Public Administration (P ADM)

Degree Conferred: M.P.A.

The Graduate Faculty

• Beverly A. Cigler, Ph.D. (Penn State) Professor of Public Policy and Administration
• Cynthia Mara, Ph.D. (Virginia Tech) Associate Professor of Health Care Administration and Policy
• Göktug Morçöl, Ph.D. (VPI) Associate Professor of Public Affairs
• Steven A. Peterson, Ph.D. (State University of New York at Buffalo) Director, School of Public Affairs; Professor of Politics and Public Affairs
• Jeremy F. Plant, Ph.D. (Virginia) Professor of Public Administration and Public Policy
• Bing Ran, Ph.D. (Waterloo) Assistant Professor of Public Administration
• Jill S. Rumberger, Ph.D. (Penn State) Assistant Professor of Health Administration
• Harold B. Shill, Ph.D. (North Carolina) Professor of Political Science and Information Studies
• Odd Stalebrink, Ph.D. (George Mason) Associate Professor of Public Administration
• Triparna Vasavada, Ph.D. (SUNY, Albany) Assistant Professor of Public Administration
• James T. Ziegenfuss Jr., Ph.D. (Pennsylvania-Wharton) Professor of Management and Health Care Systems

The Master of Public Administration Program

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is intended for those with career interests in public management, health and human services, government, and other public service and nonprofit organizations. The curriculum blends theoretical and applied concepts and assures “real-world” experiences for the novice administrator. In addition, it requires that students devote attention to general professional development. The MPA program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.

Students may begin the program in any semester. Three courses (or 9 credits) per semester are considered a normal course load for full-time students. Part-time students typically take one or two 3-credit courses each semester and one or two courses during the summer session to maintain steady progress toward the degree.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have received their baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university prior to starting the graduate program. Applicants who are still completing their baccalaureate requirements at the time of application may be admitted to the Graduate School conditional on the awarding of the baccalaureate degree.

Admission to the MPA program is based on clear suitability for the program as demonstrated by the application as a whole, including the following:

• a completed online application with the application fee;
• evidence of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college;
• a statement of career and educational goals;
• a successful undergraduate record with a GPA of 3.0 (either as the cumulative GPA or for the last 60 hours of relevant course work);
• satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or Law School Admission Test (LSAT) are required if the GPA is less than 3.0;
• three names of references willing to provide recommendations;
• a resume

Prerequisite Courses

All students admitted to the MPA program must show prerequisite 3-credit course work in statistics and statistical software with a satisfactory grade. Students without prior course work in statistics must fulfill this prerequisite within two semesters of admission. Credits earned do not count toward the MPA requirement.

The Curriculum

The M.P.A. degree program requires 36 graduate credits – 18 in Prescribed Core courses, 15 in Electives, and 3 for the Master’s Project. Up to 6 credits of 400-level courses may be taken as electives, with the approval of an adviser. In addition, a 9-credit internship is required of students who do not have at least three years of full-time, relevant work experience, which consists of supervisory, managerial, or professional work. The internship is waived for students with this experience before they enter the program or who gain it during the program.

Prescribed Core Courses (18 credits)

• P ADM 500 PUBLIC ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT (3)
• P ADM 502 GOVERNMENTAL FISCAL DECISION-MAKING (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 500
• P ADM 503 (H ADM) RESEARCH METHODS (1-3). Prerequisite: 3 credits of statistics or permission of program and a demonstrated working knowledge of SPSS
• P ADM 505 HUMAN RESOURCES IN THE PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT SECTOR (3). Prerequisites: P ADM 500
• P ADM 506 (H ADM) MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR PUBLIC AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (3)
• P ADM 510 (H ADM) ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR (3)

ELECTIVE CONCENTRATION AREA (15 CREDITS)

With the faculty adviser’s approval, a student selects 15 credits of electives. Concentrations offered are Government Administration, Health Care Management and Policy, Human Resources Management, Information Resource Management, Nonprofit Organization Management and Policy, Policy Analysis and Criminal Justice, as well as General Public Administration.

Examples of suitable elective courses:

• P ADM 507 INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS( 3). Prerequisite: 3 credits of American government and 3 credits of basic economics
• P ADM 511 ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 510 or H ADM 510
• P ADM 512 ISSUES IN HUMAN RESOURCES (3). Prerequisites: P ADM 505 and P ADM 510 or H ADM 510
• P ADM 514 PUBLIC ORGANIZATION AND MANAGERIAL CONSULTATION (3). Prerequisites: P ADM 500 and either P ADM 510 or H ADM 510
• P ADM 515 LABOR MANAGEMENT RELATIONS (3.) Prerequisite: P ADM 505
• P ADM 516 STRATEGIC PLANNING (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 500
• P ADM 517 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS HISTORY (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• P ADM 518 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• P ADM 519 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT (3)
• P ADM 522 GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 502
• P ADM 523 GOVERNMENTAL AND NONPROFIT ACCOUNTING (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 502
• P ADM 524 ADMINISTRATIVE LAW (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 500
• P ADM 531 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY (3)
• P ADM 532 URBAN GOVERNMENT (3)
• P ADM 533 LOCAL PLANNING LAW AND ADMINISTRATION (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 500
• P ADM 534 MANAGING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (3). Prerequisite: permission of the program
• P ADM 535 POLICY ANALYSIS AND PLANNING (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 503
• P ADM 550 POLICY AND PROGRAM EVALUATION (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 503
• P ADM 556 STATE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION (3). Prerequisites: P ADM 500
• P ADM 557 FEDERALISM AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 500
• P ADM 558 LEGISLATIVE PROCESSES (3). Prerequisite: P ADM 500

Courses listed under the Master of Health Administration program may also be taken:

• H ADM 539 HEALTH SYSTEMS ORGANIZATION (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• H ADM 540 HEALTH ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY FORMULATION (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• H ADM 541 HEALTH ECONOMICS AND POLICY (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• H ADM 542 HEALTH CARE POLITICS AND POLICY (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• H ADM 543 LONG-TERM CARE ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• H ADM 545 HEALTH FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• H ADM 546 HEALTH PLANNING FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• H ADM 548 HEALTH CARE QUALITY ASSURANCE (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• H ADM 551 HEALTH CARE LAW (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• H ADM 552 HEALTH DELIVERY SYSTEMS: (3). Prerequisite: permission of program
• Master’s Project – P ADM 594 RESEARCH TOPICS (1-18)
• Internship in Public Administration - P ADM 595 (if required) (1-18)

Transfer Credits and Course Substitutions

A student can transfer 15 nondegree credits and 10 credits from an external institution as long as they have been taken within the last five years and if the student has earned a grade of B or better. Course substitutions are considered on an individual basis as they are requested.

MPA Grade-Point Average and Time Limit

The program, including an internship in a public agency or nonprofit organization, requires 18 to 24 months of full-time study, or three to five years on a part-time basis. Students must have a 3.00 grade-point average to graduate.

Please note: This page is not a part of the official Penn State Graduate Bulletin.