Master of Public Administration (MPA)

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

In addition to successful unconditional admission and admission to candidacy, successful completion of the required core courses and approved concentration elective courses with an overall grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) is required. If the student makes a "D" or "F" in a core course, the course must be retaken. If the student makes a "D" or "F" in an elective course, the course may be retaken or another elective taken in its place. The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree requires successful completion of the research component by completing PA 6601 with a grade of "B" or better, and successful completion of a written comprehensive examination for the ten course program, or for the twelve course program, successful completion of the capstone Seminar in Public Administration (PA 6699).

The MPA offers both a 30 semester hour and a 36 semester hour option. Both options require seven core courses and three concentration electives. The 36 hour option also requires a choice of one of three additional courses and successful completion of the capstone seminar. While the 30 hour option requires successful completion of a comprehensive examination, the 36 hour option does not, using the capstone course as the end of program assessment instead. Students seeking to change from the 30 semester hour to the 36 semester hour program, or vice versa, must file a new admission to candidacy. Program changes from the 30 semester hour to the 36 semester hour program are not permitted after attempting the comprehensive examination; likewise, program changes from the 36 semester hour program to the 30 semester hour program are not permitted after attempting the capstone seminar (PA 6699). The courses required and available in the two programs are as follows:

Courses listed in bold, red print are those courses currently available online through Distance Learning. Courses listed in regular black text below are NOT available online through Distance Learning at this time.

Ten Course Option - 30 Semester Hours

Required Courses

• PA 6601 Research Methods in Public Administration
• PA 6610 Public of Survey Administration
• PA 6622 Public Policy Analysis
• PA 6624 Public Personnel Management
• PA 6644 Administrative Law
• PA 6646 Organizational Behavior (cross-listed…refer to Course Schedule)
• or PA 6620 Organizational Theory
• PA 6650 Governmental Budgeting

And three electives from one concentration listed below.

Twelve Course Option - 36 Semester Hours

Required Courses

• PA 6601 Research Methods in Public Administration
• PA 6610 Public of Survey Administration
• PA 6622 Public Policy Analysis
• PA 6624 Public Personnel Management
• PA 6644 Administrative Law
• PA 6646 Organizational Behavior (cross-listed…refer to Course Schedule) or PA 6620 Organizational Theory
• PA 6650 Governmental Budgeting
• PA 6699 Seminar in Public Administration (Must be taken as final required core course)

Choose one of the following:

Core Elective Courses

• PA 6602 Quantitative Methods in Public Management
• PA 6603 Economics for Public Management
• PA 6674 Ethics in Public Administration

And three electives from ONE concentration listed below:

CONCENTRATION ELECTIVES (for both the 10 and 12-course options)

Courses listed in bold, red print are those courses currently available online through Distance Learning. Courses listed in regular black text below are NOT available online through Distance Learning at this time.

Choose three courses from ONE of the following areas:

Public Management

• PA 6602 Quantitative Methods in Public Management
• PA 6603 Economics for Public Management
• PA 6612 Comparative Public Administration
• PA 6620 Organizational Theory
• PA 6630 Governmental Planning
• PA 6631 Program Evaluation
• PA 6640 Intergovernmental Relations
• PA 6645 Managing Government Contracts
• PA 6646 Organizational Behavior (cross-listed…refer to Course Schedule)
• PA 6652 American Public Finance
• PA 6674 Ethics in Public Administration
• PA 6679 Computers and Government Management Information System (cross-listed...refer to Course Schedule)
• MAN 6695 Accounting Analysis

Justice Administration

• PA 6620 Organization Theory
• CJ 6620 Current Trends in Criminal Law
• CJ 6622 Seminar in the Administration of Justice
• CJ 6624 Court Administration
• CJ 6630 Juvenile Justice
• CJ 6640 Seminar in Law Enforcement
• CJ 6652 Seminar in Correction

National Security Affairs

• POL 6635 National Security Policy
• POL 5524 Contemporary American Foreign Policy
• POL 5551 Survey of International Relations
• POL 5552 International Law
• POL 6602 Geostrategic Studies
• POL 6610 International Organization
• POL 6620 International Economics
• POL 6660 Military Strategy and International Relations

Health Care Administration

• PA 6680 Health Care Administration
• PA 6681 Health & The Law
• PA 6682 Health Organizations & Professions
• PA 6683 Health Care Economics
• PA 6684 Policies of Health Care

Management Information System

• PA 6679 Computers and Government Information Systems (cross-listed…refer to Course Schedule)
• PA 6686 Current Problems and Issues in Public Sector Information Management
• PA 6687 Systems Analysis in Public Administration
• PA 6688 Government Data Communications, Networks, and Systems

Public Personnel Management

• HRM 6601 Legal Environment of Employment Decision
• HRM 6604 Labor Law
• HRM 6619 Seminar in Human Resources Administration
• HRM 6632 Compensation and Benefits
• HRM 6623 Training & Human Resource Development
• HRM 6622 Human Resources Staffing
• PA 6623 Job Evaluation and Training for Public Administration
• PA 6630 Governmental Planning
• PA 6646 Organization Behavior (cross-listed…refer to Course Schedule)

Note:

1. PA 6625, PA 6660, or PA 6694, with the prior approval of the topic by the Department Chair or faculty advisor may be utilized in any concentration. In combination these courses may not be used for more than 6 total semester hours of credit.
2. The Financial Management concentration is part of a specialized professional degree program which requires taking PA 6601, PA 6610, PA 6622, PA 6624, PA 6644, PA 6646, PA 6650, PA 6699, MAN 6645, and taking the entire Financial Management concentration.

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