Advanced Topics
- Methods, Evidence, and Analysis
- Public Finance and Budgeting
- Applied Policy Domains
- Comparative, International, and Nonprofit Administration
The remaining four sections are optional tracks that build on the core. You can choose one, two, or more depending on your interests and goals. They are:
-
Methods, Evidence, and Analysis
(data, research, and analytical skills for evidence-based public work) -
Public Finance and Budgeting
(money, taxation, budgets, and fiscal decision-making in government) -
Applied Policy Domains
(specific policy areas such as environment, health, and digital government) -
Comparative, International, and Nonprofit Administration
(how public administration works in other countries, in international development, and in nonprofit/third-sector organizations)
Methods, Evidence, and Analysis
| Subject | Why study? | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Research Methods for Public Administration | Enables systematic inquiry and evidence-based practice. | Research Methods in Public Administration – Open University OpenLearn |
| Statistics for Public Policy | Builds data literacy for analysis and decision-making. | OpenIntro Statistics (free textbook) |
| Policy Analysis & Evaluation | Applies CBA, program evaluation, and decision frameworks. | CDC Program Evaluation Framework (free) |
Public Finance and Budgeting
| Subject | Why study? | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Public Finance | Understands taxation, expenditure, and fiscal federalism. | Public Finance – OpenStax (Related core economics text; specific public finance open texts align here.) |
| Public Budgeting | Covers budgeting systems, control, and accountability. | A Citizen’s Guide to the Federal Budget – U.S. Government Publishing Office (Latest citizen's guide editions available via govinfo.) |
Applied Policy Domains
| Subject | Why study? | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Policy | Addresses regulation, sustainability, and collective action problems. | Open University – Environmental Management |
| Health Policy | Examines access, equity, and system governance. | Johns Hopkins OpenCourseWare – Health Policy |
| Digital Government & Innovation | Explores e-government, AI, and service delivery modernization. | OECD – Digital Government Policy Toolkit |
Comparative, International, and Nonprofit Administration
| Subject | Why study? | Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Comparative Public Administration | Identifies institutional variation and reform lessons. | Comparative Public Administration – Swayam (free) (Search Swayam for related free courses.) |
| International Development Administration | Applies administration to aid, capacity-building, and SDGs. | World Bank Open Learning Campus |
| Nonprofit & Third Sector Governance | Understands hybrid governance and service delivery. | Managing Nonprofit Organizations – Harvard Kennedy School (free cases/lectures) (Explore cases and related nonprofit leadership materials.) |