Public Administration (MPA)

Program Educational Goals:

Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program Educational Goals

Articulate, apply, and advance a public service perspective by articulating and applying the values of democratic governance (e.g., effectiveness, efficiency, ethical behavior, equity, economy, responsiveness) to solving policy and organizational problems.
Lead and manage in the public interest by demonstrating the technical skills required to manage public-service organizations (e.g., human resource management, budgeting/ financial management, strategic and business planning); the personal competencies necessary for managing and leading in the public service (e.g., teamwork, collaborative competencies, self-awareness and reflection, resilience); and a leadership vision for working in government and nonprofit organizations.
Communicate and interact productively and in culturally responsive ways with a diverse and changing workforce and society at large by demonstrating empathy to recognize and through understanding multiple perspectives and developing self-awareness to manage oneself and others. This includes building resilience to handle emotionally challenging work and policy situations, listening actively and effectively, and speaking and writing clearly and accurately in ways that all relevant audiences can comprehend.
Participate in, and contribute to, the public policy process by defining the stages of the policy process, engaging with, and understanding and describing the roles and responsibilities of the various actors involved in the process and their leverage points as well as the needs and values of target populations and other stakeholders affected by policy design and implementation, and reflecting on and articulating the balance of different public values in the process.
Analyze, synthesize, think creatively, solve problems, and make evidence-informed decisions in a complex and dynamic environment by searching for and marshaling credible and appropriate evidence, analyzing that evidence through the lens of relevant theories and frameworks of public administration, and identifying and selecting options to make optimal decisions.

Program Policy Document:

Please see the Program Policy Document for more information.

Requirements for the Degree:

The 36-credit Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree is designed to provide professional training for public or nonprofit management careers. The curriculum is divided into four areas:

Core Courses
Specialization Area
Internship Experience
Capstone Project (or Thesis)

All students are required to attain a grade of C or better in all courses counted toward the MPA degree. In accordance with university policy, students must also maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

Consistent with NASPAA accreditation standards, the MPA curriculum is designed to focus on the acquisition and development of five universal competencies:

To lead and manage in public governance;,
To participate in and contribute to the policy process;,
To analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions;,
To articulate and apply a public service perspective;, and
To communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.

Core:

UAPP 684 - Performance Management and Program Evaluation Credit(s): 3
or
UAPP 702 - Research Methods in Urban and Public Policy Credit(s): 3
UAPP 689 - Innovation and Technology in Public and Nonprofit Organizations Credit(s): 3
UAPP 690 - Seminar: Public Administration Credit(s): 3
UAPP 691 - Quantitative Analysis in Public and Nonprofit Sectors Credit(s): 3
UAPP 693 - Economics in Public & Nonprofit Sectors Credit(s): 3
UAPP 694 - Financial Management in Public & Nonprofit Sectors Credit(s): 3
UAPP 696 - Human Resources in Public and Nonprofit Organizations Credit(s): 3
UAPP 697 - Leading Organizations in Public & NP Sectors Credit(s): 3

Specialization:

A student will choose an area of specialization prior to the third semester of full-time study. There are five specialization options available in the in-person MPA modality and two options in the online modality, and students may also design their own specialization:

Nonprofit Management (in-person)
Public Management (in-person)
Public Policy Analysis (in-person)
Emergency Management (in-person)
Health Systems Management (in-person and online)
General Specialization (online)
Individualized Specialization developed by the student in conjunction with their mentor and with the approval of the MPA Director.

Nonprofit Management:

UAPP 673 - Governing Nonprofit Organizations Credit(s): 3
Select at least six additional credits from recommended courses or discuss other course options with your academic advisor.

Public Management:

UAPP 684 - Performance Management and Program Evaluation Credit(s): 3
Select at least six additional credits from recommended courses or discuss other course options with your academic advisor.

Public Policy Analysis:

UAPP 701 - Public Policymaking Credit(s): 3
Select at least six additional credits from recommended courses or discuss other course options with your academic advisor.

Emergency Management:

DISA 650 - Overview of Disaster Science and Management Credit(s): 3
Select at least six additional credits from recommended courses or discuss other course options with your academic advisor.

Health Systems Management:

UAPP 657 - Health Policy Credit(s): 3
Select at least six additional credits from recommended courses or discuss other course options with your academic advisor.

Individualized Specialization:

Required BSPA Threshold Course: Determined in consulatation with their mentor and with the approval of the MPA Director (three credits).
The additional 6 credits for each specialization are to be selected from BSPA course lists developed by the MPA Director in conjunction with the MPA faculty, as well as other relevant graduate-level university courses (subject to the MPA Director approval).

Internship Experience

An internship is required for the MPA program in-person modality unless a student receives permission from the internship coordinator and the MPA Director to waive this requirement. The internship requirement is fulfilled through UAPP 860 Internship Seminar (1).

UAPP 860 - Internship Seminar Credit(s): 1

Capstone Project or Thesis:

This requirement may be fulfilled in one of the following ways:

By completing a two-credit Capstone Project practicum course (UAPP 699) for in-person students or a three-credit Capstone Project practicum course (UAPP 685) for online students in which students:
1. Work in teams to complete a consulting project for a client;
2. Provide their recommendations to their clients in a formal consulting report and presentation;
3. Complete an individual professional portfolio; or
By writing and defending a master’s thesis (UAPP 869) for 6 credits.

UAPP 699 - Capstone Project in Public Management and Policy Credit(s): 2 (In-person modality)
or
UAPP 685 - Capstone Project in Public Management and Policy Credit(s): 3 (Online modality)
or
UAPP 869 - Master’s Thesis Credit(s): 1-6