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Diploma in Public Sector Administration

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Introduction

Jump-start your career in the public sector with the Diploma in Public Sector Administration (Dip. PSAD). This programme is designed to provide an academic foundation and specialised training for public sector staff who need to upgrade their academic qualifications for further tertiary level studies and formalize functional skills for effective management within the public sector. Students build competencies in English Language and Mathematics and are introduced to management principles and the structure and functioning of public entities to enable them to enhance organizational efficiency.

 

Who is this programme for?

The Diploma PSAD programme is designed for persons working in government bodies and public sector agencies who need to enhance their understanding of the functioning of public sector bodies.

 

Programme Structure

The diploma programme is delivered using a mixed-mode format. Courses are delivered using online or blended approaches. Students must have access to a computer and Internet access. Online orientation is conducted before the start of the programme.

Students complete a total of 30 credits normally equivalent to 10 courses. Students explore general education and core courses in a number of areas including:

  • Mathematics
  • Business Communication
  • Public Sector Management
  • Constitutional & Administrative Law
  • Caribbean Political Economy

 

When will the programme start?

The programme starts in August of the academic year 2013/2014

 

Entry Requirements

Applicants should meet one of the following matriculation requirements:

  1. Persons over the age of 21 on the basis of their overall academic and professional attainments.
  2. Holders of the approved certificates from the School of Continuing Studies, UWI with an acceptable pass in English Language
  3. Holders of three (3) CSEC or GCE ‘O’ Level passes or equivalent, not necessarily obtained at the same sitting, as follows:
    (i) English (A), and
    (ii) Two (2) other approved subjects.

 

Academic Preparation

OOL1001 Orientation to Online Learning  
IYSS1001 Improving Your Study Skills

 

Course of Study
Level 1 
-
Fundamentals of English
MATH0900
Mathematics

A General Education course, Mathematics provides students with the opportunity to refresh and renew their knowledge about mathematics that will assist them in grasping tertiary level theories, problems and formulae. This course exposes students to the basic mathematical concepts, their application and the ability to express these concepts by clear expression and logical reasoning.

Pre-requisites- Students must have general mathematical computation skills and a basic knowledge of algebra

Credits: 
3
MGMT1000
Introduction to Computers

This course deals with the basics, major concepts and principles of computers and computing. Topics covered will include: evolution and classification of computers, computer hardware, software and data communications; computer data processing; and microcomputers in business.

Credits: 
3
Level 2 
GOVT1006
Introduction to Public Administration

Assessment:

Coursework - 40%

Final Exam - 60% (face-to-face)

GOVT1902
Caribbean Political Economy

Assessment:

Coursework - 40%

Final Exam - 60% (face-to-face)

NB: The offering of this in Summer will be dependent on student registration numbers.

 

Required Text:  Ball, Terence and Dagger, Richard  (2005) Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal. (6/E). London: Pearson Longman ISBN: 0321390156

Barrow-Giles, Cynthia (2002) Introduction to Caribbean Politics. Kingston: Ian Randle Publishers ISBN: 9766370494

Hardwick, Philip, Khan, Bahadur and Langmead, John (1999) An Introduction to Economics.   (5/E) London: Pearson Education ISBN:0582357152

GOVT1900
Introduction to Administrative Principles & Practices

Assessment:

Coursework - 40%     

Final Exam - 60% (face-to-face)

LAW1910
Introduction to Constitution and Administrative Law

This course aims to equip students with a general knowledge of the principles of law governing Caribbean Constitutions and Administrative Law fundamentals. The course therefore seeks to locate the subject within the West Indian polity, taking into account the social, historical and political evolution of Caribbean societies.

Credits: 
3
ENGL0901
Business Communication

This course is designed to develop in students the capability to use Standard English structures to express themselves clearly, precisely and fluently in writing and speech. The focus is placed on producing different types of business documents from memoranda to reports and the development of presentation skills to maximize effective communication in the contemporary business environment.

Credits: 
3
SOCI1002
Introduction to Sociology

This course will introduce students to classical social theory through an understanding of the work of writers such as Auguste Comte, Max Weber, Karl Marx and George H. Mead. The main focus of this studying is to understand the central ideas of these writers and to reflect on the usefulness of their theory in contemporary Caribbean societies. This reflection will support students’ further investigations of the explanations given for issues on the front line of Caribbean societies’ development agendas. At the same time, students will learn about the central ideas and perspectives of writers such as Edward Kamau Brathwaite, M.G. Smith and George Beckford. The combination of classical and Caribbean schools of social inquiry will set the tone for a synthesizing of perspectives on race, class, gender, ethnicity and the family in society. This process will assist students with developing their theoretical base in social theory, as well as independent thought on happenings in Caribbean society.

Credits: 
3
ECON1001
Introduction to Microeconomics

Microeconomics is the study of people in the “ordinary business of life”. As economic welfare depends upon the choices of people regarding the allocation and use of resources, it is necessary that ordinary members of the community and specialists in government and business, understand the account of these choices that are provided by microeconomic theory and are able to develop critiques of that theory. It is also necessary that they are able to appreciate, and undertake, microeconomic analysis of contemporary problems and policies. This course therefore explores the theory of economic choice and its application to a range of resource-use questions. Specifically, it focuses upon a range of microeconomic principles, their use in economic analysis, and their relevance in the global information economy. While drawing on the history of economic thought, it emphasizes contemporary resource-use issues and the development of the skills of economic specialists and non-specialists.

Credits: 
3