Master of Public Administration
Lead Faculty:
Dr. Maryam Davodi-Far
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is designed for students who want to pursue the challenging career of government management at the federal, state, or local level and nonprofit management. With an emphasis on the proactive public administrator, it is for those public administrators who aspire to top level positions. The degree provides a wide range of skills in financial management, budgeting, quantitative methods, urban planning and redevelopment, personnel policies, politics, and grant writing.
For students in the Bachelor of Public Administration/BS in Criminal Justice Administration/BS in Domestic Security Management/BA Political Science/MPA transition program, the University will waive up to two public administration courses taken as part of the bachelor’s degree (see BS in Bachelor of Public Administration/Criminal Justice Administration/BS in Domestic Security Management/BA Political Science transition program), but these students must still meet the residency requirements for the MPA. The number of courses waived is dependent on the courses taken and grades earned in the transition program.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Utilize critical thinking and research methods relevant to public administration in a multi-cultural environment.
- Evaluate the concept of new public management within a historical context.
- Analyze the impact of political influences on the public sector decision-making process.
- Analyze the division of power within American government as established by the U.S. Constitution.
- Describe, analyze, and evaluate the various approaches to managing government employees.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of public administration strategies for dealing with the media, community, and local government agencies.
- Evaluate the impact of public administration decisions on urban planning and redevelopment.
- Synthesize resources and approaches for developing grant proposals for community programs and services.
Requirements
(12 courses; 54 quarter units)
To be awarded a Master of Public Administration, students must complete at least 54 quarter units of graduate work. A total of 13.5 quarter units of graduate credit may be granted for equivalent graduate work completed at another institution, as it applies to this degree and provided the units were not used in earning another advanced degree. Students should refer to the section on graduate admission requirements for specific information regarding application and evaluation.
Core Requirements
(8 courses; 36 quarter units)
Students must complete four graduate courses from the following subject areas to meet the elective requirement: CJA, HUB, PAD, SCD, HRM, LED. Students who elect to have an area of specialization can not have the same classes count towards the elective requirement.
Core Requisite(s):
Program Electives
(4 courses; 18 quarter units)
Students must complete four graduate courses from the following subject areas to meet the elective requirement: CJA, HUB, PAD, SCD, HRM, LED. Students who elect to have an area of specialization can not have the same classes count towards the elective requirement.
Specialization
