Master of Public Administration

A new program, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) is designed for students wanting government careers. This degree, like the others in the School of Public Service, can boast of passionate students, an exceptional faculty, and a relevant, fresh curriculum.

Admission Requirements

official transcripts from all undergraduate universities attended showing the successful completion of a bachelor degree with a 2.70 out of 4.0 GPA.
a resume
a two-page personal statement describing your educational and career goals, relevant work or volunteer experience, and any special circumstances affecting past or prospective academic performance

To graduate, a student must successfully complete a minimum of 52 credit hours of graduate credit. (Each course carries four credit hours, unless otherwise specified.) Required core courses account for 40 credit hours and electives account for 12 credit hours.

Pre-service students (those without at least 12 months of continuous paid work experience in government or government-related activities following their undergraduate degree) are required to take an additional 4 credit hour internship (MPS 601 or MPS 610) as part of their degree program.

Descriptions of required and elective courses can be found in the on-line course catalog.

Required Courses (40 credit hours)
MPS 499 Presentation Skills
MPS 500 Introduction to Public Service Management
MPS 501 Public Services in Three Sectors
MPS 502 Ethical Leadership*
MPS 514 Government Financial Administration
MPS 522 Human Resource Management
MPS 539 Macro Economics
MPS 542 Policy Design and Analysis
MPS 570 Research Methods
MPS 580 Quantitative Methods
MPS 590 Applied Research*
MPS 593 Integrative Seminar

* denotes a two-credit hour course

ALL SPECIALIZATIONS: INTERNSHIP REQUIREMENT
Pre-service students must complete MPS 601 Internship or MPS 610 International Internship consisting of 200 hours at an approved site.

Students in this program are required to choose a specialization among the following three options:

PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

For those who aspire to become city managers, chief administrative officers, department directors, and senior project managers, this specialization focuses on the roles, requirements, challenges, and processes of running a public organization. Students gain the knowledge and skills needed to work successfully with professional staff, an elected governing board, consultants, and the public in the implementation of broad policy decisions. Legal issues of interest to public managers are also included.

Required Courses
MPS 526 Local Government Administration
MPS 560 Administrative Law

And one of the following electives:
MPS 520 Values Centered Leadership
MPS 521 Leadership and Management
MPS 529 Strategic Planning
MPS 543 Policy Implementation
MPS 605 Seminar European Union and NATO (Brussels)

METROPOLITAN PLANNING AND URBAN AFFAIRS

This specialization is for students wanting to work in land use, transportation, economic development, zoning, housing, and other areas of community development. Coursework emphasizes the technical skills of public administration and the tools of analyses and development as applied in a broad public setting. Students study best practices to illustrate the effectiveness of alternative designs and models.

Required Courses
MPS 571 Metropolitan Planning
MPS 573 Urban and Community Analysis

And one of the following electives:
MPS 516 Management of Information Technology
MPS 526 Local Government Administration
MPS 560 Administrative Law
MPS 604 Special Topics field study
MPS 605 Seminar in the European Union and NATO (Brussels)

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC MANAGEMENT

Students intending to work in international organizations require a special understanding of how public and non-profit institutional structures and managerial processes vary around the world. This concentration emphasizes the interdependence of government and non-government organizations (NGOs), while addressing a variety of management, ethics, and policy issues.

Required Courses
MPS 612 International Political Economy
MPS 616 International Relations and Conflict Management

And one of the following electives:
MPS 511 Sustainable Development and NGOs
MPS 604 Green Development: Water, Food, and Power - International and Domestic
MPS 605 Seminar in the European Union and NATO (Brussels)
MPS 611 Management of International NGOs
MPS 615 Intercultural Communication in Organizations