The Master of Public Administration degree consists of 39 graduate hours, 24 of those hours being required core courses. The core courses include:

Public Administration 702: Research Methods in Public Administration
Public Administration 710: Public Sector Organizational Theory and Behavior
Public Administration 725: Public Management of Human Resources
Public Administration 745: Public and Nonprofit Governance
Public Administration 765: Public Sector Economics
Public Administration 802: Quantitative Methods for Public Sector Professionals
Public Administration 865: State and Local Government Finance
Public Administration 895: Public Decision Making

There are no prerequisites for the MPA program. Students develop a Plan of Study, in consultation with and approval by their faculty advisor and the graduate coordinator. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the 15 hours of electives to tailor educational experiences to career goals. Common choices for electives emphasize public management, public finance or public policy.

Students with limited work experience in the public sector are encouraged to consider an internship as part of their MPA program. Intern positions are remunerative and awarded on a competitive basis.

The Master of Public Administration degree is designed for students to begin study in the fall semester.  The deadline for applications for fall semester admission is April 1.   Admission to begin study in the spring semester is considered on an exceptional basis and class availability.  The deadline for spring admissions is November 1.

Admission and Application Requirements  (effective Fall semester of 2006)
 
Applicants for the degree program must meet the following requirements for admission to the Graduate School:

• Completion of undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Grade point average of at least 3.0 (4.0 scale) in the last 60 hours, including any post-graduate work.*
• INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS:  attain a minimum score of 600 paper-based, 250 computer-based, or 100 internet-based on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or an overall band score of 7.5 on the IELTS.

*  Faculty will consider exceptions to the minimum grade point requirement (3.0 in the last 60 hours) based on a student’s academic record, career plans, work and volunteer experience, and letters of reference.  In reviewing requests for exceptions faculty give consideration to achieving a diverse student body, racially and culturally, and a balance of pre-service and in-service students.

Two Part Application Process:

Part I: Complete Graduate School application and submit to the Graduate School.
Part II: Submit to the Graduate Coordinator of the Hugo Wall School the following:

• A letter of application outlining a student’s career plans and how the MPA degree would further those plans;
• A resume including a student’s work and volunteer experience; and
• Two letters of reference from individuals with direct knowledge of a student’s work experience or academic performance.

Graduate School  - Provides links to various Graduate School forms, including admission and application for degree.