these numbers. See the online class schedule for current titles.

412 Internship Preparation (1) Orientation to the department’s internship program. Includes overview of public service organizations, assessment of career interests, and guided search for an internship. Not offered 2007–8.

413 Quantitative Methods (4) Introduction to the use of quantitative techniques to answer questions related to planning, public policy and management. Bania, Greene.

414 Introduction to Research Design (4) Survey of research methods in public policy and planning. Explores research ethics and approaches used in completing research projects. Bania.

418/518 Introduction to Public Law (4) Administrative law, including introduction to legal research, for public administrators. Administrative procedures, implementation of policy through administrative law, judicial review, and practical applications in public agencies.

419 Community Planning Workshop (1–5R) Cooperative planning endeavors. Students define problems, determine appropriate research methods, identify the groups that promote or resist change, test alternative solutions, and prepare a final plan or project. Parker. R once for maximum of 10 credits.

422/522 Grant Proposal Writing (1) Introduction to the process of preparing grant applications and material for funded research. Choquette.

424/524 Public and Nonprofit Financial Management (4) Financial management decision and control processes in public agencies and nonprofit organizations. Financial resources (taxes, donations, grant) stewardship, expenditure systems, and capital project analysis. Irvin.

436/536 Social Planning Geographic Information Systems (5) Application of existing and new GIS skills to real-world projects in the area of social planning. Prereq: GEOG 416/516 or equivalent. Schlossberg.

438/538 Transportation Issues in Planning: [Topic] (4R) Introduction to the social implications of various transportation-related policies and practices. Schlossberg. R for a maximum of 8 credits.

440/540 Land Use and Growth Management (4) Planning in urban, rural, and connecting environments. Functions, distribution, relationships of land uses; social, economic, fiscal, physical consequences of alternative land-use development patterns. Yang.

443/543 Natural Resource Policy (4) Aspects of population and resource systems. Poses questions about population trends, policy, and optimum size; analyzes methods for determining resource availability and flows. Margerum.

446/546 Socioeconomic Development Planning (4) Planning for responsible economic and social development. Policy problems and issues in providing a stable economic base and social and economic well-being while avoiding environmental degradation. M. Hibbard.

450/550 Race, Ethnicity, and Social Policy (4) Explores racial and ethnic disparities in social sectors in the United States, including housing, employment, and health; and policy solutions for closing the gaps.

455/555 Social Planning and Policy: [Topic] (4R) Topics may include health, crime, youth, inequality, international development, or terrorism. R twice for a total of 12 credits. Bania, Smith.

480 Nonprofit Management I (4) How to manage nonprofit organizations for superior performance in a humane, responsive, and responsible manner. Distinctive characteristics of nonprofit organizations. Phipps.

481/581 Resource Development for Nonprofit Organizations (4) Introduction to fundraising for nonprofit organizations. Annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and campaigns. Irvin.

491 Senior Research Paper I (4) Guidance in developing a topic for the senior research paper, background reading, and a research proposal. Prereq: major and senior standing. Not offered 2007–8.

492 Senior Research Paper II (3) Guidance in completing research for the senior research paper and a preliminary draft. Prereq: PPPM 491. Not offered 2007–8.

493 Senior Research Paper III (4) Guidance in completing the senior research paper; public presentation of the results. Prereq: PPPM 492. Not offered 2007–8.

494 Practice of Leadership and Change (4) Examines the principles and practices of leadership and change in communities and organizations through discussions with community leaders and personal reflection. Prereq: major status, senior standing preferred. Margerum.

503 Thesis (1–16R)

601 Research: [Topic] (1–16R)

604 Internship: [Topic] (1–16R) Twelve-credit maximum per term. Faculty-supervised participation in activities of public or private community agencies and organizations; coordinated instruction.

605 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–16R)

606 Special Problems: [Topic] (1–16R)

607 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R)

608 Workshop: [Topic] (1–16R) A recent topic is Community Planning.

609 Terminal Project (1–16R)

610 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R)

611 Introduction to Planning Practice (4) Explores the concepts and functions of the planning process as they relate to the social, economic, political, and environmental aspects of communities and regions. Margerum.

612 Legal Issues in Planning (4) Federal-state legal relationships, role of the courts in reviewing public-sector decision-making, sources of the law, issues in land-use regulation, and basic legal research skills. O’Dea.

613 Planning Analysis (5) Data sources and methods of data collection including surveys; descriptive and multivariate analysis; computer applications; selected analytic models, population projections, cost-benefit analysis. Parker.

616 Planning Theory and Ethics (4) Logic of the planning process; the relationship of planning to the political process and to rational decision making in governance. M. Hibbard.

617 Human Settlements (4) Scholarly knowledge about human settlements. Historical development of cities and the ways in which city and regional contexts influence economic, social, and political processes.

618 Introduction to Public Service (4) Overview of the core concepts, theories, and practices that provide the foundation for the field of public policy and management. M. Hibbard, Weeks.

619 Planning and Public Policy Communications (2) Theory and practice of effective communication. Includes presenting ideas orally, visually, and in writing; working with small and large groups; and using appropriate decision-making methods. Not offered 2007–8.

620 Applied Methods in Planning, Policy, and Management (4) Communicate, execute, and evaluate research in the public sector. Students conduct original research projects from problem formulation through data analysis. Bania.

622 Project Management (4) Application of specific techniques that, if implemented, lead to planning-related and other projects being completed on time, within budget, and with appropriate quality. Choquette.

624 Plan Making (4) Not offered 2007–8.

628 Public Sector Economy (4) Reasons for governmental intervention and analysis of revenue sources available to governments. Includes discussion of various taxes, intergovernmental transfer policies, and user fees. Irvin.

629 Public Budget Administration (4) Resource allocation through the budget process. Analysis of budget systems, service costing, and citizen participation in the budget process. Hosticka.

633 Public Management (4) Theory and practice of public service management; leadership and organizational capacity building, including key management activities for developing effective public service organizations. Weeks.

634 Strategic Planning (4) Process of strategic planning for communities, public organizations, and nonprofit agencies. Choquette.

635 Planning and Social Change (4) Introduction to the relationships between social change and planning policy. Includes equity literature related to planning; examines how national social trends affect housing and neighborhood change. Schlossberg.

636 Public Policy Analysis (4) Techniques in the policymaking process. Determining the impact of policies, comparing alternatives, determining the likelihood that a policy will be adopted and effectively implemented. Hosticka.

643 Collaborative Planning and Management (4) Explores theory and practice of collaboration. Presents a variety of collaborative settings, but the focus is environmental and natural resource management. Margerum.

656 Quantitative Methods in Planning and Public Policy (5) Develops skills in quantitative analysis. Emphasizes selecting appropriate analysis procedures and properly interpreting and reporting results. Greene.

680 Managing Nonprofit Organizations (4) Principles of effective management of nonprofit organizations. Governance, strategy, legal structure and standards, and volunteer administration. Lang.

683 Professional Practice in Nonprofit Organizations (1) Speakers series showcases leaders of nonprofit organizations and their best practices.

690 Student Research Colloquium (1–3R). Presentation by advanced master’s degree candidates of designs and conclusions resulting from thesis research projects. R for maximum of 3 credits. M. Hibbard.