Program Description

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The College of Letters and Science and the Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business offer and present jointly the Master of Public Administration (MPA). The program is designed to provide theoretical and practical preparation for careers in public and non-profit administration with three areas of concentration - municipal management, general public administration, and non-profit management.

Students entering the MPA program will be placed, at the discretion of the MPA Director in one of two tracts (A or B) within the core. The minimum degree requirement is 39 credits for Track A and 42 for Track B.

Track A
Students with a significant public sector or nonprofit sector work experience may, at the discretion of the MPA Director have the Government/Non-profit Administrative Internship course waived from the core requirements. Students placed in the track will need to meet with the MPA Director to discuss placement in the track and to also provide documentation of current public or non-profit work experience.

Track B
Students with no significant public or non-profit work experience are required to enroll in and successfully complete the Government/Non-profit Administrative Internship course. Students placed in this track are also required to obtain, with the assistance of the MPA Director, one or more internships in either the public either the public or non-profit sector while enrolled in the MPA program.

Required/Core Courses

Required/Core Courses (21-24 credits)

  • Bus Mgmt 709 - Data Analysis for Management Applications (3 cr)
  • Bus Adm 738 - Human resource Management (3 cr)
  • Pol Sci/Urb Plan 630 - Budgeting and Finance in the Public Sector (3 cr)
  • Pol Sci 763 - Scope and Dynamics of Public Administration (3 cr)
  • Pol Sci 769 - Analyzing and Evaluating Public Policies and Programs (3 cr)
  • Pol Sci 921 - Government/Non-profit Administrative Internship (3 cr)
  • Pol Sci 959 - Capstone Seminar in Public Administration (3 cr)

One seminar in organizational management and leadership (2 cr) selected from the following list:

  • Bus Adm 443 - Special Topics in Human Resources Management (3 cr)
  • Bus Mgmt 732 - Managing in a Dynamic Environment (3 cr)
  • Bus Adm 737 - Decision Making in Organizations (3 cr)

Note: Students are required to have taken an undergraduate statistics course as well as an undergraduate economics course prior to being admitted into the MPA program. Those students who have not taken these courses may be admitted "with deficiencies" at the discretion of the admissions committee. If admitted under this status, students will need to complete these courses during their course of study.

Concentrations

Concentration 1: Municipal Management (18 credits)

  • Bus Adm 842 - Government & Non-profit Accounting (3 cr)
  • Pol Sci 965 - Municipal Management (3 cr)

Select two of the following (other courses may be substituted with MPA Director approval):

  • Pol Sci 914 - Intergovernmental Relations (3 cr)
  • Urb Plan 651 - Land Use Planning (3 cr)
  • Urb Plan 683 - Planning for Small Towns (3 cr)
  • Urb Plan 710 - Planning Context and Applications (3 cr)
  • Urb Plan 750 - Local Regulations of Land Use (3 cr)

Moreover, the student must select an additional six elective credits, with the approval of the MPA Director, that relate to the student's substantive interests within the discipline of public administration.

Concentration 2: General Public Administration (18 credits)

  • Bus Adm 798 - Strategic Planning for Public & Non-profit Organizations (3 cr)
  • Comm 705 - Effective Presentation/Communication (3 cr)
  • Pol Sci 452 - Administrative Law (3 cr)
  • Pol Sci 914 - Intergovernmental Relations (3 cr)

Moreover, the student must select an additional six elective credits, with the approval of the MPA Director, that relate to the student's substantive interests within the discipline of public administration.

Concentration 3: Non-profit Organization and Management (18 credits)

  • Bus Adm 428 - Government and Non-profit Accounting (3 cr)
  • Bus Adm 766 - Marketing for Non-profit Organizations (3 cr)
  • Bus Adm 718 - Business Perspectives on Non-profit Organizations (3 cr)
  • Pol Sci 789 - Theory and Role of Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr)

Moreover, the student must select an additional six elective credits with the approval of the MPA Director, that relate to the student's substantive interests within the discipline of public administration.