Master of Public Administration

• Overview
• Purpose of the Program
• Why Public Administration?
• Admission, Evaluation and Preparation
• Graduation Requirements
• Comprehensive Examinations
• MPA Degree Plan

---

Overview

Graduates of ASU’s Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) program hold positions in federal, state and local governments as well as in private and nonprofit businesses. The 36-semester credit hour program is designed to provide students with a broad curriculum. The program, established in 1975, includes seven required core courses, three elective courses and an internship for pre-career students. Five full-time faculty members offer courses and two San Angelo administrators serve as adjunct professors.

Purpose of the Program

The M.P.A. program is for students interested in public service careers with government agencies, nonprofit community service organizations or private corporations that deal extensively with governmental officials and agencies. The program is also designed for mid-career officials interested in improving their management skills. An M.P.A. is widely recognized as the basic professional degree for public service personnel. The general objective of ASU’s program is to develop usable managerial and leadership skills that will enable graduates to function effectively in public management positions.
The specific goals are to:

• Familiarize students with the social, political, ethical and economic issues of contemporary public administration in the historical context of democratic values and its implementation.
• Convey understanding of the conceptual foundations of organization and management and of public policy and its implementation.
• Provide a solid grounding in analytic methods – qualitative and quantitative – relevant to public service programs and organizations.
• Provide opportunities for students to experience actual operations of government, such as internships for pre-service students.
• Prepare students to assume the multiple roles of public administrators: as managers in complex organizations, as administrative specialists, as critical thinkers, as change agents, and as responsive and responsible policy participants.

The program is administered by the Department of Government under the direction of the department head and the program coordinator, who is a member of the government faculty and the Graduate Council.

Why Public Administration?

In 1960, one out of eight people in the work force was employed by the government. By 1990, this figure had increased significantly. While the growth in public sector employment has slowed, government spending still accounts for more than one-third of the Gross National Product.

The scope of government extends beyond these impressive numbers. The demarcation between the public and private sectors is blurring. Laws, regulations, tax policies, contracts, grants and loans require an interaction between the two sectors so that even in the private sector, an understanding of public administration and government is critical.

Admission, Evaluation and Preparation

Admission to the program involves these components:

• All general admission requirements of the ASU College of Graduate Studies must be met.
• A screening by the program coordinator or the department head must be completed.
• A 2.5 overall GPA or a GPA of 3.0 or better in the last 60 semester credit hours of an appropriate major (government, sociology, psychology, management, finance, computer science or business administration).
• A satisfactory score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). A satisfactory score is a score that, considered in the context of the student's overall profile, suggests the student will be successful in this program.

Graduation Requirements

Admission to Candidacy: A student who wants to become a candidate for the M.P.A. degree may apply for Admission to Candidacy after completing 12 credits of graduate work with a minimum GPA of 3.0. A student must qualify for Admission to Candidacy before the beginning of the last semester or full summer session prior to the proposed date of graduation.

The dean of the College of Graduate Studies must have received written recommendation from the head of the department in which the student is majoring and must have assigned an advisory committee prior to the student’s Admission to Candidacy. The advisory committee will consist of at least four members. At least two members, including a major professor, must be from the Department of Government; one member from the department in which the student has taken his/her supporting electives; and one College of Graduate Studies representative appointed by the graduate dean. A minimum of three members of the advisory committee must be on the graduate faculty.

Any condition that may have been imposed at the time of admission to the College of Graduate Studies must be removed prior to Admission to Candidacy for a master's degree.
The dean of the College of Graduate Studies will notify the applicant of Admission to Candidacy.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify the M.P.A. adviser of his/her request for Admission to Candidacy.

Comprehensive Examinations

Each candidate for the M.P.A. degree must successfully pass a comprehensive written examination covering the core course work within the candidate’s program. The exam will be administered during each fall and spring semester.

Eligibility requires that all course work for the M.P.A. degree, with the exception of those courses in progress during the semester in which the degree is to be awarded, must be completed prior to the scheduling of the comprehensive examination.

All course work with a grade of “I” must be completed prior to the scheduling of the comprehensive examination. Normally, students should not schedule their comprehensive examinations until they have successfully completed the 21 hours of core course work.
All candidates who wish to take the comprehensive examination must notify the M.P.A. adviser of their intention in writing no later than two weeks after the start of the semester
The advisory committee grades tests on a pass/fail basis. The M.P.A. coordinator will notify students within two weeks whether they successfully passed the written test. Upon petition to the advisory committee, a candidate who fails the written examination may be allowed to take another written examination no sooner than the next semester.