GRADUATE DEGREES

Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Our MPA programs provide you with all the tools you need to excel in public service. All MPA students share a common core of coursework. After completing the core, students can take the generalist degree or elect one of four specializations.

Students enter the MPA at different points in their lives. Some students enter directly out of college, looking to fine-tune their skills and jump-start their careers. More experienced students recognize the importance of professional education to position themselves for career advancement. Others are looking to change careers. All are students committed to important issues of public interest.

We make it easy for students to fit the MPA program into their lives by providing options. Students can work toward their MPA full-time, part-time, or only on weekends in our Executive MPA program. The MPA program is a 42 to 45-credit program. The three-credit difference is due to an internship that is required for those students who have limited work experience. Your faculty advisor will decide if you will be required to do an internship or not. Each evening class meets one day a week from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Afternoon classes are from 2:30 to 5:30 pm.

CURRICULUM

The School of Public Affairs MPA program features a comprehensive, integrated curriculum designed to meet the needs of students and employers in an environment that is undergoing profound change. The heart of the MPA is a set of seven core courses and a capstone course, as well as an internship for those students who enter the MPA program without substantial work experience. The seven core courses, taken primarily at the beginning of the program, give the student a solid foundation and tools necessary to excel. The capstone course, taken at the end of the curriculum, allows the student to apply a variety of analytical skills gained during the program toward a culminating project. The internship places the student in a supervised setting in a government agency or non-profit or non-governmental organization where he or she is exposed to the challenges and culture of the public sector workplace. The MPA without internship is 42 credits; with internship it is 45 credits. All courses should be selected in consultation with the advisors in the Office of Student Affairs.

Core Courses		Credits
PAF 9100 -	Introduction to Public Affairs	3
PAF 9103 -	Communication in Public Settings	3
PAF 9120 -	Management I, Public and Not-for-Profit Sectors	3
PAF 9130 -	Economic Analysis and Public Policy	3
PAF 9140 -	Budgeting, Accounting, and Financial Analysis	3
PAF 9170 -	Research and Analysis I	3
PAF 9172 -	Research and Analysis II	3
PAF 9190 -	Capstone Seminar	3
PAF 9195 -	Internship in Public Affairs	3
View all Course Descriptions

A specialization is not required in order to complete the MPA program. Students can choose not to specialize and would then take any six electives that they choose, in consultation with an advisor. The MPA program is the same number of credits whether a student chooses to specialize or not. If you are following one of the specialization tracks, there are certain elective courses that you must take, depending on the track. If you do not choose a track, you can choose electives from the full variety courses we offer, thereby creating your own mix. Students may also take a limited amount of courses outside the School of Public Affairs and use them as electives in the MPA, with your faculty advisor's permission and if other relevant criteria are met.