MPA 8010 : Management Internship
Administrative field experience in an agency or organization. Permission of the MPA Director required.
Public Administration
Degrees and Certificates
The mission of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is to offer graduates the knowledge of values, roles, skills, and practices that will help them become competent professionals capable of ethical, intelligent, inclusive, and creative leadership in public service. This program is offered either fully on-campus, fully online, or in a hybrid format (multi-modality).
This program is NASPAA accredited.
Classes
MPA 8011 : Public Administration Theory
Tension between bureaucracy-democracy; theories about the nature and development of public administration in the United States.
Credits
3MPA 8012 : Individual Research I
An individual research project under the direction of public administration faculty member. Permission of MPA Director and consent of faculty member required.
Credits
3MPA 8013 : Individual Research II
An individual research project under the direction of public administration faculty member. Permission of MPA Director and consent of faculty member required.
Credits
3MPA 8020 : Comprehensive Exam Prep Course
Must have taken all MPA required courses (MPA 8011-8061) and completed 24 credits.
Credits
0MPA 8021 : Leadership Ethics
Examines assumptions implicit in various organizational designs and highlights the importance of fidelity to value- based decision-making.
Credits
3MPA 8031 : Financial Management
The study of financial management of government and non- profit organizations that will provide skills for evaluating alternative courses of action in financial decision making. Topics include the budgetary process, revenue policy, financial controls, debt management, and capital budgeting.
Credits
3MPA 8041 : Human Centered Management
Public versus private personnel management; also topics such as recruitment, selection, training, career management, performance assessment, grievances and appeals.
Credits
3MPA 8051 : Applied Data Analysis
Introduction to applied research methods for the public and nonprofit sectors. Exposure to and utilization of data gathered from a variety of research sources with attention paid to determining the value of such research for public administration.
Credits
3MPA 8061 : Organization Theory
The study of the similarities and differences in various formal and complex organizations, the structures and dynamics of these organizations, and the theories applicable to such organizations.
Credits
3MPA 8100 : Decision-Making
The study of the decision making behavior of individuals, work-groups, departments, and complex organizations. The securing of consistency, the coordinating of various planning units, and the economizing of planning efforts in regard to decision making will also be included.
Credits
3MPA 8199 : Spec Top in Public Admin
Selected subjects of special interest in public administration.
Credits
3MPA 8200 : Strategic Communication
The study of the communication process within and among complex organizations and the listening, writing, and speaking skills needed to promote better relations among individuals and organizations.
Credits
3MPA 8299 : Spec Top in Public Admin
Selected subjects of special interest in public administration. Three one-credit courses may be used to substitute for a three-credit elective.
Credits
1MPA 8400 : Strategic Planning
The study of strategic planning and strategic management with special emphasis upon planning models as well as planning functions.
Credits
3MPA 8500 : Effective City Management
Relating to community, working with the governing body, creating the organizational climate for excellence, overseeing the delivery of services, promoting the community's future, conducting relations with other governments, and maintaining personal effectiveness.
Credits
3MPA 8550 : Urban Politics and Government
The study of city and suburban governments in metropolitan areas; special emphasis devoted to such topics as governmental form, city-suburb relations, race and ethnic relations, and economic change.
Credits
3MPA 8600 : Effective Non-Prof Mgmt
Examination of nonprofit civic and political involvement, ethics and accountability, leadership and board development, human resources practices, financial management and performance measurement, philanthrophy and fundraising, volunteer management, and marketing and communications.
Credits
3MPA 8700 : Fundraising for Non-Prof Org
Development plans, institutional mission & readiness factors, development of office operations, analysis of constituencies & effectiveness, communications & marketing, the role of the board of directors & volunteers, ethical considerations of fundraising, benchmarking, & the role of technology on philanthropy.
Credits
3MPA 8800 : Managing Public Networks
Theories of federalism, intergovernmental relations, and intergovernmental and intersectoral networks, collaborative decision-making approaches and negotiating skills.
Credits
3MPA 8900 : Public Policy
Models of the policy making process; also special topics such as privatization, public enterprises, deregulation, and benefit-cost analysis.