Planning, Public Policy and Management

The undergraduate program provides an interdisciplinary liberal arts education that prepares students for work in the fields of planning, policy, and public and nonprofit management. 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 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 and quantitative 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 statistics, computing, mathematics, and history, that require the student to think independently and analytically. Volunteer work, paid afterschool jobs, and travel are ways of acquiring community experience.

Careers. The bachelor of arts (BA) or bachelor of science (BS) 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. Web Programming (CIS 111), The Natural Environment (GEOG 141)

Students are encouraged to sign up as PPPM premajors to receive department correspondence about upcoming courses and opportunities, to receive advising services, and to access courses with reserved spaces for majors.

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. Brief résumé of education and employment history
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. Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended

Major Requirements

The major in PPPM is organized into a common core, a focal area, 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)

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

Focal Area (32 credits)

Students complete 32 credits developing (1) expertise in a substantive area of policy, planning, or management or (2) a set of skills in planning and public policy. Among the department’s curricular strengths are land use and the built environment, environmental planning and policy, social and health policy, community development, and nonprofit management and philanthropy. In addition, students may develop a focal area customized to their particular interests.

Students satisfy this requirement with any combination of the following:

• Up to 32 PPPM elective course credits (maximum of 4 credits numbered below the 300 level)
• 1 credit Internship Development (PPPM 412) and 4 to 12 credits of Internship (PPPM 404)
• Up to 8 credits of Thesis (PPPM 403)

Internship. While an internship is optional, it is highly recommended for all PPPM students. Internships offer students real-world opportunities to explore and clarify their focal areas and career goals, apply academic learning, develop new skills, and network with professionals. This career-building experience prepares students for fellowships, professional positions, or further academic study.

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 focal area.

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, political science, 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 toward the elective requirement.

PPPM 201, 280, 399, and 415 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.

Programs for the master of community and regional planning (MCRP) degree, the master of nonprofit management (MNPM), and the master of public administration (MPA) require two years for completion. The MCRP degree is accredited nationally by the Planning Accreditation Board. The MPA is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. The department also offers a 24-credit graduate certificate in nonprofit management.

The interdisciplinary and eclectic fields of planning, public policy, and public and nonprofit 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 public and nonprofit management graduates have a comprehensive 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 creatively with change.

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.

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 advisors that focus their elective work on an area of special interest. The program has exceptional strengths in community and regional development, environmental planning, land use and sustainable development, 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 environmental studies, 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 MCRP 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 MCRP 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 and natural resource management. In the private sector, graduates are typically employed by consulting planners, private developers, and other firms requiring research and analysis skills. 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) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score for admission is 575 (paper-based test) or 88 (Internet-based test); the minimum acceptable IELTS exam score is 7.0. 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 receipt of the application to the program is February 1. Applicants are notified of admission decisions early in March. 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 MCRP 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 625, 626) 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 PPPM 625 and 626, 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, unless offered pass/no pass only.

Nonprofit Management

The master of nonprofit management (MNPM) is a professional degree designed to train students to lead nonprofit organizations. Due to the growth of the nonprofit sector over the past three decades in the U.S. and nongovernmental organizations internationally, the sector has professionalized. People currently working in the nonprofit sector and others seeking to switch to or enter the nonprofit sector now seek master’s-level training to advance their careers, specializing specifically in the administration of nonprofit organizations.

Critical skills for nonprofit administration are common to all nonprofit fields, including handling financial-management challenges and tax-exempt reporting structures, raising funds from individual donors and institutions, and managing a mission-oriented workforce of dedicated volunteers.

Unique Aspects of the Program

The program melds relevant best-practice elements from the business and government sectors with the management imperatives of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Woven into the course work are opportunities to obtain practical experience at nonprofit organizations, so that participants in the program have significant administrative experience upon graduating. Examples include the review and consultation portion of the Resource Development for Nonprofit Organizations (PPPM 481/581) fundraising course, the nine-month board membership required for the Nonprofit Board Governance (PPPM 687) course, and the projects student teams complete for nonprofit organizations in the Nonprofit Consultancy (PPPM 688) course.

Students may combine the master of nonprofit management with another graduate degree from within the department or from other academic units across campus. In some cases, a student is able to obtain two master’s degrees within three years. The normal time to completion for the master of nonprofit management degree is six terms (two years).

Application Procedures

To be eligible for the master of nonprofit management, an applicant must hold a bachelor’s degree. The department strongly encourages applications from people of all backgrounds, and is dedicated to fostering a diverse academic environment.

Applications for admission are due February 1 for students entering the program in the following fall. In exceptional cases, students may be admitted at other times of the year. The application requires the following:

• Official transcripts from undergraduate college or university, and from graduate study, if applicable
• GRE or GMAT scores
• TOEFL scores for nonnative English speakers
• A personal statement, two to three pages in length, describing your motivation and preparation for entering or furthering a career in the nonprofit sector, and providing a hypothetical blueprint for the next twenty years of your career
• Résumé
• Three recommendation letters, with one or more of the letters by a faculty member
• UO Graduate School admission application form

Curriculum

After completion of the core curriculum (32 credits focusing on financial, management, and revenue-development skills), students complete an internship and 20 credits of concentration electives. Students then choose either a research-based capstone—completing 12–15 credits of course work to produce a thesis or terminal project as well as preparatory course work in research methods—or a management-based capstone (16 credits) that culminates in successful completion of a consulting project for a nonprofit organization. The two-year program takes 68 to 72 credits to complete.

Capstone (Choose either the Management Track or the Research Track)

Public Administration

The master of public administration (MPA) is a two-year program for people interested in public-service 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 decision-making 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 advisors, 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 a team-based 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 (MCRP), 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 nonprofit 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 $15,000 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 for consultation in Oregon.

Application Procedures

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

Submit the following documents, which must be received by February 1:

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 for admission
7. Applicants whose native language is not English must supply results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score for admission is 575 (paper-based test) or 88 (Internet-based test); the minimum acceptable IELTS exam score is 7.0. 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 receipt of fall term admission is February 1. In exceptional cases, students may be admitted at other times of the year.

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 advisor. Recent graduates have created customized concentrations in labor issues, health policy, and international development.

Internships. Internships and professional development opportunities are integral components of the MPA curriculum. In their first year, students enroll in Professional Development in Public Administration (PPPM 623), a 1-credit course designed to help students identify their career goals and develop a plan to meet those goals. Students identify summer internship and postgraduation fellowship opportunities, develop polished résumés and cover letters, and conduct informational and mock interviews.

Completing an internship is highly recommended for all MPA students, and required for those with less than two years (3 credits) of relevant professional experience. Internships help students to explore and clarify career goals, apply academic learning, enhance and learn new skills, gain experience, and network with professionals.

Past students have completed a wide range of internships with the Oregon governor’s office, Senator Ron Wyden’s office, the United Nations Internship Programme, the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development, and Holt International Children’s Services. For more information on the Internship Program, visit pppm.uoregon.edu/index.cfm?mode=internships.

Applied Research Project. The master of public administration (MPA) program provides students with two key opportunities to synthesize classroom learning and apply their research skills to current policy and management issues. At the start of the second year, students engage in a policy project intended to simulate the real-world environment where analysts and managers are given short time frames to research a topic that they know little or nothing about. Over forty-eight hours, students read relevant policy and research documents, write a memo detailing the evidence base and key issues, and give an oral presentation. The project takes place the week before fall courses begin, and incoming first-year students have the opportunity to view the presentations as part of their orientation to the program. This component of the curriculum is a signature event and rite of passage each fall.

Students also enroll in a two-term project sequence that serves as the synthesizing capstone of the curriculum. Over winter and spring terms of the second year of study, students work on real-world or simulated real-world projects that require conducting in-depth needs assessments, evaluations, cost-benefit analyses, or other applied research. A faculty member works closely with student groups on these projects over the two terms. Past projects have included a survey for a state commission to gauge attitudes among key shareholders on potential policy change, an analysis of administrative data on the impact of a postpolicy implementation on Oregonians, and an examination of three potential communities for a nonprofit’s expansion. 

Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management

The graduate certificate in nonprofit 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 nonprofit management certificate section of the department’s website.

Graduate Certificate in Oregon Leadership in Sustainability

The intensive Oregon leadership in sustainability (OLIS) graduate certificate program trains students in the concepts and skills of sustainability and is designed for those who want to prepare for emerging sustainability careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Students are immersed in an interdisciplinary learning community with an emphasis on practical experience, integrating issues of climate change, green economy, ecosystem services, green infrastructure, and social justice.

Key elements

• One year of full-time study (exceptions on a case-by-case basis)
• Students take core courses together throughout the year
• Courses taught by members of the UO faculty on the Eugene campus
• The content area of the practicums may range from energy and transportation to water, climate action planning, and sustainable real estate development
• Includes three one-term practicums in which students work with a client organization, integrating skill-based modules on leadership, analysis tools, and implementation

Students may participate in the program as a stand-alone certificate or may choose to pursue the program concurrently with another graduate program. 

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 (RARE). The Americorps program, RARE, trains graduate-level 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 $5,550 when they finish their service. Members do not need to be matriculated students. More information about this program is available on the department website.

The Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience (OPDR). The partnership promotes risk reduction and mitigation activities around the state through local plan development support, research and technical resource development, training, and capacity building, offering service-learning opportunities to graduate students in planning, policy, environmental studies, and other university programs. The partnership coordinates three program areas: the Oregon Predisaster Mitigation Program; the Disaster-Resilient University Program, including the UO Integrated Emergency Management Program; and the Long-Term Postdisaster Recovery Planning initiative.

Every course cannot be offered every year; students should consult the most recent UO Schedule of Classes online 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.

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.

205 Introduction to City Planning (4) Introduction to planning, using urban issues as lenses to explore transportation, housing, environment, and social equity as critical elements shaping where and how people live. 

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.

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

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.

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.

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

340 Climate-Change Policy (4) Overview of climate change policy; topics include cap and trade, carbon tax, fuel efficiency standards, biofuel standards, and renewable portfolio standards. Jacobsen.

399 Special Studies: [Topic] (1–5R)

401 Research: [Topic] (1–21R)

403 Thesis (1–12R)

404 Internship: [Topic] (1–12R) Twelve-credit maximum per term. Participation in the activities of public or private community agencies and organizations, under faculty supervision and with coordinated instruction. Prereq: PPPM 412. 

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

406 Special Problems: [Topic] (1–21R)

407/507 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R)

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 Development (1) Orientation to the department’s internship program. Includes overview of public service organizations, assessment of career interests, and guided search for an internship. R. Smith.

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

415 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. Prereq: EC 201. Leete.

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.

425/525 Project Management (4) Application of specific techniques that, if implemented, lead to projects being completed on time, within budget, and with appropriate quality.

426/526 Strategic Planning for Management (4) Process of strategic planning for communities and public and nonprofit organizations.

432/532 Urban Revitalization (4) Examines the political, economic, institutional, and social forces that affect the long-term vitality of cities and communities and how those factors relate to community redevelopment. Emphasis on revitalizing low-income multicultural communities. Sandoval.

434/534 Urban Geographic Information Systems (4) Introduction to geographic information systems in areas of environmental, demographic, suitability, and transportation-related research. Yang.

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: PPPM 434/534 or equivalent. Schlossberg. Not offered 2013–14.

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. 

442/542 Sustainable Urban Development (4) Introduces issues revolving around cities as the nexus for environmental challenges, including land-use planning, transportation planning, community and neighborhood design, and green buildings.

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. 

444/544 Environmental Policy (4) Overview of policies related to the environment: examines the design and effectiveness of specific policies. Jacobsen.

445/545 Green Cities (4) Examines the history and future of the interface between urban growth and environmental concerns, and the technological, social, and political forces that continue to shape it. 

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. 

448/548 Collaborative Planning and Management (4) Explores theory and practice of collaboration. Presents a variety of collaboration settings with a focus on environmental and natural resource management. Margerum.

452/552 Public Participation in Diverse Communities (4) Review of community engagement strategies and tools for encouraging public participation in low-income and ethnically diverse communities. Sandoval.

455/555 Social Planning and Policy: [Topic] (4R) Topics may include health, crime, youth, inequality, international development, or terrorism. Prereq for 455: PPPM 415; Prereq for 555: PPPM 636. R twice for a total of 12 credits.

460/560 Health Policy (4) Introduction to the key health-policy issues of access, cost, quality, and racial and ethnic disparities. 

465/565 Program Evaluation (4) Introduction to the design and implementation of program evaluations. Chrisinger.

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. Prereq: PPPM 280.

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

484 Public and Nonprofit Financial Management (4) Introduction to financial management for public agencies and nonprofit organizations. Topics include budget processes, financial statements, financial resource management (taxes, donations, grants), expenditure systems, and capital project analysis. Irvin, Leete.

486/586 Philanthropy and Grant Making (2) History, economics, and practice of philanthropy and grant making in the United States. Students study philanthropy from a multidisciplinary perspective and finish the quarter by awarding a $15,000 grant to a nonprofit organization of their choice. Irvin.

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.

503 Thesis (1–16R)

601 Research: [Topic] (1–16R)

604 Internship: [Topic] (1–10R) Twelve-credit maximum per term. Faculty-supervised participation in activities of public or private community agencies and organizations; coordinated instruction. R. Smith.

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

606 Special Problems: [Topic] (1–16R)

607 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R)

608 Workshop: [Topic] (1–16R)

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.

613, 614 Planning Analysis I,II (5,5) 613: Data sources and methods of data collection including surveys; descriptive and multivariate analysis; computer applications; selected analytic models, population projections, cost-benefit analysis. 614: Applications of geographic information system technology. Sequence. Parker, Yang.

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. Sandoval.

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. Lewis.

618 Public Sector Theory (4) Overview of the core concepts, theories, and practices that provide the foundation for the field of public policy and management.

620 Research Methods in Planning (4) Communicate, execute, and evaluate research in the public sector. Students conduct original research projects from problem formulation through data analysis. Sandoval, Yang.

623 Professional Development in Public Administration (1) Articulating preliminary career goals and mapping the necessary steps to accomplish these goals. R. Smith.

625, 626 Community Planning Workshop (5,5) Two-term sequence of planning and problem-solving courses. Students working in teams conduct research and develop solutions to planning problems for a client community. Parker.

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

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

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. Chrisinger.

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

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. Prereq: PPPM 628 or equivalent. Leete.

637 MPA 48-Hour Policy Analysis Project (1) Students team to produce a professionally oriented policy analysis memorandum and presentation on an assigned topic in a 48-hour period. Prereq: PPPM 636. Leete.

638, 639 MPA Capstone Applied Research Project I,II (5,5) Team prepare applied research projects for client organizations using analytical and management skills to solve problems in public policy analysis or public management. Sequence. Prereq for 638: PPPM 618, 629, 633, 636, 657, 684. Chrisinger.

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

657 Research Methods in Public Policy and Management (4) Survey of research methods used in the analysis of public policy issues. Emphasis is on determining the appropriate methodology for a given research question. Prereq: PPPM 656. Chrisinger, Ngo.

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

684 Public and Nonprofit Financial Management (4) Financial management overview for public agencies and nonprofits, including budget processes, financial statements, resource management, expenditure systems, capital project analysis, and internal management control processes. Irvin.

687 Nonprofit Board Governance (1R) Students serve on governing boards of nonprofit organizations for one year: fall, winter, and spring terms. 

688 Nonprofit Consultancy (4) Student teams complete projects for nonprofit organizations, assessing organizational needs and capacity, evaluating alternative strategies, and recommending solutions for organizational success.

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.

Oregon Leadership in Sustainability Courses (OLIS)

601 Research: [Topic] (1–12R) R when topic changes.

604 Internship: [Topic] (1–12R) R when topic changes.

605 Reading and Conference: [Topic] (1–16R) R when topic changes.

606 Special Problems: [Topic] (1–16R) R when topic changes.

607 Seminar: [Topic] (1–5R) R when topic changes.

608 Workshop: [Topic] (1–16R) R when topic changes.

609 Practicum: [Topic] (1–5R) R when topic changes.

610 Experimental Course: [Topic] (1–5R) R when topic changes.

611, 612, 613 Sustainability Leadership Practicum I,II,III (4,4,4) Sequence of intensive, applied coursed required for students pursuing the Oregon leadership in sustainability (OLIS) certificate.

620 Urban Ecological Design (4) Strategies for enhancing the sustainable performance of urban environments.