Master of Public Administration
OVERVIEW
The Angelo State University master's program in public administration was established in 1975. Since then, over 100 students have successfully completed the program. They presently hold positions in federal, state and local governments as well as in private and non-profit businesses. Five students have received the prestigious Presidential Management Internship Award, and five are presently city managers in Texas. The 36 semester credit hour program is designed to provide the student with a broad curriculum. The program includes seven required core courses, three elective courses, and an internship for pre-career students. Five full-time faculty members currently offer courses, and two San Angelo administrators serve as adjunct professors.
PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM
The Master of Public Administration program at Angelo State University is for those individuals interested in public service careers with government agencies, with non-profit community service organizations, or with private corporations that deal extensively with governmental officials and agencies. The program is also designed for the mid-career official interested in improving his/her management skills. The Master of Public Administration Degree (MPA) is widely recognized as the basic professional degree for public service personnel. The general objective of the program is to develop usable managerial and leadership skills that will enable graduates to function effectively in public management positions.
The specific goals are: A. 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. B. To convey understanding of the conceptual foundations of organization and management and of public policy and its implementation. C. To provide a solid grounding in analytic methods--qualitative and quantitative--relevant to public service programs and organizations. D. To provide opportunities for students to experience actual operations of government such as internships for pre-service students. E. To 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 Head of the Department and the Program Coordinator, who is a member of the Government faculty and a member of the Graduate Council.
This edition provides details on the 36 semester credit hour MPA degree program. This handbook is not intended as a substitute for the University Catalog, which is the official and binding document governing all programs. You have an obligation to read the catalog currently in effect during the period of your initial enrollment.
WHY PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION?
In 1960 one out of eight persons in the work force was employed by government. By 1990 this figure had increased even more. While the growth in public sector employment has slowed, government spending still accounts for over a 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, PREPARATION
Admission to the program involves several requirements:1. All general admission requirements of the Angelo State University Graduate School must be met.
2. Applicants for the program will be initially screened by the program coordinator or the department head.
3. Applicants will be required to meet the department's criteria for admission which includes:
A. An overall G.P.A. of 2.50 or G.P.A. in Appropriate Major (Government, Sociology, Psychology, Management, Finance, Computer Science, or Business Administration) of 3.00 or better in last 60 semester credit hours.
B. 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 that the student will be successful in this program.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
Admission to Candidacy: A student who desires to become a candidate for the MPA degree may apply for Admission to Candidacy after completing twelve semester credit hours of graduate work with a minimum grade point average of 3.00. 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 Graduate School 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 will be from the Department of Government; one member may be from the department in which the student has taken his/her supporting electives; and one Graduate School representative will be appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. A minimum of three members of the Advisory Committee must be members of the Graduate Faculty.
Any condition that may have been imposed at the time of admission to the Graduate School must be removed prior to Admission to Candidacy for a master's degree.
The Dean of the Graduate School will notify the applicant of Admission to Candidacy.
It is the student's responsibility to notify the MPA Advisor of his/her request for admission to candidacy.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS
Comprehensive examinations will be administered during each fall and spring semester. Eligible students are required to pass a written comprehensive examination. Eligibility requires that all course work for the MPA degree with the exception of those courses in progress in the semester in which the degree is to be awarded, must be completed prior to the scheduling of the comprehensive examinations. All course work with a grade of "I" must be completed prior to the scheduling of the comprehensive examinations. Normally, no student should schedule his/her comprehensive examination until they have successfully completed the twenty-one hours of core course work. All candidates who wish to take the comprehensive examinations must notify the MPA Advisor of their intention in writing no later than two weeks after the start of the semester in which the student plans to take the examination. Each candidate for the MPA degree must successfully pass a written comprehensive examination covering the core course work within the candidate's program.
WRITTEN COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION
The written part of the comprehensive examination will be administered by the student's Advisory Committee. The written examinations will be scheduled two times during each calendar year: Fall Semester - the second week of October; Spring Semester - the first week of April. The written test questions are constructed by the Advisory Committee under the guidance of the MPA Coordinator. Tests are graded on a pass/fail basis by the Advisory Committee. Candidates will be notified by the MPA Coordinator within two weeks whether or not they successfully passed the written test. A candidate failing the written examination may, upon petition to the Advisory Committee, be allowed to take another written examination no sooner than the next semester.