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 2.75/4.00 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 iBT 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21, OR,
    • IELTS Academic 6.5, with 6.0 in each of the four subscores, OR,
    • PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56.
  • Personal Statement Required. Applicants must submit a brief statement of their professional goals and academic interests.
  • Additional Materials
    • Required: Applicants must submit a resume.
    • Optional: Applicants may submit a 5–10 page writing sample and up to three letters of recommendation. These letters should be from instructors familiar with the applicant’s academic training or supervisors familiar with the applicant’s professional experiences. 
  • Nondegree Applicants Nondegree applicants must submit an official transcript from their baccalaureate institution, resume, 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.
  • Coursework
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:

  1. Public Management
  2. Nonprofit Management
  3. Financial Management
  4. 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
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

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

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.

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 coursework. The coursework 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 Policy, Management, and Analytics as well other departments and schools within the university.
  • Comprehensive Examination: None
  • Thesis, Project, or Coursework-Only Options: Coursework 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: