Master of Public Administration, MPA

The Master of Public Administration degree requires the student to successfully complete a minimum of 36 credit hours. MPA students are classified as in-service or pre-service based on experience in the public or nonprofit sector. Pre-service students are usually recent graduates who lack sufficient managerial or administrative experience. In-service students are currently employed and usually have several years of relevant work experience in the public or non-profit sectors in a job requiring a minimum of a bachelor’s degree for entry.

The program is flexible enough to accommodate full-time (9-12 hours per semester) or part-time students (3-6 hours per semester). Accordingly, the length of time required to complete the program will vary. All students must successfully complete the core curriculum of 24 semester hours, 9-12 hours of electives, and 3-6 hours of internship, depending upon classification as in-service or pre-service.

Program of Study

Prerequisites (6 Hours)

An undergraduate Computer Applications course is highly recommended.

Undergraduate course in statistics Credits: 3
Undergraduate or graduate course in American National Government Credits: 3

Core Curriculum (24 Hours)

PADM 6830 - History, Scope, and Practice of Public Administration Credits: 3
PADM 6832 - Organizational Theory Credits: 3
PADM 6833 - Management of Human Resources Credits: 3
PADM 6834 - Public Budgeting and Finance Credits: 3
PADM 6839 - Statistical Applications in Public Administration Credits: 3
PADM 6840 - Research Methods Credits: 3
PADM 6850 - Information Resource Management Credits: 3
PADM 6876 - Capstone Seminar in Public Administration Credits: 3

General Electives or Focus Area (12 Hours)

Students who choose to enroll in PADM 6853 (Public Service Internship - Pre-Service) should take an additional 9 hours. If PADM 6853 is not taken, students should take 12 hours of general electives. Students have an option to concentrate on a specific area of interest with the approval of their faculty advisor. Choose from the following: Urban Management Focus Area or complete one of the following certificates: Human Resource Management Certificate or Museum Administration Certificate or Nonprofit Organizations and Leadership Certificate .

PADM 6881 - Nonprofit Management, Planning & Governance Credits: 3
PADM 6882 - Financial Management in Nonprofit Organizations Credits: 3
PADM 6883 - Marketing and Fundraising for Nonprofit Organizations Credits: 3
PADM 6884 - Human Resources Management for Nonprofit Organizations Credits: 3
PADM 6885 - Writing and Grants: Foundations, NPOs, Government Contracts Credits: 3
PADM 6858 - Seminar in Cultural Diversity Credits: 3
PADM 6860 - African-American Administrators in Urban Bureaucracy and Public Policy Credits: 3
PADM 6861 - Public Program Evaluation Credits: 3
PADM 6862 - Public Policy Implementation Credits: 3
PADM 6864 - Public Policy Formation Credits: 3
PADM 6865 - Special Topics in Public Policy Credits: 3
PADM 6872 - Human Resource Training and Development Credits: 3
PADM 6880 - Introduction to Non-profit Organizations and Management Credits: 3
PADM 6842 - State and Local Government Administration Credits: 3
PADM 6843 - Management and Leadership Behavior Credits: 3
PADM 6844 - Seminar in Public Policy Analysis Credits: 3
PADM 6845 - Urban Policy and Administration Credits: 3
PADM 6846 - Administrative Law Credits: 3
PADM 6851 - Social Welfare Policy, Planning, and Administration Credits: 3
PADM 6853 - Public Service Internship (Pre-service) Credits: 3
PADM 6855 - Special Topics in Public Administration Credits: 3
PADM 6000 - Special Topics Credits: 3
PADM 6100 - Independent Study Credits: 3
PADM 6831 - Ethics for Public Administrators Credits: 3
PADM 6837 - Intergovernmental Relations Credits: 3
PADM 6838 - American Public Policy Credits: 3
MSUS 8807 - Historic Preservation Credits: 3
MSUS 8830 - Applied Planning Practices Credits: 3
MSUS 8843 - Urban Analytics & Governance Credits: 3
MSUS 8850 - Urban Fiscal Policy Analysis Credits: 3
MSUS 8854 - Smart Infrastructure and Community Development Credits: 3
MSUS 8861 - History, Scope, and Practice of Public Administration Credits: 3
MSUS 8866 - African American Adms in Urban Bureau Credits:
MSUS 8867 - Conflict Resolution Credits: 3
MSUS 8871 - Environmental Management & Sustainability Credits: 3
MSUS 8878 - Security, Risk & Resilience Management Credits: 3
MUSE 6890 - Managing Museum Collections and Interpretation Credits: 3
MUSE 6891 - Administration of Museums, Historic Sites, and Science Centers Credits: 3
MUSE 6892 - Internship and Practicum Credits: 3
MUSE 6893 - Introduction to Museum Education Credits: 3
MUSE 6894 - Museum as Site for Social Action Credits: 3

Focus Area (12-18 Hours)

Students have an option to concentrate on a specific area of interest with the approval of their faculty advisor. Choose from the following: Urban Management Focus Area or complete one of the following certificates: Human Resource Management Certificate or Museum Administration Certificate or Nonprofit Organizations and Leadership Certificate .

Total: 36 Hours

A student must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all courses required for the degree.