Public Administration, MPA
Program Description
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program focuses on the application of Public Administration theory and concepts to prepare students for public and non-profit sector management and leadership. The MPA has been designed to meet the needs of full-time employees wishing to earn their degree through part-time study. Students in the program will take a core of seven courses in order to increase their understanding of administrative theory, policy making, data analysis, public budgeting and finance, and human resource management.
Additionally, each student will select one of four program tracks, which specify the remaining course work in their program. The student may choose from specialized tracks in public safety, healthcare administration, non-profit management or general public management.
Program Modality
Each semester, options to take face-to-face, hybrid/blended, and fully online courses will be offered. Students may choose to complete the degree fully online or face-to-face. Students should be aware that not all courses will be offered in their desired modality in the semester in which they wish to take it. Please work with the graduate coordinator to ensure timely progress to degree, especially if pursuing the fully online path to completion.
Student Learning Outcomes
As a member of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), students must demonstrate five universal required competencies related to the current needs and status of the public service. Student learning outcomes mirror those five domains below:
- Lead and manage in public governance.
- Participate in and contribute to the policy process.
- Analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions.
- Articulate and apply a public service perspective to administrative and policy decisions and actions.
- Communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.
Certificates in Public Administration
Graduate Academic Certificate Programs In Public Administration
- Role of Academic Certificate Programs in Public Administration at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
The Public Administration Program at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi offers academic certificate programs for graduate credit. The graduate academic certificates enhance existing bachelor’s or master’s degrees in ways that will make Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi a life-long center of graduate education for the citizens of Texas, the nation, and the world.
The Public Administration graduate credit certificate programs are an option for individuals who do not need a master’s degree, or who wish to combine a specialization in public administration with master’s degree they have already earned or will earn. Students may want to earn certificates in public administration in order to enhance their careers with government and/or non-profit organizations. - Application Process
Students applying for graduate certificate programs in public administration must submit the following:- A Texas Uniform Application for Graduate School for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
- Official undergraduate and/or graduate transcripts
- Two letters of evaluation attesting to the applicant’s potential for success in this program of study.
- A 300-500-word essay describing work experience, educational goals, professional goals, languages spoken and any other material that would be relevant. The essay should also address the reasons and motivations for seeking a graduate certificate.
- Admission Standards
Students applying to Certificate programs have the same admissions requirements as for those applying for admission to the MPA Degree. This includes those that have been accepted into another regionally accredited graduate studies program or have received a graduate degree. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi graduate students outside the MPA program may apply for admission into the certificate program if they have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and if they submit the following:- Current graduate transcripts
- Application for Admission Form for Certificate Program
- Brief essay outlining reason for seeking admission into the program
- General Prerequisites for the Graduate Certificate
- Writing Competency: Students must demonstrate a minimum writing ability suitable to graduate work early in their course work toward the graduate certificate in. Students must have completed ENGL 3301 Technical and Professional Writing (3 sch) or ENGL 5376 Professional Writing (3 sch) or equivalent course before being admitted into the program. Writing competency will be assessed by the student essay submitted during the application process and by a review of the student transcripts. Students judged deficient in writing skills can meet this requirement through successful (“B” or better) completion of an approved composition course. This basic writing requirement is in addition to the 15-semester-hour program of graduate courses leading to the certificate.
- Political Science Competency: Students must have a basic understanding of U.S. government and politics. Thus, students must have completed POLS 2305 U.S. Government and Politics (3 sch) or its equivalent in the past five years before being admitted into this program.
At the discretion of the Program Coordinator, applicants lacking the basic proficiencies described above may be required to complete up to 9-semester-hours of upper-level undergraduate credit before being admitted to the program.
After earning the Certificate, if students wish to continue taking credit hours they must change their status to seeking an MPA degree so they can continue registering in graduate public administration courses.
For Additional Information
Website:
https://www.tamucc.edu/liberal-arts/departments/social-sciences/mpa-program/index.php
Campus Address:
Bay Hall 349
phone: (361) 825-2696
Mailing Address:
Department of Social Sciences, College of Liberal Arts
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
6300 Ocean Drive; Unit 5826
Corpus Christi, Texas 78412-5826
Admission Requirements
In addition to the admission requirements outlined for graduate programs, the MPA program requires the following:
- Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work undertaken from regionally accredited universities.
- Two letters of evaluation from individuals such as professors and employers attesting to the applicant’s potential for success in a graduate program of study. Letters of evaluation should specifically address the applicant’s potential for a successful career and motivation for graduate study.
- A 300-500-word essay describing work experience, educational goals, professional goals, languages spoken and any other material that would be relevant. The essay should also address the reasons and motivations for seeking an MPA degree.
- A full resume.
Applicants accepted into the program must develop an initial degree plan that is approved by the MPA Coordinator. The student is assigned an Academic Advisor.
The Admission Decision
Basing their decision on the information contained in all items listed above, the MPA Admissions Committee will unconditionally admit, conditionally admit, or deny admission to the MPA program. Only complete applications are evaluated. For full consideration of admission and scholarships, a completed admissions packet must be received by April 15th for Fall semester admissions; by October 15th for Spring admissions. For unconditional admission, applicants must be a graduate of a regionally accredited university or, if an international student, have the equivalent of a U.S. accredited degree as determined by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Applicants must have an overall grade point average (GPA) of no less than 3.0 on 4-point scale. Applicants with less than a 3.0 GPA may be conditionally admitted to the program if the graduate admissions committee determines that the student’s other application materials compensate for the deficient GPA.
Conditional Admission
Applicants who have received a bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited university or, if an international student, the equivalent of a U.S. accredited degree, but who do not meet the admission requirements noted above may be conditionally admitted into the program. The MPA Graduate Admissions Committee will make the decision as to a student's conditional status. Students admitted conditionally must have a 3.0 GPA in their first 9 hours of graduate coursework approved by the MPA Graduate Advisor in order to continue in the program. The MPA Graduate Admissions Committee may also require the student to take relevant undergraduate leveling courses, particularly if the applicant's degree is from an unrelated field. In special circumstances, the MPA Graduate Admissions Committee may also make conditional admission contingent on other additional requirements as it sees fit. Any additional requirements will be specified in writing to the student. Once the conditional admission requirements have been met, the student will earn full admission to the MPA program. If a student does not meet the conditional admission requirements, this will result in enforced withdrawal from the program.
Certificate Seeking
This category includes students who may enroll in graduate coursework to meet personal or career goals and seek a Graduate Certificate in a specialized field of Public Administration. These admission criteria are addressed in the Graduate Certificate in Public Administration section.
Non-Degree Seeking
This category includes students who may enroll in graduate coursework to meet personal or career goals. For the MPA program, students in this category will be restricted to enrolling only in the MPA core courses.
Degree Plan
During the first semester after qualifying for acceptance into the MPA program, a degree plan should be developed for approval by the Graduate Coordinator. The degree plan should be prepared by the student in consultation with the advisor and indicate the course work required for conferral of the MPA degree, including any basic proficiencies (see below) and internship hours where appropriate.
Prerequisites
At the discretion of the MPA Graduate Coordinator, applicants lacking the basic proficiencies described above or public sector experience may be required to complete up to 12 semester hours of upper-level undergraduate credit before being admitted to the program.
Basic Proficiencies
- Statistics: Students who have not successfully completed a college statistics course must do so in their first semester in the MPA program. Students lacking an undergraduate statistics course can meet this requirement through successful (“B” or better) completion of an approved course in statistics. See your advisor to determine an appropriate course to meet your needs. This basic statistics requirement is in addition to the 36-semester-hour program of graduate courses leading to the MPA.
- Writing Competency: Students must demonstrate a minimum writing ability suitable to graduate work early in their course work toward the MPA. Competency will be assessed through a brief composition test. Students judged deficient in writing skills can meet this requirement through successful (“B” or better) completion of an approved composition course. See your advisor to determine an appropriate course to meet your needs. This basic writing requirement is in addition to the 36-semester-hour program of graduate courses leading to the MPA.
- Computer Literacy: Students must provide evidence of computer literacy during their first semester in the MPA program. This can be done through evidence of successful (“B” or better) completion of a basic undergraduate computer skills course, or through documentation of significant practical work experience with computer software packages. See your advisor to determine an appropriate course to meet your needs. This basic computer literacy requirement is in addition to the 36-semester-hour program of graduate courses leading to the MPA.
Program Requirements
The Master of Public Administration degree requires a minimum of 36 hours of graduate academic course work.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MPA Core Courses | ||
| PADM 5301 | Theory and Practice of Public Administration *,^ | 3 |
| PADM 5302 | Policy Making and Public Administration *,^ | 3 |
| PADM 5304 | Human Resource Management *,^ | 3 |
| PADM 5305 | Public Budgeting and Finance *,^ | 3 |
| PADM 5310 | Public Organizations *,^ | 3 |
| PADM 5311 | Research Methods in Public Administration *,^ | 3 |
| PADM 5365 | Seminar in Public Administration - Capstone 1,*,^ | 3 |
| Program Tracks | ||
| Select one of the following tracks: | 15 | |
| Health Care Administration Track | ||
| Focus on health care administration | ||
| The Health Care System 2,* | ||
| Health Economics and Policy * | ||
| Health Care Financial Management * | ||
| Health Law and Ethics * | ||
| Health Care Selected Topics * | ||
| Public Management Track | ||
| Broad and general preparation | ||
Select five public management courses from the following: | ||
| U.S. Government Institutions *,^ | ||
| Administrative Ethics *,^ | ||
| Public Sector Fiscal Management and Analysis *,^ | ||
| Administrative Law *,^ | ||
| Survey Research for Public and Non-Profit Managers *,^ | ||
| Diversity in Public Administration * | ||
| Public and Non-Profit Management *,^ | ||
| Program Evaluation ^ | ||
| Strategic Planning *,^ | ||
| Topics in Public Administration (with coordinator approval) *,^ | ||
| Grant Writing *,^ | ||
| Emergency Management and Disaster Planning Practicum *,^ | ||
| Individual Study (with coordinator approval) *,^ | ||
| Internship/Practicum *,^ | ||
| Public Safety Track | ||
| Focus on public safety | ||
Select five public safety courses from the following: | ||
| Computer Forensics ^ | ||
| Network Security ^ | ||
| Survey Research for Public and Non-Profit Managers *,^ | ||
| Diversity in Public Administration * | ||
| Public and Non-Profit Management *,^ | ||
| Program Evaluation ^ | ||
| Topics in Public Administration (with coordinator approval) *,^ | ||
| Grant Writing *,^ | ||
| Homeland Security and Public Administration *,^ | ||
| Modern Terrorism and Counter Terrorism *,^ | ||
| Emergency Management and Disaster Planning Practicum *,^ | ||
| Individual Study (with coordinator approval) *,^ | ||
| Internship/Practicum *,^ | ||
| Non-Profit Management Track | ||
| Focus on non-profit management | ||
Select five non-profit management courses from the following: | ||
| Survey Research for Public and Non-Profit Managers *,^ | ||
| Diversity in Public Administration * | ||
| Public and Non-Profit Management *,^ | ||
| Program Evaluation ^ | ||
| Strategic Planning *,^ | ||
| Topics in Public Administration (with coordinator approval) *,^ | ||
| Grant Writing *,^ | ||
| Individual Study *,^ | ||
| Internship/Practicum *,^ | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
- 1
All MPA core courses must have been completed before the capstone course is taken.
Course is to be taken in the last term prior to graduation.- 2
It is strongly recommended that this course be taken before the others in HCAD track if at all possible.
- *
Online offering
- ^
Blended offering
Completion Requirements
Successful completion of the MPA degree involves the following conditions:
- Completion of all 36 semester hours for graduation within a seven-year time period. The 36 semester hours must be those specified in an approved degree plan.
- Completion of 24 of the required 36 semester hours in residence at this university. Only 12 semester hours may be transferred from accredited institutions. No grade of “C” or lower may be transferred. No correspondence courses may be transferred at the graduate level. Credit from a degree earned at another institution will not be applied to a second master’s degree at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
- The student must maintain a graduate grade point average of 3.0 in all courses in the approved MPA degree plan or accepted by approved waiver, and in all graduate work taken at this university. Students receiving more than two grades of “C” or lower in their coursework will be terminated from the program.
- The student is making satisfactory academic progress if courses identified on the degree plan are being completed and a grade point average of 3.0 is maintained. Satisfactory progress is also reflected by a return to a grade point average of 3.0 or higher for students who had been placed on scholastic probation.
- Students should apply for graduation early in the term in which they intend to complete their final semester credits.
- Successful completion of the capstone course, PADM 5365 Seminar in Public Administration - Capstone (3 sch), in the last term prior to graduation. All MPA core courses must have been completed before the capstone course is taken.