The MPA curriculum consists of 39 credits including core (7), option-core (2) and elective (4) courses. Core courses are designed to develop comprehensive administrative, managerial, quantitative, financial and analytical skills with an understanding of their applications in different sectors. Elective courses provide opportunity to develop skills in more specialized areas, supplementing the core courses and facilitating the achievement of professional and career objectives. One of the four electives is a required internship in the public arena for pre-service students and can be replaced with an additional elective if the MPA Director approves a waiver. Students may complete the degree within 2 years full-time or approximately 3-4 years part-time.
| POLS 5000 Survey of Public Administration |
| POLS 5400 Public Personnel Management |
| POLS 5410 Administrative Behavior & Theory of Organizations |
| POLS 5440 Principles & Processes of Government Budgeting |
| POLS 5510 Public Policy and Program Management |
| POLS 5684 Empirical Analysis for Public Administration* |
| POLS 5690 Capstone in Public Management |
All MPA students are required to choose 2 courses designated as option core credit, defined as courses relating to more specific focuses of public administration and taught by MPA faculty members. Recent examples include:
| POLS 5420 Governing Utopia |
| POLS 5450 Administrative Regulation |
| POLS 5460 Public Administration and Law |
| POLS 5480 Ethics in Government |
| POLS 5710 Public Administration in Literature & Film |
MPA students are required to take 12 total hours of electives, which includes the internship unless a wavier is granted. Students should choose an elective track that most closely relates to their desired area of concentration. All electives must be approved by the MPA Director and may include some additional option-core credits if relevant.
| City Management |
| Environmental |
| Fiscal |
| Generalist |
| Health Care |
| Management |
| Non-Profit |
| Personnel/Human Resources |
