Master of Arts in Public Administration (MPA)

This program is designed for mid-career public sector professionals and pre-service students interested in preparing themselves for careers in the public or nonprofit sectors at the national, state and local levels.

The program's primary objective is to provide its graduates with proficiency in management principles and techniques, research and evaluation skills, and the identification and analysis of individual and institutional values as they relate to social, economic and political behavior.

The program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Public Administration. The program's content, therefore, reflects the current trends in professional education towards training experts in the field.

Curriculum

The MPA program is comprised of course work totaling 36 hours: 18 hours of core courses and 18 hours of concentration courses and electives. In addition, the program requires an Internship (3 credit hours) for students with limited professional experience in the public sector.

In order to complete the program, students must choose between taking comprehensive exams or completing a Capstone Project.

Required Courses

PPS 501 or RMET 520 - Research Methods
PPS 503 - Issues in American Public Administration
PPS 512 - Introduction to Public Sector Budgeting
PPS 515 - Economics of the Public Sector
PPS 540 - Organizational Theory and Behavior
PPS 541 - Administrative Law

Elective Courses

Elective course work is available in a variety of areas. Students have taken classes in business, social work, American studies, communication and more. Of course, many also take classes offered by Public Policy Studies, including urban affairs, city planning and policy analysis. Typical focus areas for Public Administration students include:

• Nonprofit Management
• Fundraising
• Criminal Justice Policy
• The Policy Process
• Finance
• Organizational Psychology
• Public Sector Accounting
• Housing Policy
• Health Care Policy
  
  

Certificates

Add another dimension to your degree by supplementing it with a certificate:

• The Certificate in Organizational Development is an interdisciplinary program focusing on organizational effectiveness.
  
• The Certificate in Geographic Information Systems is designed to enhance decision-making capabilities with spacial analysis technologies.
  
  

Internships

The internship program has been developed in cooperation with numerous governmental, nonprofit and private sector agencies, serving both the St. Louis region and various governmental units through out the country. Interns have worked with organizations such as:

• The Bi-State Development Agency
• City of Chesterfield, MO
• City of Kirkwood, MO
• Bellerive Neighborhood Association
• East-West Gateway Coordinating Council
• City of St. Louis Community Development Agency
• St. Louis County Department of Planning
• St. Louis County Floodplain Management Program
• The Contemporary Art Museum - St. Louis
• Washington, D.C. Office of U.S. Representative Richard A. Gephardt
• St. Louis County World Trade Center
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• U.S. Postal Inspection Service
• U.S. Senator James Talent
  

To Apply

Application forms may be obtained from the Graduate School. Necessary documentation, including undergraduate transcripts, Graduate Record Examinations or other equivalent standardized test scores, and letters of recommendation should be completed and submitted to them.

For More Information

To have information sent to you, fill out this on-line form.

You can also find out more about the program by talking with admissions counselor Iris Hampton. She can be reached by phone at (314) 977-3934 or via e-mail at hamtoi2@slu.edu.