The Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) is a nonbusiness degree that offers an outstanding education for individuals seeking an exciting career in the public or nonprofit sector. Students may enter the program from any undergraduate major. The M.P.A. is a highly marketable degree for entry into the fields of city management, urban planning, industrial recruitment, community development, nonprofit administration, public budgeting, and financial management.

Students who complete requirements for the City Management concentration will receive the Master of City Management (M.C.M.) degree. Students choosing other concentrations will be awarded the M.P.A. degree.

Admission Requirements:

   A student applying to the M.P.A. program must meet both the requirements for admission to the university as a graduate student and the admission criteria for the program. The student must submit transcripts of all academic work previously completed, scores on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and three letters of recommendation. Admission criteria include satisfactory undergraduate grade point average, satisfactory GRE scores, and letters of recommendation.    

Course Requirements

Core Courses:
PMGT 5100 Introduction to Public Administration.....................................3
PMGT 5120 Public Personnel Management...............................................3
PMGT 5140 Public Organization Theory...................................................3
PMGT 5160 Public Budgeting and Finance................................................3
PMGT 5180 Public Policy Analysis............................................................3
URBS 5637 Local and Regional Planning....................................................3

Concentration (See below) .................................................................12

Capstone*
PMGT 5800 Public Management Internship or
PMGT 5820 Public Management Consultantship
PMGT 5840 Public Management Report
Total semester credits.....................................36 Credit Hours *These courses fulfill the Culminating Experience requirement in the M.P.A. program.

Concentrations:

  1. City Management Concentration (Students selecting this concentration will receive the Master of City Management (M.C.M.) degree).  This concentration is designed for students who wish to pursue a degree in urban administration or local government administration.

Required Courses:
PMGT 5200 Administrative Law and Practice.............................................3
PMGT 5500 City Management Profession..................................................3
PMGT 5520 Urban Government...............................................................3
Guided Elective (with permission of Director)...........................................3
Total concentration credits.....................................12 Credits

2. Planning and Development Concentration (Students selecting this concentration will receive the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree)). This concentration is intended for students with a professional interest in urban planning, economic development, and community development.

Required Courses:
URBS 5020 Urban Planning Theory...........................................................3
URBS 5107 City Management Profession...................................................3
URBS 5347 Economic Development and Planning........................................3
Guided Elective (with permission of Director)...........................................3
Total concentration credits.....................................12 Credits

3. Public Financial Management Concentration (Students selecting this concentration will receive the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree). This concentration is intended for students interested in public budgeting and public finance.

Required Courses:
ACCT 5717 Not-for-profit Entity Accounting..............................................3
PMGT 5280 Seminar in Public Risk Management.........................................3
PMGT 5750 Public Sector Financial Management.......................................3
Guided Elective (with permission of Director)...........................................3
Total concentration credits.....................................12 Credits

4. Not-For-Profit Administration Concentration This concentration is designed for students who wish to work in not-for-profit organizations.

Required Courses:
PMGT 5300 Not-for-Profit Resource Development......................................3
ELPA 6955 Grant and Proposal Development.............................................3
PMGT 5750 Public Sector Financial Management.......................................3
Total concentration credits.....................................9 Credits

One Guided Elective from the Following Courses:
ACCT 5717 Not-for-Profit Accounting.......................................................3
MKTG 5010 Essentials of Marketing..........................................................3
PMGT 5240 Seminar in Public Management...............................................3
PMGT 5955 Topics in Public Management.................................................3
PUBR 5320 Public Relations Case Studies..................................................3
SOAA 5444 Applied Data Analysis for the Social Sciences............................3
Total elective hours............................................3 Credits