Master of Public Administration: Inspection and Oversight

The online Master of Public Administration: Inspection and Oversight program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice offers highly specialized training in the growing field of inspection and oversight. Developed in close collaboration with the Association of Inspectors General, our program is unique in that it prepares public administration students for much-needed positions in organizations that investigate the performance of other organizations.

Federal, state, and local governments have long held a need for skilled Comptrollers, Inspectors General, and other inspection and oversight professionals. However, a growing number of companies in the private sector are facing similar regulatory demands. This includes a higher level of oversight to ensure compliance, transparency and integrity. The online MPA: Inspector General program was developed with these demands in mind.

Most public administration programs instruct students in technical and supervisory positions for public and nonprofit organizations. John Jay College’s online MPA: Inspector General program goes deeper. We examine the issues confronting organizations across both the public and private sectors such as compliance, misconduct and forensic accountancy.

The online MPA: Inspection and Oversight program is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.

Learn more about our specialized curriculum, or apply today!

Curriculum

The online Master of Public Administration in Inspection and Oversight program can be completed in two years of study, three years or more. Students enrolled in the Master of Public Administration Program in Inspection and Oversight are required to complete 42 course credits. Students are also required to pass the MPA qualifying examination, which is administered as a part of PAD 700. Complete information about the MPAQE is found at the MPA section of the John Jay College website. Students are advised to complete PAD 700 and the two other core foundation courses PAD 723 and PAD 706 within the first 15 credits of matriculation.

Students must earn a total of 42 credits across 14 courses, including:

Core courses focused on the foundations of public policy, public administration and inspection and oversight
Specialized courses concentrating on inspection and oversight issues such as abuse, corruption, and investigative techniques
Two elective courses
A capstone seminar

The two elective courses may be completed through one of the following options:

An online course offered by the program in the summer·
An online course offered by the on-campus MPA program
A graduate course completed at another academic institution (before or during matriculation in the online program.
A certification course offered by the Association of Inspectors General, such as the Certified Inspector General course

In addition to completing all course requirements, students must pass a qualifying examination, administered during the semester in which they take Public Administration (PAD700). Students must also travel to two conferences of the Association of Inspectors General while enrolled in the program. For a full list of the courses offered in this program, visit the College's Graduate Bulletin.

Core Courses (21 Credits)

PAD 700 Public Administration

PAD 723 Assessments, Audits and Investigations in Human Resources

This course examines assessments, audits, and investigations from a human resources perspective, including the preparation of factual investigative reports on the outcomes of investigations into violations of policies and laws on workplace safety, EEO-employment discrimination, violence, harassment, retaliation, fraud, abuse, waste and other wrongdoing. You’ll study the prevalence and incidence of such problems, along with techniques for fact-finding, investigation, documentation and complaint assessment.

PAD 706 Bureaupathology

During this course, you’ll explore corruption, waste, favoritism, excessive secrecy, arbitrary and illegal exercises of power and other “pathologies” that may occur in bureaucracies. You’ll examine the organizational situations and social contexts that can lead to departures from the laws, rules and regulations that define the formal mission of an agency. You’ll also consider the remedial and preventative actions available to elected officials, organizational managers, line employees and clients, customers and citizens.

PAD 740 Public Sector Inspection and Oversight

This course surveys the role and function of inspection and oversight in the public and not-for-profit sectors. You’ll be introduced to the techniques of internal investigation, policy oversight and operational auditing. You’ll also examine fraud prevention and the auditor-agency relationship.

PAD 742 Public Sector Account and Auditing (Pre-requisite: PAD 740)

This course introduces the principles of accounting and the techniques of auditing for governmental and not-for-profit agencies. You’ll review Generally Accepted Auditing Principles (GAAP), summary financial statements, and financial audit guidelines, and you’ll address accounting reform and electronic auditing.
Prerequisite: PAD 740

PAD 758 Ethics Integrity and Accountability

This course explores the role of ethics in public service. You’ll learn to identify and analyze ethical issues through the use of case studies and critical incidents. You’ll also examine codes of ethics and other policies designed to guarantee that public officials and employees faithfully discharge their duties and fulfill their fiduciary obligations to the public.

PAD 771 MPA Capstone Seminar

This seminar requires students to apply the knowledge and skills they have gained during their MPA graduate study to a semester-long project chosen by the student in consultation with the faculty member directing the seminar.
Prerequisites: PAD 715, and either PAD 739 or PAD 758

Career Options

Graduates of the program are equipped to take on employment opportunities in inspection and oversight, or to apply their knowledge to related functions, including:

Regulatory compliance
Risk management
Performance assessment
Field inspection
Investigative journalism

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