Public Administration

Page address: http://www.mnsu.edu/ext/offerings/programs/public_administration.html

Degree Program	Public Administration
Subject Area	Political Science
Program URL	http://sbs.mnsu.edu/psle/graduate/publicadmin/
Type/Location	Off-Campus: 7700 France, Edina
Degree Type	Graduate - M..P.A.
Total Number of Credit Hours	34 Credits
Course Rotation	Fall 2009	660 Seminar in Public Administration
		562 Collective Bargaining
	Spring 2010	600 Research Methods
		563 Public Personnel Administration
	Fall 2010	663 Public Budgeting
		669 Policy Analysis
	Spring 2011	662 Human Resources
		628 Public Management
	Fall 2011	622 Theory & Practice
		680 State & Local Policy
	Spring 2012	606 Organizational Theory
		670 Public Law
	Fall 2012	628 Public Management
		660 Seminar in Public Administration
	Spring 2013	600 Research Methods
		563 Public Personnel Administration
Career Outlook	A Masters in Public Administration can prepare you for careers in City/County management, administrative officer, managment analyst, safety officer, computer specialist, security specialist, computer programmer, and even a systems analyst.
Program Description	The Political Science Department at MSU offers a Master of Public Administration (MPA). This program is intended for persons already in or preparing to enter public service, and is designed to enable the student to perform management or staff functions in such areas as finance, budget analysis, and personnel management. Students are prepared with knowledge of political and legal processes of government and with an appreciation for managerial decision-making skills required by public agencies. The links below are organized to provide you with easily accessible information regarding the details and requirements of the program.
Admission Requirements	Admission Requirements for the MPA (Master of Public Administration) are: An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last two years of undergraduate coursework, OR: Other factors (e.g. promising public or private sector work experience) demonstrating that the program can be successfully completed. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; All students need a reasonable background knowledge in government and quantitative methods. In some cases, the student's advisor may require that knowledge and skill deficiencies be remedied. The GRE is not required for admission to this program. All applicants are required to submit the following information to the College of Graduate Studies by the deadline for the semester applied: Application for Graduate Study All college transcripts in duplicate Verification of baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university Required information from international students. Upon receipt of the above information, the College of Graduate Studies forwards the student's file to the department for admission recommendation. After the graduate coordinator of the Political Science/Law Enforcement Department has recommended the student be admitted to the program, the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies will certify that the student meets the admission requirements and will then admit the student to the program and the College of Graduate Studies.
Other Requirements	There are 34 credits required for the MPA. In order to complete the required 34 graduate credits, students must take the following courses: Required Core (18 credits): POLS 600(3) Research Methods POLS 606(3) Organization Theory POLS 622(3) Seminar: Theory and Practice of Public Administration POLS 662(3) Human Resource Management POLS 663(3) Budget and Fiscal Management POLS 665(3) Seminar: Bureaucracy and Administrative Process Required Electives (10-15 credits); choose any 500/600 level electives selected in consultation with an advisor. 7 credits must be taken at the 600 level. Required Written Comprehensive and Oral Exams Required Thesis or Alternate Plan Paper POLS 669(3-6) Thesis OR POLS 694 (1-2) Alternate Plan Paper An oral defense of the thesis is required. MPA students must demonstrate proficiency in an advanced research methods area. The research requirement may be satisfied by taking POL 669: Seminar in Public Policy Analysis, or with the approval of the students advisor, by taking some other advanced research course or by demonstrating a foreign language competency. These credits may not be applied toward the Master's degree.
Program Contact Information	Political Science Department Minnesota State University, Mankato 109 Morris Hall Mankato , MN 56001 507-389-2721 jeffrey.granberg-rademacker@mnsu.edu