Master of Public Administration
Admission Requirements
Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:
- Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
- Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study.
- Tests Required GRE or GMAT scores are required from applicants who are requesting program-administered financial assistance.
- Minimum English Competency Test Score
- TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores, OR,
- PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
- Letters of Recommendation Three required from instructors familiar with the applicant’s academic training or supervisors familiar with the applicant’s professional experiences.
- Personal Statement Required. Applicants must submit a brief statement of their professional goals and academic interests.
- Additional Materials Applicants must submit a resume and a 5–10 page writing sample.
- Nondegree Applicants Nondegree applicants must submit an official transcript from their baccalaureate institution, resume, writing sample, three letters of recommendation, and a letter stating which courses they would like to take and why they feel nondegree admission would be beneficial.
Degree Requirements
In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 54.
- Course Work
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Core Courses (30 semester hours) a | ||
| Foundations of Public Service | ||
| Principles of Data Analysis | ||
| Economics for Management and Policy | ||
| Principles of Financial Management and Budgeting | ||
| Public Management Practices | ||
| Public Policy Development and Process | ||
| Public Administration Capstone | ||
| Managing Your Career | ||
| Professional Portfolio | ||
| Elective Courses (8 semester hours) | ||
Two elective courses or equivalent that support the student's educational, career, and professional objectives, selected with approval of the advisor. | ||
- a
Full-time students are required to take PA 401, PA 402, and PA 591 in their first semester and the first six courses over their first three semesters. PA 590 will be required in one of the last two semesters, and PA 592 in the last semester.
In addition to the core and elective courses, students must select one of four areas of concentration:
- Public Management
- Nonprofit Management
- Financial Management
- Urban Governance and Management
Each concentration requires the equivalent of four courses (16 semester hours). Students have the option to create their own specialized (self-directed) concentration with faculty approval.
Public Management Concentration
Students must select one of the following tracks:
- General Track
- Information and Performance Management Track
- Emergency Management and Continuity Planning Track
- Survey Methods Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Courses | ||
| At least 16 semester hours must be taken in the area of the concentration. PA 521 is required for all tracks. | ||
| General Track | ||
| Strategic Management: Planning and Measurement (required) | ||
| Project Management | ||
| Civic Technology | ||
| Ethics and Accountability | ||
| Leadership in Public Organizations | ||
| The Legal Context of Public Administration | ||
| Public Policy Analysis | ||
| Change and Reform in Public Organizations | ||
| Human Resource Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors | ||
| Labor Management Relations in the Public Sector | ||
| Managing Workplace Diversity | ||
| Conflict Management | ||
| Public Procurement and Contracting | ||
| Intergovernmental Management | ||
| Information and Performance Management Track | ||
| Civic Technology (required) | ||
| Strategic Management: Planning and Measurement (required) | ||
| Project Management | ||
| Management of Information Technology | ||
| Data Management | ||
| Data Analytics | ||
| Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Public Managers | ||
| Topics in Political Communication | ||
| Emergency Management and Continuity Planning Track a | ||
| Fundamentals of Emergency Management and Resilience Planning (required) | ||
| Strategic Management: Planning and Measurement (required) | ||
| Environmental Risk Assessment and Management | ||
| Strategic Emergency Management and Continuity Planning | ||
| Disaster Response and Recovery Operations | ||
| Integrative Project in Emergency Management | ||
| Survey Methods Track b | ||
| Strategic Management: Planning and Measurement (required) | ||
| Civic Technology | ||
| Survey Questionnaire Design | ||
| Surveys, Public Opinion, and Public Policy | ||
| Practicum in Survey Methodology | ||
| Survey Data Collection Methods: Theory and Practice | ||
| Seminar on Special Topics in Survey Methodology | ||
| Applied Survey Sampling and Analysis | ||
- a
Note: To earn the Campus Certificate in EMCP, offered through the School of Public Health/College of Business Administration, students must take HPA 407, EOHS 572, IDS 524, IDS 541, and HPA 497, using one of their elective courses.
- b
Note: To earn the Campus Certificate in Survey Research Methods, students must take PA 577/CHSC 577, PA 582, and PA 588.
Nonprofit Management Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Courses | ||
| At least 16 semester hours must be taken in the area of concentration. | ||
| Nonprofit Management (required) | ||
| Project Management | ||
| Civic Technology | ||
| Strategic Management: Planning and Measurement | ||
| Human Resource Management in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors | ||
| Nonprofit History and Theory of the Nonprofit Sector | ||
| Development and Fundraising in Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Advanced Topics in Financial Analysis and Management | ||
Financial Management Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Courses | ||
| At least 16 semester hours must be taken in the area of concentration. | ||
| Strategic Management: Planning and Measurement | ||
| Public Policy Analysis | ||
| Advanced Topics in Financial Analysis and Management | ||
| Accounting for Public and Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Capital Budgeting and Finance | ||
| State and Local Public Finance | ||
| Advanced Topics in Public Budgeting | ||
Urban Governance and Management Concentration
Students must select either the General Track or the Local Government Management Track.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Concentration Courses | ||
| At least 16 semester hours must be taken in the area of concentration. PA 561 is required for all tracks. | ||
| General Track | ||
| Civic Engagement | ||
| Topics in Management and Leadership of Public Organizations (required) | ||
| Intergovernmental Management (required) | ||
| Public Policy Analysis | ||
| State and Local Public Finance | ||
| Local Government Management | ||
| Economic Development I: Analysis | ||
| Seminar in Urban Politics | ||
| Urban Public Policy | ||
| Local Government Management Track | ||
| Civic Engagement | ||
| Intergovernmental Management (required) | ||
| Local Government Management (required) | ||
| Topics in Management and Leadership of Public Organizations | ||
| Strategic Management: Planning and Measurement | ||
| Conflict Management | ||
| Public Procurement and Contracting | ||
| Advanced Topics in Financial Analysis and Management | ||
| Accounting for Public and Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Capital Budgeting and Finance | ||
| State and Local Public Finance | ||
| Advanced Topics in Public Budgeting | ||
Other Requirements
- Students with a unique specialized interest can create an individualized concentration consisting of 16 semester hours of course work. The course work must be coordinated and focused on a specific area of interest. The concentration courses must be approved by the director of graduate studies and may be in the Department of Public Administration as well other departments and schools within the university.
- Comprehensive Examination: None
- Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options: Course work only. No other options available.
Interdepartmental Concentrations
Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in select concentrations after consulting with their graduate advisor. Interdepartmental concentrations available for this degree include: