Public Administration 113
GPHAS 634 Clinical & Professional Capstone 2 credits Graduation from an accredited PA program qualifies an individual to take the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE). Successful completion of PANCE is mandatory for clinical practice as a PA. As the student works to achieve professional status as a PA, the Clinical and Professional Capstone allows for an opportunity to merge the clinical rotation experiences with textbook learning. This course will provide a comprehensive overview or requisite knowledge for the graduating PA student. Emphasis will be placed on identified organ systems and task areas. Additionally, the Clinical and Professional Capstone will focus on the application of knowledge and skills for clinical practice via patient simulation, case study and evidence-based medicine. Prerequisites: Successful completion of the senior year clinical and didactic courses.
Public Administration Director: Michael J. Messina, Ph.D.
INTRODUCTION
Gannon University’s Master of Public Administration Program strives to give students the tools they need to be able to effectively solve problems and capture opportunities as a public administration professional. The mission of the MPA Program is to provide students with the vision, values and leadership skills required for successful professional and rewarding personal lives. Public Administration is at the core of the discipline of political science. It involves the study of the management of governmental entities. It’s the who, when, where and how policies are formulated, implemented, and evaluated. It’s where campaign promises get carried out (or not). Public administration is a rapidly changing field. In fact, the one thing that is constant is change. It is a field in which new ways of doing things are constantly being suggested. It is a field in which politics and values are always in flux. Public administrators are consistently being held to higher standards-to be accountable, to be ethical, to be efficient and effective, and to be responsive. These recent dramatic changes in the worlds of politics, government, international relations, not-for-profits, and the private sector have cast a new light on the importance of leadership within the public sector. The urgency for leadership studies and development has never been greater! A commitment to instilling qualities of leadership in students lies at the heart of a Gannon University education. That long-standing focus on leadership has become even more intense through development of new academic programs and scholarships that will uniquely position Gannon graduates to take leadership roles in fields that will be most in demand in the next century. Political appointees of the past are rapidly being replaced by a new breed of public sector managers, more similar to executives, engineers, and accountants of the private sector. Governments, agencies, foundations, and authorities are seeking highly motivated individuals with communication, critical analysis, marketing, finance, strategic planning abilities, grant writing experience, program development capabilities, organizational skills, and the ability to solve problems creatively.