The Master of Administration Online Degree Program Purpose of the Degree Program The purpose of the Master of Administration is to offer a degree designed for mid-career professionals who would like a comprehensive understanding of administration and seek to strengthen and update their administration skills. Admission to the degree program requires a minimum of 5 years of professional work experience and an application with an essay describing how this degree will enhance the student's professional goals. Overview of the Degree The 36 hour online graduate degree combines the quality of courses designed and taught by Northern Arizona University faculty with the flexibility of web delivered instruction. The degree provides broad preparation and professional skills for a variety of administrative positions in a wide range of organizations. The program assists students in developing a professional understanding of administration through coursework in administration, leadership, and organizational management. Students have the added benefit of choosing a professional area of focus and skills application from the following program emphasis areas: Community Planning Construction Management Custom Emphasis General Leadership Health Sciences Professional Writing Project Management Public Management

Overview of the Requirements Foundations Area (15 hours) Emphasis Area (18 hours) Capstone (3 hours) Total (36 hours) Program Expectations Second Emphasis Policy Information Program Checklists Community Planning Construction Management Custom General Leadership Health_Sciences Professional Writing Project Management Public Management Program Cost The cost of the Master of Administration program includes: tuition, student fees, books and a program fee of $2500. The program fee is prorated over the foundation and capstone classes. Program Scholarship Information NAU Financial Aid Office

Master of Administration
Program Requirements

Foundations Area (15 hours)

ADM 515 Principles of Leadership (3 credits)
Introduction to general leadership theory, knowledge, and skills.

ADM 540 Principles of Administration (3 credits)
Examines various approaches in the study of administration with an emphasis on practical applications. Examination of competing perspectives will help students apply critical analysis and problem solving skills.

POS 543 Organizational Management (3 credits)
Examines dynamics of modern complex organizations, including structure of bureaucratic organizations and incremental and rational approaches to decision-making influences.

Choose one of the courses below or substitute another approved course in the area of: Research Methods, Statistics or Evaluation approved by your advisor (3 credits).

ADM 530 Principles and Strategies of Program Evaluation
Introduction to contemporary program evaluation theory, methodology and issues applied to leadership and program administration. This course will focus upon issues in the application of program evaluation in settings that correspond to the area of emphasis in the Master of Administration

POS 501 (3) Research Methods and Analysis
Introduction to the practice of social research, including the design of scientific research and the analysis of information

ELECTIVE:  Approved by your advisor (3 credits)

Emphasis Areas (18 hours)

Community Planning

Advance your career in community planning by gaining theory and knowledge of budgeting, research and management, along with the fundamentals of land use planning and community development. The community planning emphasis builds upon your applied experience to expand your career opportunities as a public sector planner in local government, a private sector land use planning consultant, or a community planner for a nonprofit organization.

• PL 501 Communities and Public Planning
• PL 506 Public Planning Analysis
• PL 532 GIS for Planners
• FOR 590 Forest Recreation Development
• GGR 535 GIS Programming Tools
• Approved Elective (3 credits)

Construction Management

This emphasis prepares students for leadership roles in the construction industry, in addition to helping
them successfully anticipate and respond to societal and technological changes throughout their career.
Students will learn the skills and abilities needed to succeed in personal construction activities and
entrepreneurial endeavors.

• PM 683 Value Methodology
• CM 629 Construction Cost Estimating and Control
• CM 688 Advanced Construction Scheduling
• CM 690 Construction Contract Administration
• Choose one of the following:
  • PM 529 Project Cost Estimating
  • PM 588 Project Scheduling and Control
• Approved Elective (3 credits)

General Leadership Emphasis

Students pursuing the General Leadership Emphasis will develop an adequate knowledge of leadership through opportunities to assess personal leadership attributes, develop leadership skills, and through the study of both current and classical literature.  This Emphasis will provide students with the ability to lead change, the understanding of various models of problem solving, and the ability to lead in diverse organizations.

• ADM 515 Principles of Leadership (Also required in the foundation area)
• ADM 525 Leadership Skill Development
• ADM 645 Leadership Problem Solving
• ADM 655 Leading Diverse Organizational Cultures
• ADM 675 Leading Change
• Two Approved Electives (6 credits)

Health Sciences Emphasis

Designed for working health professionals, the health sciences emphasis will prepare you to plan, implement, and evaluate health promotion and health education programs and serve in professional, leadership, and administrative roles in health services organizations.
Choose six from the following:

• HS 510 Current Topics in Health Policy
• HS 515 Health Services Finance
• HS 520 Health Disparities
• HS 532 Program Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
• HS 571 Contemporary Rural Health Issues
• HS 577 Social and Behavioral Basis of Public Health
• HS 590 Multi-Level Strategies for Public Health
• Approved Elective (3 credits)

Professional Writing Emphasis

Strong organization, writing, and rhetorical skills are essential for business success. The professional writing emphasis is functional, practical, and useful for people working in business, industry, science, and government. Based on standard writing skills, this emphasis also involves designing and editing both print and Web documents. Managers report spending a quarter of their time reading reports and another quarter of their time writing reports. Enhance your ability to create documents that are clear, easy to navigate, and effective in producing the results you want.

Choose six from the following courses:

• ENG 502 Advanced Technical Writing
• ENG 517 Professional Editing
• ENG 522 Writing and Rhetoric in Professional Communities
• ENG 549 Information Design and Usability Testing
• ENG 569 Project Management and Documentation Development
• ENG 605 Writing Proposals
• ENG 606 Issues in Professional and Technical Writing: Ethics

Project Management Emphasis

Students in this Emphasis will learn how to successfully manage projects to meet goals and timelines aligned with identified budgets and resources. Opportunities abound for project management professionals in numerous disciplines that include the design and construction of buildings, organizing political campaigns, launching a software product, developing an advertising campaign, or coordinating events.

• PM 529 Project Cost Estimating
• PM 588 Project Scheduling and Control
• PM 681 Project Operations
• PM 683 Value Methodology
• PM 689 Project Administration
• ENG 502 Advanced Technical Writing suggested elective (3 credits)

Public Management Emphasis

Gain the essentials needed for careers in both public and private sector organizations. The public management Emphasis offers courses in important components in public management - including the theory and practice of organizational management, budget management, and problem-solving of issues faced by managers in today's organizations. 

• POS 428 Topics in Public Administration
• POS 541 Public Management
• POS 527 Ethics of Administration and Management
• POS 581 Current Issues in Administration
• POS 644 Government Budgeting
• Approved Elective (3 credits) May repeat POS 428 and POS 581 with different course topics.

Custom Emphasis

Students who have professional aspirations and interests other than those represented in the current approved Emphases may choose to develop a Custom Emphasis. A Custom Emphasis of 18 credit hours offers an opportunity for students to design a unique program to meet their specific professional goals. Students must present to their advisor a written rationale expressing their professional goals, describing a set of 6 courses that make an overall coherent Custom Emphasis, and indicating how each course in their program is likely to help them achieve their goals. The Custom Emphasis must be approved by the Director of the Master of Administration Program in advance of any courses taken.

Capstone Experience(3 hours)

Directed study in which you, paired with a faculty member, complete a major project applying material learned in the program to current opportunities in your workplace.

Capstone Syllabus

Capstone_Application