Master of Public Administration
Curriculum
The M.P.A. degree requires a minimum of 33 credit hours (11 courses) of graduate work, including eight core courses.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | (24) | |
| PA 501 | Introduction to Public Admin | 3 |
| PA 502 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| PA 522 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| PA 532 | Public Financial Management | 3 |
| PA 568 | Strat Comp in the Public Sect | 3 |
| PA 580 | Policy Evaluation Analytics | 3 |
| PA 581 | Policy Design Analytics | 3 |
| PA 599 | Practicum | 3 |
| Elective Courses | (9) | |
| Select nine credit hours. Students may select courses to fulfill a desired specialization. See Specializations tab on this page for more details. | 9 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 33 | |
Elective courses may be selected from courses in public administration or other fields such as architecture, business, city and regional planning, civil engineering, computer science, design, environmental engineering, humanities, psychology, social sciences, or law. Taking a course outside the M.P.A. program requires the permission of the student’s adviser and the M.P.A. program director. No more than six credit hours may be taken in university courses numbered between 400 and 499. A maximum of nine credit hours of graduate-level coursework may be transferred from another accredited university if these have not been used toward a degree and upon approval of the student’s adviser and the M.P.A. program director.
M.P.A. with Nonprofit and Mission-Driven Management Specialization
This specialization is designed for professionals who want to become leaders and managers of nonprofit and other mission driven enterprises. It provides students with the skills needed to enter the nonprofit field, advance their current nonprofit career, or become a nonprofit or mission-driven enterprise entrepreneur. Students take the regular M.P.A. core curriculum and three electives from the nonprofit courses offered in the program. This program combines rigorous instruction with a practical orientation toward mission-driven organizational management.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | (9) | |
| Select a minimum of nine credit hours from the following: | 9 | |
| The Law & the Nonprofit Sector | 3 | |
| Adv Financial Managment | 3 | |
| Resource Dev in the Nonprofit | 3 | |
| Alternative Dispute Resolution | 3 | |
| Perf Meas Nonprofit/Pub Mgmt | 3 | |
| Public Pol/Nonprofits/Phlnthrp | 3 | |
| The Nonprofit Sector | 3 | |
| Nonprofits and the Public Sctr | 3 | |
| Social Capital & the Community | 3 | |
| Ethics & Prof Responsibility | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
M.P.A. with Security, Safety, and Risk Management Specialization
The Security, Safety, and Risk Management specialization is intended for professionals who want to acquire cutting edge security strategies and leadership techniques to successfully manage public safety and public or private sector emergency preparedness programs. Students take the regular M.P.A. core curriculum and three electives from the security, safety, and risk management courses offered in the program. This program combines rigorous instruction with a practical orientation.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | (9) | |
| Select a minimum of nine credit hours from the following: | 9 | |
| Administration Law | 3 | |
| Strategy & Structure: Homeland | 3 | |
| Crisis Mgmt/Homeland Security | 3 | |
| Info Syst Security/Cyber Crime | 3 | |
| Local Government Mgmt | 3 | |
| Alternative Dispute Resolution | 3 | |
| Perf Meas Nonprofit/Pub Mgmt | 3 | |
| Public Safety Administration | 3 | |
| Public Mgmt Strat 21st Century | 3 | |
| Ethics & Prof Responsibility | 3 | |
| Incident Rspnse Disaster Rcvry | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
M.P.A. with Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship Specialization
The specialization in Economic Development and Social Entrepreneurship is designed for professionals who want to become economic development leaders of social entrepreneurs. They will become managers and entrepreneurs who drive socially responsible economic change in a rapidly changing global environment. These professionals may work in the public sector specializing in developing cutting edge economic development strategies and programs at the local, state, or federal level or they may want to be mission-driven entrepreneurs who organize, manage, or create ventures that utilize social capital to foster local or regional economic development. Students take the regular M.P.A. core curriculum and three electives from the economic development and social entrepreneurship courses offered in the program.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | (9) | |
| Select a minimum of nine credit hours from the following: | 9 | |
| Adv Financial Managment | 3 | |
| Local Government Mgmt | 3 | |
| Social Entrepreneurship | 3 | |
| Public Infrastructure Mgmt | 3 | |
| Intro to Urban & Regional Plan | 3 | |
| Public Mgmt Strat 21st Century | 3 | |
| Urban and Regional Dev | 3 | |
| Political Economy | 3 | |
| Social Capital & the Community | 3 | |
| Plan,Policy Making&Bult Envir | 3 | |
| Ethics & Prof Responsibility | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
