Master of Public Administration
One of the best MPA programs
U.S.News & World Report ranks 糖心logo入口 State's MPA program among the nation's best.
Calling all leaders.
Prepare to make a difference in your community, your region and beyond. 糖心logo入口 State University鈥檚 Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree is offered as a traditional on-campus program in 糖心logo入口 and via Interactive Television (ITV) courses on 糖心logo入口 State's regional campuses in Paducah, Madisonville, Henderson, Hopkinsville or Fort Campbell. The degree can also be completed entirely online as well. The MPA degree readies students for a successful career as upper-level administrators in public service organizations. Whether you are currently employed or desire to work in the public or private sector, this program is ideal for individuals to advance professionally in the field of public administration.
100 percent online (or face-to-face) program provides the ultimate convenience.
Our online MPA students are not limited by times of the day or days of the week while pursuing their degree. Work towards your degree at times that are most convenient for you! Many of our courses also feature e-textbooks, adding even more convenience and reducing the cost of your overall degree.
Earn your graduate degree in just 12 months with our online program.
Graduates can complete their degree in as little as one year (online only option) 鈥� and many of our graduates have achieved their MPA in less than two years.
Graduate Programs Tuition and Fees
MPA Program Concentrations
糖心logo入口 State鈥檚 MPA program offers students a chance to develop their areas of specialization with various concentration options. Currently, we offer five concentrations in the areas of Public Management, Health Administration, Public and Community Health, Economic Development and Non-Profit Leadership Studies. Students also can develop their own concentrations in their areas of interest.
Healthcare is one of the largest industries and employers in the United States. Students interested in the different facets of health care administration may complete 21 hours in this area.
Requirements: 36 credit hours
- POL 660 Research Methods
- POL 670 Foundations of Public Administration
- POL 671 Public Policy Analysis
- POL 673 Public Budgeting and Finance
- POL 674 Public Organizations
- POL 681 Public Sector Human Resource Management
- POL 688 Capstone in Public Administration I (1 hr) AND POL 689 Capstone in Public Administration II (2 hrs)
- PCH 601 Overview of the Healthcare Delivery System
- PCH 605 Health Administration and Management
- PCH 615 Financial Aspects of Health Service Organizations
- PCH 620 Healthcare Planning
- Choose 1 of the following courses:
- POL 648 Health Policy
- PCH 648 Health Policy
- PCH 701 Healthcare Quality Management
The field of community health is expected to grow significantly. Students interested in promoting and implementing health promotion programs will complete 21 hours in public and community health.
Total Course Requirements: 36 credit hours
- POL 660 Research Methods
- POL 670 Foundations of Public Administration
- POL 671 Public Policy Analysis
- POL 673 Public Budgeting and Finance
- POL 674 Public Organizations
- POL 681 Public Sector Human Resource Management
- POL 688 Capstone in Public Administration I (1 hr) AND POL 689 Capstone in Public Administration II (2 hrs)
- PCH 603 Health Behavior
- PCH 610 Biostatistics in Public Health
- PCH 611 Epidemiology
- Choose 1 of the following courses:
- POL 648 Health Policy
- PCH 648 Health Policy
- Choose 1 of the following courses:
- PCH 612 Environmental Health: A Public Health Perspective
- PCH 675 Health Assessment and Evaluation
Economic development is one of the main concerns for all governments. Students interested in this concentration will take 12 hours of courses in economic development.
Total Course Requirements: 36 credit hours
- POL 660 Research Methods
- POL 670 Foundations of Public Administration
- POL 671 Public Policy Analysis
- POL 673 Public Budgeting and Finance
- POL 674 Public Organizations
- POL 681 Public Sector Human Resource Management
- POL 688 Capstone in Public Administration I (1 hr) AND POL 689 Capstone in Public
Administration II (2 hrs)
- Choose 3 of the following courses:
- ECO 610 Introduction to Economic Development
- ECO 611 Economic Development Methods
- ECO 655 Cost-Benefit Analysis
- FIN 610 Economic Development Finance
- Choose 2 of the following courses:
- POL 642 Government and Business
- POL 667 Regulatory Politics and Policy
- POL 672 Public Planning and Evaluation
- POL 677 Local Government Administration
- POL 678 State and Regional Government, Politics, and Administration
- POL 682 Land Use and Planning Law
Non-profit leadership studies is designed for public service professionals who intend to enter careers in not-for-profit organizations. Students interested in this concentration will take 12 hours of courses in non-profit leadership studies.
Total Course Requirements: 36 credit hours
- POL 660 Research Methods
- POL 670 Foundations of Public Administration
- POL 671 Public Policy Analysis
- POL 673 Public Budgeting and Finance
- POL 674 Public Organizations
- POL 681 Public Sector Human Resource Management
- POL 688 Capstone in Public Administration I (1 hr) AND POL 689 Capstone in Public Administration II (2 hrs)
- NLS 600 The Nonprofit Sector and Civil Society
- Choose 3 of the following courses:
- NLS 602 Financial Resource Management and Development
- NLS 625 Nonprofit Organization Development, Management, and Leadership
- NLS 630 Nonprofit Organizations and Community Development: Comprehensive Strategies for Impact
- NLS 665 Policy, Legal Issues, and Advocacy for Social Change in Nonprofit Organizations
- NLS 675 Social Entrepreneurship
- Choose 1 of the following:
- POL 639 Public Sector Leadership
- POL 668 Ethics in Public Administration
The MPA concentration in public management is designed for public service professionals who intend to enter careers in the management of public agencies.
Total Course Requirements: 36 credit hours
- POL 660 Research Methods
- POL 670 Foundations of Public Administration
- POL 671 Public Policy Analysis
- POL 673 Public Budgeting and Finance
- POL 674 Public Organizations
- POL 681 Public Sector Human Resource Management
- POL 688 Capstone in Public Administration I (1 hr) AND POL 689 Capstone in Public
Administration II (2 hrs)
- Choose 5 of the following courses:
- POL 639 Public Sector Leadership
- POL 659 Intergovernmental Relations
- POL 668 Ethics in Public Administration
- POL 672 Public Planning and Evaluation
- POL 677 Local Government Administration
- POL 678 State and Regional Government, Politics, and Administration
- POL 679 Public Sector Labor Relations
- POL 683 Comparative Public Administration
- POL 686 Law in Public Administration
General MPA Course Requirements
Total Course Requirements: 36 credit hours
- POL 660 Research Methods
- POL 670 Foundations of Public Administration
- POL 671 Public Policy Analysis
- POL 673 Public Budgeting and Finance
- POL 674 Public Organizations
- POL 681 Human Resource Administration
- POL 688 Capstone in Public Administration I (1 hr) AND POL 689 Capstone in Public Administration II (2 hrs)
- POL Graduate Electives (15 hrs)
Notes
- A student may take 15 hours of graduate electives from outside the Department of Political Science and Sociology to fulfill a specialized option or area of interest with the approval of the MPA director.
- At least half of the total course work must be taken at the 600 level.
- A maximum of 15 hours of relevant graduate courses with a grade of B or better may be transferred from a regionally accredited university for credit in the MPA program. No more than nine hours of comparable courses may be transferred into the core as evaluated by the MPA director. Official transferral of this credit shall take place after successful completion of nine hours of graduate work at 糖心logo入口.
The listed requirements provide an example of what is applicable to most students entering 糖心logo入口 at the present time. Criteria as they may relate to individual students may vary. The primary source is the 糖心logo入口 State Bulletin applicable at the time of the student's enrollment.
Requirements for Admission
The GRE is not required for admission. Applicants must meet 糖心logo入口 requirements. Additional requirements for unconditional and conditional admission are as follows.
To qualify for unconditional admission, an applicant must have:
- an undergraduate major in political science, other social science or business, or substantial background in relevant disciplines;
- a grade point average of 2.75 (on a 4.00 scale);
- students whose native language is not English must present a minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper-based test or an overall score of 79 on the internet-based test (iBT), with no score on the writing, listening and reading sections below 16, or an overall score of 6.0 on the IELTS, with no score on any band below 5.0.
For conditional admission, an applicant may have:
- a grade point average between 2.25 and 2.74 (on a 4.00 scale) or
- an overall grade point average of 2.0 to 2.24 if the student鈥檚 experience is evaluated by the director and faculty of the MPA program as indicating the likelihood of success;
- students whose native language is not English must present a minimum TOEFL score of 550 on the paper-based test or an overall score of 79 on the internet-based test (iBT), with no score on the writing, listening and reading sections below 16, or an overall score of 6.0 on the IELTS, with no score on any band below 5.0.
Our graduates are successful leaders
糖心logo入口 State MPA graduates are employed in federal, state and local government offices as well as non-profit organizations and for-profit firms. Our graduates are making a difference every day in the following careers:
鈥淭he MPA program at 糖心logo入口 State provided a deep understanding of public service and the complexities surrounding public policy formation and implementation. Anyone pursuing a career within the public sector, or careers that involve interaction with the public sector, should consider the MPA program as essential. Understanding the political, social and personal motivations that drive our society have been fundamental to becoming more effective and efficient with my current occupation.鈥�
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