Public Administration, M.P.A.
Program Directors: Dr. Sombo Muzata and Dr. Rob Alexander
Email: mpa@jmu.edu
Program Website
Program Description
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).
This program is designed to be completed in 2 years. Summer courses are not required.
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 on JMU's PageUp site.
International applicants should review guidance from The Graduate School.
Degree Requirements
All students in the program must complete 7 courses in the M.P.A. core, 4 courses in the concentration selected, and 1 course for the M.P.A. capstone for a total of 36 credits. In addition, students entering the program who are not currently employed in an approved public service profession or who do not have two or more years of relevant prior public service professional experience must complete a minimum total of 3 credits of the PUAD 696 course, bringing the program total to 39 credits.
All students also prepare a Portfolio of work produced during their time in the program that is mapped to the M.P.A. Competencies. This Portfolio must be approved by the Program Directors in order for the student to exit the program.
The M.P.A. 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.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PUAD 605 | Research Methods for Program Evaluation | 3 |
| PUAD 606 | Program Evaluation in Public Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 607 | Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PUAD 620 | Foundations of Public Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 625 | Public Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| PUAD 630 | Seminar in Public Personnel Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 641 | Public Budgeting | 3 |
| Subtotal | 21 | |
| Internship | ||
| Required for students without significant current or prior public service professional experience. Incoming students meet with the M.P.A. Program Directors to determine if they will need to take this class. | 0-3 | |
| Internship in Public and Nonprofit Administration | ||
| Subtotal | 0-3 | |
| Capstone | ||
| PUAD 692 | Public Administration Capstone | 3 |
| Subtotal | 3 | |
| Concentrations | ||
| Students choose one of four concentrations, which provide substantive focus for the four elective courses required for degree completion. Special topics courses offered during any semester, plus relevant courses offered in other graduate programs, may be considered for each concentration with approval by the MPA directors. | 12 | |
Individualized | ||
International Stabilization and Recovery | ||
Nonprofit Management | ||
Public Management | ||
| Total Credits | 36-39 | |
Concentrations
Individualized Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Students who have an interest in a specific focus of the M.P.A. degree that is not covered by the three existing concentrations may submit a proposal for an Individualized Concentration to be considered by the MPA Program Directors for approval. | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
International Stabilization and Recovery Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Choose at least one of the following courses. Both may be taken. | 3-6 | |
| Post-Conflict Societies | ||
| Stability and Recovery Operations | ||
| Choose Two or Three of the Following Courses | ||
| Choose two courses if both POSC 540 and PUAD 541 are taken; otherwise choose three courses. | 6-9 | |
| Financial Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Contract Management | ||
| Economic and Community Development | ||
| Public Service Ethics and Corruption | ||
| Facilitating Collaborative Governance and Public Problems | ||
| Total | 12 | |
Nonprofit Management Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PUAD 570 | Nonprofit Management and Leadership | 3 |
| Choose three of the following courses: | 6 | |
| Education and Social Policy | ||
| Social Welfare and Local Government Policy | ||
| Philanthropy and Volunteerism | ||
| Financial Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Contract Management | ||
| Economic and Community Development | ||
| Grant Writing and Project Management | ||
| Public Service Ethics and Corruption | ||
| U.S. Environmental Policy, Politics and Public Administration | ||
| Facilitating Collaborative Governance and Public Problems | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Public Management Concentration
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Choose four of the following: | 12 | |
| Seminar in Intergovernmental Relations | ||
| Education and Social Policy | ||
| Social Welfare and Local Government Policy | ||
| Contract Management | ||
| Economic and Community Development | ||
| Grant Writing and Project Management | ||
| Public Service Ethics and Corruption | ||
| U.S. Environmental Policy, Politics and Public Administration | ||
| Public Management for Sustainable Communities | ||
| Advanced Legal Environment of Public Administration | ||
| Facilitating Collaborative Governance and Public Problems | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Accelerated M.P.A.
Students completing an undergraduate degree at JMU in Public Administration, Political Science, or International Affairs who are interested in starting their public service careers may be interested in the accelerated Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree option. The M.P.A. offers competency-based graduate training in policy analysis, organizational management and leadership, and program design, implementation and evaluation. The Accelerated option for the M.P.A. allows up to five eligible students the opportunity to enroll in 12 credits of graduate courses in their senior year and apply up to 9 of those credits toward elective credits for their undergraduate degree. In addition, graduate courses taken during the senior year (for those students accepted into the Accelerated M.P.A. pathway only) will qualify for undergraduate tuition rates.
Traditional students enter the M.P.A. degree program after completing their bachelor’s degrees. The traditional program requires four semesters plus one summer to complete the master’s degree. Students accepted into the Accelerated option, however, will complete the master’s degree in only two additional semesters and one summer, shortening the time to complete the bachelor’s and master’s by one year. So, accelerated students graduate one year earlier than the traditional M.P.A. students, save money on tuition, and become competitive for positions one year earlier than their traditional M.P.A. counterparts.
Interested students must meet with an M.P.A. Program Director in September during the start of their third year of their undergraduate program to receive program information and screening instructions. Students must then submit an undergraduate graduation plan by November 15th that demonstrates enough elective credit availability to allow PUAD 605, PUAD 606, and PUAD 620 to be taken in the fall and spring semesters of their senior year and contribute to/within their 120 credit requirement for their bachelor's degree. Should the student be deemed eligible for the Accelerated pathway by an M.P.A. Program Director, the student will proceed to the application process to the Accelerated M.P.A. pathway with the Graduate School by providing all of the admissions criteria listed above as well as the following information, by February 1 of the third/junior year.
- Demonstrate an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher at the time of application
- Two letters of recommendation from undergraduate faculty members attesting to the ability to perform at the graduate level
Students who express interest in the Accelerated M.P.A. pathway after February 1 may be considered if a seat is available in the program.
Five Year M.P.A.
JMU undergraduates not eligible for the Accelerated M.P.A. pathway may still complete their undergraduate degree and the M.P.A. program in five years by meeting admissions requirements of the M.P.A. program and carefully planning their program of study with an M.P.A. Director. Students interested in the Five Year M.P.A. should meet with an M.P.A. Director no later than November 15th of their junior year to assess eligibility and must apply to the M.P.A. program during the spring semester of their junior year. Eligible students may be from any major at JMU. Eligibility entails an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher at the time of application as well as verification that will complete all baccalaureate requirements by the end of their spring semester senior year while being limited to 9 undergraduate credits in the fall and spring semesters of their senior year, for a total of 18 undergraduate credits in their senior year. This allows room for the 12 graduate credits that will also be taken during the senior year. If deemed eligible, students will submit an application to the Graduate School that includes the items listed for the regular MPA program. Applications to the Five Year M.P.A. pathway will be reviewed beginning on February 1st. Applications for admission will be considered on a rolling basis until May 1st or until the incoming cohort is full.
Students admitted into the Five Year M.P.A. must enroll 12 graduate credits during their undergraduate senior year. Credits earned in graduate courses in the Five Year M.P.A. pathway will not count toward undergraduate degree requirements or credit-hour requirements, and the graduate courses will be assessed at graduate tuition rates.