Specific Degree Requirements

Each candidate for the master’s degree in Public Administration will be required to complete 24 credits of core courses, 9 credits of electives, and 3 credits of professional project.

Required Core Courses (24 credit hours):

PA                           6003                        Principles of Public Administration

PA                           6023                        Ethics

PA                           6053                        Public and Non-profit Budgeting

PA                           6063                        Public Policy

PA                           6073                        Research Methods

PA                           6083                        Organizational Leadership

PA                           6153                        Public Personnel Administration

PA                           6263                      Program Evaluation

Electives (9 credit hours) selected from the following:

PA                           6013                        Statistics for Public Administrators

PA                           6033                        Rural Politics

PA                           6043                        Legal Issues in Public Administration

PA                           6133                        Nonprofit Organizations

PA                           6183                        Special Topics I

PA                           6193                        Special Topics II

PA                           6253                        Social Activism

Required Project Course (3 credit hours):

PA                           6113                        Professional Project*

*Professional Project

All students are required to complete a professional project. This project is expected to incorporate the skills learned in the MPA program in a written product that is of use to a particular agency or organization. The student must receive prior approval in writing from the director of the MPA program before proceeding on the project. The student must be registered for PA 6113 during the term in which the project is completed. If a project is not completed during the term for which the student is enrolled, a grade of NC will be assigned. In order to complete the project the student must be enrolled for the credits during the term in which it will be completed.  If the student is successful in completing the project a grade of CR will be assigned for the term during which the project was completed. However, any previous NC grades will not be changed and only the credits the student earned while enrolled in the semester that the project was completed will be awarded.

Fall

• PA   6003 Principles of Public Administration
• PA   6133 Nonprofit Organizations
• PA   6053 Public and Non-profit Budgeting
• PA   6063 Public Policy
• PA   6083 Organizational Leadership
• PA   6113 Professional Project

Spring

• PA 6003 Principles of Public Administration (on as-needed basis)
• PA  6023 Ethics
• PA  6153 Public Personnel Administration
• PA   6263 Program Evaluation
• PA   6073 Research Methods (alternating Spring semesters)
• PA   6113 Professional Project

Summer I

• PA  6183 Special Topics: Public Technology (even years)
• PA  6193 Special Topics: Global and Comparative Public Administration (odd years)

Summer II

• PA  6033 Rural Politics (odd years)
• PA 6253 Social Activism (even years)

Summer I & II

• PA   6073 Research Methods
• PA   6113 Professional Project

As needed:

• PA  6013 Statistics for Public Administrators
• PA  6043 Legal Issues in Public Administration