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BPA/461

Contemporary Issues in Public Administration

3 credits

Total credits

5 weeks

Course length

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Take this course on its own, or as part of a degree or certificate program.

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Please Note: Attendance and participation are mandatory in all University courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses. While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.

Course level: Upper Division

Utilizing skills developed in civic foundation coursework completed throughout this program, students will demonstrate a deeper understanding of regulatory and environmental impact, issues, and topics in the public administration field. This course will provide an emphasis on content mastery assessment.

Please Note: Attendance and participation are mandatory in all University courses, and specific requirements may differ by course. If attendance requirements are not met, a student may be removed from the course. Please review the Course Attendance Policy in the Catalog for more information.

University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses. While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.

What you'll learn

Course skills and outcomes

  • Explain the purpose of public sector budgeting.
  • Describe how public sector budgeting reflects the policies of elected officials.
  • Contrast Contrast micro-budgeting and macro-budgeting.

  • Explain the value of local government professional management.
  • Describe how ethical failures at the local government level can negatively affect a city.
  • Explain the importance of public sector audits.
  • Describe the importance of finding public sector waste, fraud, and abuse.

  • Describe how local government budgeting can be highly political.
  • Explain how the budget document is designed to plan expenditures and to maintain financial control.
  • Explain why balancing a budget is a technical activity that modifies expenditures and revenues.

  • Describe the tools for changing a budget once it is approved.
  • Explain how changes in policy can change a budget.
  • Describe how a legislative budget process is open to special interest groups.
  • Explain variations in the budget process between states and cities.
  • Identify reasons for obtaining citizen input in the local government budgeting process.

  • Prepare an executive summary for a city’s budget document.
  • Explain why public sector budgets change over time.
  • Explain unfunded mandates.
  • Explain the importance of communicating budget information to the public through an executive budget summary.

Why UOPX

Why take courses at University of Phoenix

Accreditation that matters

We’ve been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org) for more than 40 years.

Real-world instructors

Learn from instructors who bring an average of 25 years of working experience to the classroom.

Affordable and potentially reimbursable

Our tuition and fees are competitive and fixed. Also, check to see if your employer will cover you for this course.

Next Steps

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Transfer Credits

Credit Transfer

Need to transfer credits to another college or university?

Before you enroll in a course, check with your school of choice to make sure they will accept our transfer credits and to understand any requirements or limitations. Then you can complete your course, and request your official transcript be sent to your school. That’s it!

How to request your transcripts

Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice. If you have a question contact us at (866) 354-1800.

The University of Phoenix reserves the right to modify courses. Although our continuing teacher education courses are accepted by some state agencies in the United States toward teacher certifications and endorsements, this may not be the case in all states or foreign jurisdictions. If you plan to use courses for certification or endorsement, please check with your own state agency and your school district for applicability. Continuing teacher education courses are not eligible to apply to degree programs at University of Phoenix. These courses are not eligible for federal financial aid. Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice. While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative. If you have a question contact us at (866) 354-1800.