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Revision 2 closed May 7, 2008, replaced by current version.
View previous syllabus.
Delivery mode: Individualized study with online enhancements or grouped study.
Credits: 3 - Applied Studies. Course can also be used to fulfill Administrative Studies and Social Science area of study (credential students only).
Prerequisite: None. A previous course in administrative studies, public policy, or public administration/ management is recommended. This is a senior course and as such students are expected to have advanced analytical and writing skills.
Centre: Centre for State and Legal Studies
GOVN 390 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Challenge evaluation.
Governance 390: Public Policy and Administrative Governance has been designed for senior undergraduate students who are interested in the creation and implementation of Canadian public policy. There are no formal prerequisites for this course. While it is recommended that students have taken another course in political science or public administration, the course material should be accessible to anyone with the intellectual sophistication and academic maturity expected of senior undergraduate students.
Governance 390 aims to give students the knowledge and analytical skills required for advanced studies in policy and administration. This course will benefit those who have chosen a career in the public service, those who simply wish to increase their awareness of public policy-making and implementation, as well as students with aspirations toward graduate studies.
The course consists of the following eight units.
Unit 1: Introduction to Public Policy and Administrative Governance
Unit 2: Public Bureaucracy in Theory and Practice
Unit 3: Policy Formation: The Institutions and Processes of Political Governance
Unit 4: Administrative Governance: The Challenge of Policy Implementation
Unit 5: The Role and Influence of Non-state Actors in Policy-making and Administrative Governances
Unit 6: Ethics in Administrative Governance: The Challenge of Ensuring Democratic Accountability in Public Administration
Unit 7: Social Diversity and the Question of “Difference“ in Policy-making and Administrative Governance
Unit 8: Paradigms of Governance: Policy-making and Administrative Governance from the Administrative Welfare State to the Neo-liberal State
Your final grade in GOVN 390 will be based on the marks you achieve on the mid-term test, the case study assignment, the research essay, and the final examination. To receive credit for GOVN 390, you must complete all the assignments, achieve a mark of at least 50 per cent on the final examination, and obtain an overall course grade of at least “D” (50 percent). The weighting of the assignments and tests toward your final grade are outlined below.
final grade.
| TME 1 Mid-term Test | TME 2 Case Study Assignment | TME 3 Research Essay | Final exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | 20% | 30% | 30% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
John Shields and B. Mitchell Evans. Shrinking the State: Globalization and Public Administration “Reform.” Halifax: Fernwood, 1998.
The course materials include study guide, student manual, reading file, and forms.