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Master of Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program serves the needs of pre-service students who wish to begin a career in the management of public or nonprofit organizations, of mid-career public or nonprofit sector professionals who wish to enhance their potential for career advancement, and of people from the private sector who intend to move into the public or nonprofit sectors. The MPA is a broadly recognized credential for public service management at all levels of government and in many nonprofit organizations. It also serves as a foundation for doctoral work in the field of public administration.

The curriculum of the MPA program provides students with a range of theoretical and practice-based concepts in topical areas such as the field of public administration, leadership, ethics, public policy, methods of conducting research, and human resources and financial management. The curriculum also includes a variety of elective courses that allow students to tailor their programs to their particular career interests.

MPA REQUIREMENTS

Credit Hours

To earn an MPA degree the student must:
  • complete a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate work with a total grade-point average of B or better; 
  • receive a grade of B- or better in all required courses. Students who do not meet this minimum grade requirement in a course must re-take the course until they meet the requirement. No graduate course in which the student has earned a grade less than a C- is accepted toward the degree. 
  • pre-service students (those who have not had the equivalent of at least one year of professional practice experience in a public or nonprofit organization) are required to take an additional three semester hours of field study, bringing their minimum total hours to 39 credit hours. These three credit hours are met by taking PAD 6910, Field Study in Public Administration.

Course Load

The normal course load for a full-time student is 9 to 12 credit hours per semester. For financial aid purposes, full-time status for graduate students is five credit hours per semester. Students who work full time should not carry more than six semester hours.  Students who would like to carry a course load above 12 hours per semester should consult their faculty adviser.

MPA Common Core Courses

All MPA students must complete the following common required core courses:

  • PAD 5001  Introduction to Public Administration and Public Service
  • PAD 5002  Organizational Management and Change
  • PAD 5003  Research and Analytic Methods     
  • PAD 5004  Economics and Public Finance
  • PAD 5005  Policy Process and Democracy
  • PAD 5006  Ethics and Leadership                             

MPA Electives

Students must complete five elective courses (15 credit hours). SPA offers a wide variety of electives in nonprofit and public management and policy areas. Some are offered on a routine basis; others may be a one-time offering. Some examples of other elective courses offered by SPA include but are not limited to:

      • PAD 5110 Seminar in Nonprofit Management
      • PAD 5140 Nonprofit Financial Management
      • PAD 5220 Managing People in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
      • PAD 5270 Management Development
      • PAD 5440 Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
      • PAD 5626 Local Government Politics
In addition, students may take up to nine credit hours at other colleges and universities or in other schools and colleges within the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. This option requires advance approval from the associate dean.

Advanced Seminar/Professional Practicum

PAD 5361 This course presents students with the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in course work to a question of interest drawn from their current or future careers in public or nonprofit organizations. the Advanced Seminar/professional practicum is taken in the final semester of the student's program. It allows the student to apply the knowledge and skills gained in his or her course work through in-class discussions and individual or group projects. All core courses must be completed before a student enrolls in the advanced seminar.

Field Study in Public Administration

Students who have limited experience (generally defined as less than one year of experience) in public or nonprofit organizations must complete and internship. Students register for PAD 6910 for three credit hours while completing the internship, which includes a minimum of 300 hours of supervised work and study.

Note: This requirement raises the total semester hours needed to earn the MPA degree to 39. Applicants to the program will be reviewed, and those who must complete internships will be notified. Students ordinarily begin an internship following completion of the core and related elective courses.