Admission requirements
The course Foundations of Public Administration (FPA) was offered as a transitional arrangement in academic year 2017 – 2018 and in academic year 2018 – 2019 it will no longer be offered, as has been communicated earlier and elsewhere. Some of its components have instead been integrated in a new second year course called Foundations of Social Science and Public Administration (FSPA), which effectively consists of roughly 80% Philosophy of Science and roughly 20% of Foundations of Public Administration as it has for years been offered.
Therefore, students who have failed one or both exams (paper and/or written test) of FPA in academic year 2017-2018 will have to retake to make up for 5 missing ECTS in their Bachelor program. They cannot follow FSSPA as this overlaps too much with their course Philosophy of Science in the third year. As a result, students who failed this course have the option to retake FPA as it has been given in 2016 – 2017 and 2017 – 2018. Passed partial grades obtained in 2017 – 2018 will remain valid. Passed partial grades for paper or exam that have been obtained in 2016 – 2017 will however no longer be valid.
No classes will be offered to students retaking in 2018 – 2019. Students will have to independently prepare for paper and/or exam, based on their studies for this course in previous years. Of course, they can contact the lecturer for questions on the material.
Retakes for paper and/or written exam will be scheduled during blok 2 in academic year 2018 – 2019, **but only for students who e-mail lecturer Toon Kerkhoff before the start of blok 2, that they would like to make use of this arrangement.
Description
Ever since early modern beginnings people have questioned the content, use and status of public administration as a field of inquiry. Until the present-day, opinions differ widely about what the study is or should include and which conceptual, methodological and theoretical lenses one should use when studying government and administration. Fundamental debates revolve around the question whether it is actually a science or rather a purely practical endeavor and what – if anything – actually separates public administration from other related and often incorporated disciplines such as economics, politics or law. As a result, the study of public administration is diverse in its scope and topics. In this course students get a close look at historical origins and developments of the discipline by looking at key debates between founding scholars. Students will also read original classic texts on key topics in the field, such as bureaucracy, ethics, organization theory or policy. As such, students will retrace and investigate where the study of public administration comes from and how and why it has developed over time and has come to be what it is today. This allows them to define, demarcate and properly understand their chosen field of academic inquiry as well as the specific topics they will investigate and/or work with during their studies and later careers. The course aims to make students better aware of the essence of their discipline and the possibilities it has to offer.
Course objectives
Students will acquire knowledge of the historical origins and development of the study of public administration and gain a critical view of the way in which public administration scholars in past and present view public administration and government;
Students will acquire a familiarity with classic literature in public administration and have a broad understanding of key concepts and topics relevant to the study of public administration;
Students will acquire skills of critical analysis and writing to link their knowledge and insight gained in this course to current cases and problems of governance.
Timetable
On the right side of programme front page of the E-guide you will find links to the website and timetables, uSis and Blackboard.
Mode of instruction
No classes will be offered to students retaking in 2018 – 2019. Students will have to independently prepare for paper and/or exam, based on their studies for this course in previous years. Of course, they can contact the lecturer for questions on the material.
Course Load
The total amount of hours to spend on this course is 140 of which 3 hours are for a written final exam and 136 hours of self-study and preparing for examination.
Assessment method
Retakes for paper and written exam that have not been obtained in 2016 – 2017 or 2017 – 2018 will be scheduled during blok 2 in academic year 2018 – 2019, **but only for students who e-mail lecturer Toon Kerkhoff before the start of blok 2, that they would like to make use of this arrangement.
In case of very few students opting for the written exam, this can be substituted by an oral examination at the discretion of the lecturer.
the weight of components is similar to previous years, i.e. 35% for paper and 65% for a test on the articles.
Compensation between the two parts is not possible. For each part a grade of 5.5 has to be obtained before a weighted average is made.
Partial grades that have been obtained in 2016-2017 will no longer be valid, unless the board of examiners states otherwise following a request by the student.
Partial grades obtained in year 2017-2018 will remain valid. If this is the case, please let the instructor know to keep administration in order.
Blackboard
Blackboard will be used in this course. The course will be available (at the latest) two weeks before the first lecture.
Reading list
For this course, students will read separate articles. A full reading list with hyperlinks for free download will be provided on Blackboard before the start of the course. It is the same as the one provided in 2016 – 2017 and 2017 – 2018.
Registration
Retakes for paper and/or written exam will be scheduled during blok 2 in academic year 2018 – 2019, **but only for students who e-mail lecturer Toon Kerkhoff before the start of blok 2, that they would like to make use of this arrangement.