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Nov 12, 2024
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2024-2025 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog
Public Administration, Civic and Nonprofit Leadership and Administration Concentration, MPA
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 Return to: Academic Programs
Department: Political Science
The purpose of the civic and nonprofit leadership and administration concentration is to develop leadership and administrative skills in strengthening organizational capacity, fostering civic and democratic life, and building social capital through understanding of the historical, political, economic, social and technological aspects of civic and nonprofit organizations.
Learning Outcomes
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Admission Requirements
Detailed information about admission is provided in the Admission – Graduate section of the catalog.
- A bachelor’s degree from a four-year accredited college or university; if the degree has not yet been awarded at the time of application, the successful applicant must be nearing completion of the bachelor’s degree
- A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 and an interview with the MPA program faculty
- A resumé
- Three letters of recommendation should come from professors or practitioners familiar with the student’s academic ability
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work
Students failing to meet the standard graduate admission criteria may also be considered on a conditional basis of acceptance. Students who are admitted to the MPA program on a conditional basis will work with the Writing Fellows Program until writing proficiency is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the graduate program coordinator.
Contact the Office of Graduate Admission to receive application materials.
Orientation program
All MPA students must attend a department sponsored orientation program before the first fall term they enroll in classes as a matriculated student. Grade Requirement
Students in the MPA program must maintain a 3.0 GPA. Students in the MPA program may not repeat courses that they have already completed, regardless of the grade they have earned for that course. Students who successfully graduate in the program may earn no more than one grade for a course that is less than a “B-“. Students who earn more than one grade lower than a “B-” will be subject to separation from the program.
MPA core courses (24 credits)
All students must complete the following MPA core curriculum component of the degree program:
Concentration requirements (6 credits)
Exit Requirement
The MPA program offers some degree of flexibility for exit from this program. All students are required to fulfill an exit requirement, which in most cases will require developing and orally presenting a comprehensive professional portfolio. This portfolio requires students to demonstrate mastery of fundamental principles and issues covered in the core curriculum. Eligibility requires that students complete all core curriculum courses except POLI 591 - Capstone Seminar in Public Administration , during which development and presentation of the portfolio will take place. Students will have two opportunities to pass the portfolio requirement.
In appropriate circumstances, such as a student interested in pursuing further graduate work at the doctoral level, a master’s thesis (POLI 588 ) with an oral defense is available. Students approved for this option must complete the full 39-credit program. The master’s thesis will carry an additional six hours of graduate credit for a total of 45 hours of credit. The thesis option is especially appropriate for students wishing to pursue a doctorate after completing the MPA, but is open to all students who meet the criteria established by the department. Departmental standards require the student to work closely with their advisor and to phase the work so that the project proposal is carefully designed and approved before the student advances to the next stage.
Total minimum credits: 39
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