Public Administration - Master of Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is accredited by NASPAA. The MPA is designed to provide students with the managerial and analytical skills, in addition to ethical and professional values, necessary to meet the increased demand for skilled public administrators. Candidates who follow this professional program must complete a minimum of 42 credits, consisting of core courses, electives and either an internship or a thesis.

Requirements

Because students have divergent career goals, a thesis or internship option is offered. The thesis option requires an additional 18 credits of course work, 6 credits of thesis (POLS 599 Master's Thesis), and a written examination covering the thesis and course work. The internship option also requires an additional 18 credits of course work, 3 credits of internship (POLS 510 Internship), and a written examination covering the internship and course work. Students who fail their written examination must take an oral exam. As part of the course work, students selecting the internship option must take POLS 519 Proseminar in Public Administration (3 credits that count toward the 42 total) during the latter part of their studies, and are required to earn a B- grade or higher in that course.

With approval, students may include up to 12 credits of relevant course work from other departments to be counted toward the total credits required for the MPA. These credits may be selected to form a graduate minor in another academic discipline.

Candidates with inadequate preparation for graduate study in public administration may be required to take appropriate undergraduate and graduate courses as part of, or in addition to, a regular program of study. Applicants to the MPA program will be advised of any such requirements at the time of admission.

Master’s Accelerated Program Information

The Master’s Accelerated Program (MAP) provides the opportunity for qualified undergraduate students to begin taking graduate-level courses in their junior or senior years. Eligible students can count up to 12 graduate-level credits by applying them to their undergraduate degree and the Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree. This allows students to complete their graduate degree in a much shorter period of time. Students also benefit by making progress towards a graduate degree while paying undergraduate tuition rates.

Students interested in MAP should contact Dr. Neil Harvey, Department Head, at nharvey@nmsu.edu. Students must earn a grade of B or higher to have graduate credits count under the MAP program. Graduate courses completed with a B- or lower are not eligible for MAP credit.

Student Qualifications

• The student may apply for MAP after completing 60 credit hours towards their Bachelor’s Degree.
• The student applying for MAP must have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.25.
• As a prerequisite, students may participate in MAP if they receive a B or higher in POLS 330 Introduction to Public Administration.

Accepted MAP Courses

Students can take any four of the following courses to count towards both the MPA degree and their bachelor’s degree. Any other courses may be considered after consultation with an advisor. An exception will need to be made to the degree audit in order for the additional course(s) to be included on both the Undergraduate and Graduate degrees.

Students interested in enrolling in graduate courses as part of MAP should contact Dr. Neil Harvey, Department Head, at nharvey@nmsu.edu for additional information and approval.