Courses
The Online GDPA has the same four required courses as the other streams of the GDPA. The online courses are offered during fall and winter terms. The online streams is completed in one year, students take two courses in the fall term and two courses in the winter term. The course descriptions are provided below, if you have questions, you are welcome to contact the program assistant localgov@uwo.ca.
Note: The course outlines will be available in OWL approximately 1 month before the start of a course.
PA 9901 - Advanced Local Government (Fall Term Course)
Objectives:
This course provides an introduction to the structures, functions, and financing of local government in Canada. The focus is on Ontario, but students will also learn about the history of local government in Canada, the United States, and Western Europe. Through surveys of relevant academic literature, student presentations, and class discussions, students will develop views on the appropriate role for local governments in governing Canadian communities.
Main topics:
Systems of local government; historical ideological movements; central-local relations; special purpose bodies; annexation; amalgamation; regional government; fragmentation; council-staff relations; budgeting and finance; property tax.
Instructor: Joe Lyons jlyons7@uwo.ca
Online Class Schedule:
2024 Fall Term September - December
Tuesdays September 10 - December 3 @ 4:30-7:00pm
(no class Oct 15)
Link to Brightspace (course website)
PA 9903 - Organizational Behaviour (Fall Term Course)
Objectives:
This course introduces students to select aspects of the academic literature on organizational behaviour. Students will learn how the behaviour of people in organizations relates to individual, group, organizational, and societal outcomes. They will apply an organizational lens to help them better understand the challenges and opportunities of local government administration.
Main topics:
Organizational behaviour and local administration; organizational structure; leadership; trust; organizational culture; groups and teamwork; conflict; communication; motivation, stress, and productivity; organizational change; power and privilege; diversity and inequality; human resources management.
Instructor: Jennifer Kirkham jkirkha@uwo.ca
Online Class Schedule:
2024 Fall Term September - December
Wednesdays September 11 - December 4 @ 4:30-7:00pm
(no class Oct 16)
PA 9902 - Policy Process in Local Government (Winter Term Course)
Objectives:
This course introduces students to selected aspects of the academic literature on the making of public policy. Students will learn how to apply theories and concepts from the public policy literature to Canadian local governments. Using case studies, students will learn how to determine the main factors that cause different kinds of local public policy outcomes in different circumstances.
Main topics:
The stages of the policy-making process; the “multiple streams” approach to the understanding of the policy process; the role of “social forces”, including analytical approaches that apply especially at the local level, such as “community power”, pluralism, non-decision-making, local governments as “growth machines”, regime theory and multilevel governance.
Note: This course cannot be taken before PA 9901.
Instructor: Jessie Helmer jhelmer@uwo.ca
Online Class Schedule:
2025 Winter Term January - April
Tuesdays January 7 - April 8 @ 4:30-7:00pm
(no classes Feb 18 & Mar 11)
PA 9904 - Local Government Management/Administration (Winter Term Course)
Objectives:
Drawing upon theories and research findings in public administration and management, this course examines administrative approaches, issues, and debates arising in local government administration. Students will learn how the complex and unstable environment of public sector organizations produces both challenges and opportunities for public sector managers and will apply insights from the management and public administration literatures to real-world local government settings.
Main topics:
Differences between public and private administration; management models and approaches; the leadership role of the CAO; council-staff relations; managing in a unionized environment; recruitment, onboarding, succession planning; change management; performance measurement and management; ethics and values; citizen and community engagement; partnerships and contracting out; implementation and service delivery.
Note: This course cannot be taken before PA 9903.
Instructor: Jennifer Kirkham jkirkha@uwo.ca
Online Class Schedule:
2025 Winter Term January - April
Wednesdays January 8 - April 9 @ 4:30-7:00pm
(no classes Feb 19 & Mar 12)
Accessibility
Please contact polisci@uwo.ca if you require any information in plain text format, or if any other accommodation can make the course material and/or physical space accessible to you.
