MPA-IO Program Details

Program Director: David Shapiro
Academic Advisor: Melissa Joseph

The mission of the Master of Public Administration in Inspection and Oversight Program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice is to prepare students for public service careers in inspection and oversight and to advance governance through scholarly and applied research and community service. The program celebrates its students’ diversity and seeks to inspire them to the highest ideals of public service and leadership, reinforced by a commitment to accountability, transparency, ethical practice, equity, and justice.

Specializations are offered in the following fields:

  • Inspection and Oversight of Health Services
  • International Inspection and Oversight
  • Investigation and Operational Inspection
  • Law and Inspection and Oversight
  • Organizational Assessment and Monitoring

This program may also be completed fully online.

Degree Requirements

Students enrolled in the MPA in Inspection and Oversight Program are required to complete 42 course credits. Students are advised to complete PAD 700 and three other core foundation courses, PAD 706, PAD 715 and PAD 723, within the first 15 credits of matriculation. Failure to complete any of the requirements described in the paragraph above will result in a student not being permitted to register for future classes without the explicit permission of the program director or academic advisor.

Required Core Courses
PAD 700 Public Administration 3
PAD 706 Bureaupathology 3
PAD 723 Assessments, Audits and Investigations in Human Resources 3
PAD 740 Public Sector Inspection and Oversight 3
PAD 742 Public Sector Accounting and Auditing 3
PAD 758 Ethics, Integrity and Accountability 3
PAD 771 Capstone Seminar 3

Total Credit Hours:    21

Note: No course can be used to satisfy a foundation requirement and a specialization requirement. Students may substitute PAD 702 for PAD 723 and PAD 705 for PAD 706, if switching from the MPA – Public Policy and Administration program.

Research Methods and Quantitative Skills

Students must complete a course from each of the following categories:

Research Methods
PAD 715 Research Methods in Public Administration 3
Quantitative Methods And Information Management
Select one course:
PAD 713 Management of Information Technology 3
PAD 745 Program Development and Evaluation 3
PAD 747 / CRJ 747 Computer Applications in Public Policy and Management 3
PAD 767 Analytical Methods in Health Care Auditing and Investigation 3
PAD 770 Cases and Techniques in Quantitative Policy Analysis 3

Total Credit Hours: 6

*There is no course prerequisite for PAD 747 or PAD 713. However, computer skills and experience are assumed for PAD 713. Students who need additional computer skills will be directed by the program director to other places in the College where they may be obtained. PAD 715 or CRJ 715 is a prerequisite for PAD 745PAD 767, and PAD 770.

*PAD 767 Analytical Methods in Health Care Auditing and Investigation is required for the Inspection and Oversight of Health Services specialization.

Specialization

A three-course specialization is required. Students are required to declare a specialization upon the completion of 12 credits. Except where otherwise noted, students must complete a specialization by completing three courses designated for the specialization including each course designated as required. PAD 780 (Internship), PAD 755/CRJ 755 (Writing for Management), and a PAD 800-level course can also be used to complete any specialization, but may not substitute for a course required for the specialization.

Dual specializations are permissible if the student has fulfilled the requirements of both specializations. One course can count as an elective for two specializations with approval from the program director and academic advisor.

Total Credit Hours: 9

Select one specialization:

Inspection And Oversight Of Health Services

This specialization examines how inspection and oversight are conducted in health care organizations. 

Note: Students in this specialization must take PAD 767 as their required quantitative methods course in addition to the three required courses below. 

PAD 763 Public Health Policy and Administration 3
PAD 764 Health Services Fraud, Waste, and Abuse 3
PAD 766 Inspection and Oversight of Health Care Delivery 3

Students may complete their two program electives by taking Public Health courses in the CUNY School of Public Health. 

Students should contact MPA Advising for information about recommended courses and ePermit procedures.

International Inspection And Oversight

This specialization examines how inspection and oversight are conducted in international and multinational contexts. 

This specialization has two required courses.

Required Courses
PAD 718 International Public Policy and Administration 3
PAD 772 International Inspection and Oversight 3
Electives
CRJ 744 Terrorism and Politics 3
PAD 759 Public Oversight of Policing 3
CRJ 774 Immigration and Crime 3
CRJ 779 The Female Offender in Western Society 3
PAD 746 Comparative Public Administration 3

Investigation And Operational Inspection

This specialization prepares students for responsibilities involving the investigation and inspection of individual and organizational conduct and performance in public agencies, with an emphasis on fraud, waste and abuse. The specialization has two required courses.

Required Courses
CRJ 754 / PAD 754 Investigative Techniques 3
PAD 701 Fraud, Abuse, Waste and Corruption 3
Electives
CRJ 739 Crime Mapping 3
CRJ 751 Crime Scene Investigation 3
PAD 706 Bureaupathology 3
PAD 710 The Ethical and Legal Environment of Public Employment 3
PAD 726 The Politics and Process of Outsourcing 3
PAD 732 The Independent Sector: Contemporary Issues in Nonprofits and Philanthropy 3
PAD 745 Program Development and Evaluation 3
PAD 749 Financial Forensic Examination and Auditing 3
PAD 759 Public Oversight of Policing 3

Law And Inspection And Oversight

Faculty Advisor: Professor Daniel Feldman

This specialization prepares students to apply management and policy concepts and skills in a legal environment.

Required Courses
PAD 741 Administrative Law and Regulation 3

Electives

At least 6 credits of law courses completed at the CUNY Law School or other law schools.

Law Courses During MPA Studies:

Students enrolled in the MPA Program in Public Policy and Administration may complete the Law and Public Management specialization by completing nine credits of courses approved by the MPA Program Director. The course will concern legal research, criminal and civil procedure, and/or public institutions and the law.

The CUNY Law School will permit John Jay MPA students – who meet academic qualifications noted below – to register for CUNY Law courses, from among those specified in a “advising list” available from the Specialization Advisor, Melissa Joseph (mjoseph@jjay.cuny.edu). To be permitted to take classes at CUNY Law School, an MPA student must have maintained a GPA of at least 3.5 and have completed PAD 741, Administrative Law, with a grade of A or A-.

Law Courses From Law School:

Students may also complete this specialization while attending law school after partially completing the MPA at John Jay. Students must apply to, and by accepted at, law school while enrolled in the MPA Program in Inspection and Oversight, and complete their specialization while attending law school. Subject to the approval of the program director and academic advisor, 12 credits of law courses concerning legal research, civil and criminal procedure, and other topics related to inspection and oversight, may be transferred for credit. Students must also pass the Capstone Course and fulfill any other remaining requirements for the MPA degree. Students who have completed coursework in law school prior to enrollment in the MPA Program in Inspection and Oversight may apply to the program director to transfer up to 12 credits from law school toward this concentration. Courses in either version of this specialization may be taken at CUNY Law School at Queens College, The City University of New York, or at other law schools offering comparable courses.

Organizational Assessment And Monitoring

This specialization prepares students to assess, evaluate and monitor the performance of public and not-for-profit agencies. The specialization is particularly appropriate for students interested in professional careers in performance auditing and regulation. This specialization has two required courses.

Required Courses
PAD 714 Organizational Performance Assessment 3
PAD 745 Program Development and Evaluation 3
Electivesv
PAD 701 Fraud, Abuse, Waste and Corruption 3
PAD 726 The Politics and Process of Outsourcing 3
PAD 731 Oversight by Independent, Regulatory and Political Authorities 3
PAD 732 The Independent Sector: Contemporary Issues in Nonprofits and Philanthropy 3
PAD 741 Administrative Law and Regulation 3
PAD 748 Project Management 3
PAD 749 Financial Forensic Examination and Auditing 3
PAD 759 Public Oversight of Policing 3
PAD 770 Cases and Techniques in Quantitative Policy Analysis 3

Free Electives

Students must select two elective courses from any MPA offering. 

Total Credit Hours: 6