Master of Public Safety Administration

Program Description

The Command College, in association with Columbus State University, provides a program of study that goes beyond what is currently available in public safety executive and management development courses, serving as a "graduate school" for public safety executives. To meet present and future training and educational needs of public safety executives, the Command College offers a study program that is distinctive, flexible and comprehensive.

Career Opportunities

Executive positions within Public Safety Administration

Admission Requirements

Applicants must currently be in a supervisory or managerial position in a public safety agency, with significant responsibilities in the areas of management of personnel, interpretation of policies or supervision of other crucial agency functions.

Learning Outcomes

Completion of this degree program will provide graduates with the skills to lead public service agencies effectively. Specifically, graduates will

• Describe and assess, in writing and in class discussions, the central concepts of human resource management.
• Identify and assess, in writing, trends in civil and legal liabilities.
• Develop mock strategic plans and effectively assess existing strategic plans embedded in case studies.
• Apply the central concepts of efficient administration in the context of case studies.
• Apply a standard of ethics and fairness amid political, legal, fiscal, and cultural complexities presented in case studies.
• In a semester long research project, identify, assess, and develop a plan that uses the type of data that can inform executive-level decisions in public safety agencies.

Additional Program Requirements

The Command College brings together leaders in corporate and public management to provide public safety executives with intense training in the best available management theory and practice, to render innovative solutions to organizational problems and to address important issues in managing public service organizations effectively.

Students enrolled in Command College attend twelve (12) intensive cohort sessions of classes over a two-year period, completing 460 hours of classes divided into 40-hour modules:

• Leadership in Public Safety Administration
• Human Resource Management and Development
• Fiscal Management and Public Finance
• Legal Issues and Trends in Public Safety Administration
• Strategic Planning and Policy Development
• Organizational and Management Realities
• Research in Public Safety Administration
• Five (5) Auxiliary Courses

Completion of each module/course will provide POST training and 3 semester hours of academic credit.

Program of Study

Area 1 Program Core Required Hours: 21
MPSA 6105 Leadership in Public Safety Administration
MPSA 6116 Human Resource Management and Development
MPSA 6125 Organizational and Management Realities
MPSA 6126 Fiscal Management and Public Finance
MPSA 6136 Applied Research in Public Safety Administration
MPSA 6146 Strategic Planning and Policy Development
MPSA 6156 Legal Issues and Trends in Public Safety Administration

Area 2 Program Electives Required Hours: 15
MPSA 6135 Burden of Command: Leader vs. Manager
MPSA 6137 Critical Incident Management
MPSA 6138 Employment Process for Public Safety
MPSA 6139 Essential Skills for Professional Management
MPSA 6127 Felony Task Force Management
MPSA 6128 Internal Affairs
MPSA 6129 Managing Marginal Employees
MPSA 6145 Media Relations
MPSA 6148 Performance Appraisals and Evaluations
MPSA 6555 Selected Topics in Public Safety Administration
MPSA 6131 Terrorism Response by Public Safety Managers I
MPSA 6132 Terrorism Response by Public Safety Managers II
MPSA 6147 Strategic Approach to Homeland Security for Public Safety Administrators

Area 3 Exit Requirements Required Hours: 0
MPSA 6000 Master in Public Safety Administration Comprehensive Examination

Total Hours Required: 36