Master of Public Administration
Overview
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program educates students for management and leadership positions both in the public sector and in nonprofit organizations. The MPA Program is designed to meet the needs of both pre-service and in-service students seeking professional credentials by providing online classes, special research projects, internships, and graduate assistantships. The program combines academic expertise with "real-world" experiences to provide students with outstanding opportunities to connect knowledge with practice. The MPA requires 36 graduate credit hours.
Degree Requirements
The required courses are:
- PBA 500 - Survey of Public Administration
- PBA 505 - Public Administration Methods
- PBA 507 - Applied Methods for Public Administration
- PBA 510 - Public Personnel Administration
- PBA 515 - Public Budgeting and Financial Management
- PBA 520 - Policy Systems and Evaluation
- PBA 525 - Public Organizations and Management
- PBA 535 - Leadership in Public Administration
- PBA 540 - Administrative Law and Procedure
- PBA 545 - Ethics in Public Administration
- PBA 575 - Public Administration Capstone Project
The final three hours can be taken as an internship (PBA 599), PBA 530, or as determined by the director and/or faculty advisor.
Before completing 12 graduate hours, students must file a degree plan and have it approved by the program director and department chair. The degree plan will specify all coursework to be completed to earn the MPA. Before completing 18 graduate hours, each student must identify a faculty member to serve as chair of the capstone committee. The committee chair will direct and facilitate the preparation and completion of a capstone project and paper and will schedule oral comprehensive exams.