Public Administration, M.P.A.

Mission

Through engaged teaching, research, and service, the MPA program equips current and future public service professionals with the capacity to address complex local and global problems.

The MPA Program at JMU is an accredited program of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).

Admission Criteria

The M.P.A. degree is the recognized professional degree in public administration and is appropriate for students pursuing public service careers in government, nonprofit organizations, and private sector firms providing services to governments. The MPA Program at JMU welcomes applications from recent undergraduates as well as experienced professionals who seek to develop and strengthen a broad set of administrative and policy skills in the public service professional arena.

To apply, applicants must submit:

• A statement of purpose, outlining professional goals and motivation for pursuing the M.P.A. degree.
• A professional resume summarizing education, work and volunteer experiences.
• Transcripts of all previous undergraduate and graduate work.

Applications for admission will be reviewed beginning on February 1st with Department of Political Science Graduate Assistantships being awarded by February 15th. Applications for admission will be considered on a rolling basis until May 1st or until the incoming cohort is full. Applicants passing initial review will be invited to participate in a required interview as part of the admissions review process.

Additional Graduate Assistantship opportunities may be found at https://www.jmu.edu/humanresources/recruitment/joblink.shtml.

International applicants should review guidance from The Graduate School at JMU at https://www.jmu.edu/grad/prospective/international/index.shtml.

Degree Requirements

All students in the program must complete 7 courses in the MPA Core, 4 courses in the concentration selected, and 1 course for the MPA Capstone. In addition, students entering the program who are not currently employed in a public service profession or who do not have five or more years of relevant prior public service professional experience must complete the PUAD 696  course.

All students also prepare a Portfolio of work produced during their time in the program that is mapped to the MPA Competencies. This Portfolio must be approved by the Program Directors in order for the student to exit the program.

Five Year MPA

JMU undergraduates may complete their undergraduate degree and the MPA program in five years by meeting admissions requirements of the MPA program and carefully planning their program of study with the MPA Directors. Students interested in the Five Year MPA should meet with the MPA Directors no later than the fall of their junior year to assess eligibility and must apply to the MPA program during the spring semester of their junior year. Eligible students may be from any major at JMU.

Students admitted into the Five Year MPA must enroll in 9 to 12 graduate credits during their undergraduate senior year; they must also complete all of their undergraduate degree requirements. Credits earned in graduate courses will not count towards undergraduate degree requirements or credit-hour requirements. Students are not officially admitted into the Graduate School until they complete their undergraduate degree requirements and must earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the graduate courses completed during the senior year.

Five Year MPA student must complete all core, concentration, internship and capstone requirements for 42 total credit hours.

In-Service Students

The MPA Program ensures that students currently holding full-time employment may access the program by providing course scheduling that is compatible with the typical workday. In-service students may enroll in classes on a part-time basis but must complete all degree requirements within 6 years of starting the program.