ClassInfo

This is one of the required classes integrated into the year-long cohort for the Master of Public Affairs (MPA) and Public Affairs Leadership Certificate programs.

The Public Affairs Leadership Cohort is a unique offering at the Humphrey School. The Cohort is designed for mid-career professionals and integrates adult learning methodologies in a schedule that accommodates working adults. Three core (required) courses are offered in an integrated format and students can either apply the cohort experience to a University of Minnesota Regent's approved graduate certificate in Public Affairs Leadership (PAL) or towards the Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree. The three courses integrated into the MPA cohort are: 1) Public Affairs Leadership 2) Policy and Program Analysis , and 3) Research Methods & Analysis.

• Expand personal leadership capacity by strengthening a sense of personal purpose, voice, agency, and experience in leading a group and communicating publicly about professional work.

• Strengthen capacity for adaptive problem solving through reflective analysis of complex organizations, community conditions, programs, and policy networks.

• Cultivate ability to engage effectively with others, while holding tension, by strengthening one's theoretical understanding and practical experience in instituting change.

• Deepen understanding of program design and factors affecting implementation.

• Learn strengths and limitations of quantitative and qualitative data analysis to inform decision-making.

• Improve one's ability to collect, evaluate, and use research-based evidence in defining public policy concerns and making recommendations for improvements.

• Enhance skills to connect with community and to confidently and productively engage with others in the context of diverse cultures, virtually and face-to-face.

• Deepen understanding of social conditions and engage with complex dynamics of difference and diverse perspectives to strengthen public value.

• Develop an appreciation of the value of "otherness" by establishing new relationships, gaining diverse perspectives, and creating professional networks in a trusting community of praxis.