Year One: Certificate In Public Management
The first year is both a stand–alone qualification – Certificate in Public Management – and the first stage of the four–year degree programme.
Economics
This introductory–level course explains the main theories and principles of economics. No prior knowledge of economics is presumed. The course covers both micro and macro– economics and addresses such topics as the laws of supply and demand, how market prices are reached and competition.
Law
Public servants must understand the fundamentals of the legal system. This course focuses on the fundamentals, explaining the Irish legal system and the main provisions of the Irish Constitution. Students explore, among other topics, the structure of the court system, practice and procedure in the courts and the rights that the Constitution affords citizens.
Politics, Government and Public Administration
This course is divided into two parts. The first is largely concerned with the institutions of government and the Irish political system. The second focuses on Ireland’s system of public and social administration, explaining how the civil service is organised and the management of social welfare services, healthcare, education and housing.
Principles of Management
This course provides a solid grounding in the key principles of modern management theory. It explains the origins of contemporary management science and details the most important elements of management, including leadership, HRM and change management.
Year Two: Diploma In Public Management
The second year is both a stand–alone qualification – Diploma in Public Management – and the second stage of the four–year degree programme.
European Law
EU law plays a hugely significant role in public management in Ireland. This course explains the sources of EU law, the main legal instruments that the EU uses, the EU institutions that uphold the law, the fundamental freedoms that EU law protects and how EU law relates to Irish domestic law.
Social Policy
This course explores the history, organisation and management of Ireland’s social infrastructure. It considers such matters as expenditure trends in social services, EU social policy and the factors that influence domestic social policy.
Economics
This course builds on the fundamentals of economics explored in the Certificate year by exploring both micro and macroeconomics in greater depth. Students will learn about the economic rules and theories that relate to the operation of markets, the distribution of wealth, the allocation of resources, labour supply and inflation.
Organisation and Management
An organisation’s structure is a determining factor in its operation. This course explores current thinking on organisational structure and the role of management in the creation and maintenance of the most appropriate structure. Among the specific topics addressed are the different schools of organisation theory, the design of effective organisations and the significance of the internal culture and the external environment to an organisation’s work.
Year Three
Criminology and Penology
This course explores the facts about crime in Ireland and elsewhere in the first decades of the 21st century. It examines what the available statistics tell us about crime and discusses the various theories that have been advanced to explain criminal behaviour. It also addresses contemporary theory on penology.
Administrative Law
Administrative law is a public law subject that deals with the lawful exercise of power by government and state agencies. It seeks, in short, to establish the manner in which public bodies can affect the lives of citizens. Students will examine the laws regarding the civil service, the separation of powers, judicial review and legal compliance.
Economics
This year’s course focuses on public sector economics, a field that is plainly critical to public servants at various grades. The topics addressed include economic growth, forecasting and planning, the finances of central and local government and the principles of taxation.
Financial Management
This course aims to provide students with a clear understanding of standard accounting techniques and the proper management of an organisation’s finances. Designed for those who do not possess a background in accounting, it addresses, among other things, double-entry book-keeping, how profits are measured and the regulations governing financial statements and disclosure.
Year Four
Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice
This course examines how justice is administered in Ireland and related laws. It explores the general principles of criminal law, including the presumption of innocence. It also assesses the legislation that governs the actions of An Garda Síochána, the provisions of the Constitution relating to arrest and trial by law and efforts to balance the needs of society with civil liberties.
Employment Law
A very significant body of law regulates the employment relationship. This course explains and analyses that body of law, discussing such key topics as the employment contract, the legislation that protects employees, equality in the workplace, health and safety law and the law regulating the employment of non–nationals.
Strategic Management
Strategic Management is the study of how organisations meet their objectives and effectively respond to change. This course focuses on strategic management in the Irish public sector, but it covers concepts common to both public and private sector organisations.
Public Policy–Making
This course is concerned with policy-making and the response of the modern state to the challenges it faces in a globalised world. It explores issues around the management of the political economy of the modern state and public policy-making in the Irish state. Students will learn about, among other things, how states have responded to the emergence of a global economy, attempts to regulate the market and multi–level governance in Ireland.