The joint Criminal Justice and Public Administration program is designed to develop a broad foundation for understanding criminal justice policy, and the conceptual and analytical skills critical to the effective management of public agencies and programs. Contemporary public officials are required to make complex choices and implement programs and policies within difficult financial, legal, political, and organizational constraints. More than ever, it is important that administrators be able to work with a variety of people, both within and outside the public sector. Professional education in public administration thus encompasses fiscal control, quantitative analysis, organization management, decision analysis, and a working understanding of government institutions and legal procedures.
Credit and Courses
Students accepted into this Criminal Justice/MPA program complete the following courses:
MS in Criminal Justice
Required Courses Credits
- CRM JST 773: Criminological Perspectives 3 credits
- CRM JST 743: Proseminar: Administration of Criminal Justice Systems 3 credits
- CRM JST 756: Proseminar: Analysis of Criminal Justice Research 3 credits
- CRM JST 713: Measuring Crime & Analyzing Crime Data 3 credits
- CRM JST 920: Criminal Justice Masters Capstone Seminar 3 credits
Electives
- Select 12 additional credits within the criminal justice & criminology program. 12 credits
- Select 3 additional credits with the consent of the student’s advisor. 3 credits
TOTAL 30
Master of Public Administration
Students entering the MPA program will be placed, at the discretion of the MPA Director in one of two tracks (A or B) within the core. The minimum degree requirement is 39 credits for Track A and 42 for Track B.
Track A
Students with significant public or nonprofit sector work experience may, at the discretion of the MPA Director, have the Government/Nonprofit Administrative Internship course (Pub Adm 921) waived. Students seeking placement in this track will need to meet with the MPA Director to discuss this possibility and will be required to provide documentation of current public or nonprofit sector work experience.
Track B
Students with no significant public or nonprofit sector work experience are required to enroll in and successfully complete the Government/Nonprofit Administrative Internship course (Pub Adm 921). As part of the requirements for this course, Track B students are required to obtain, with the assistance of the MPA Director, one or more internships in either the public or nonprofit sector while enrolled in the MPA program.
Required/Core Courses (15 credits)
- Bus Adm 738 – Human Resource Management, 3 credits
- Pub Adm 763 – Scope and Dynamics of Public Administration, 3 credits
- Pub Adm 769 – Analyzing and Evaluating Public Policies and Programs, 3 credits
One course in Statistics selected from the following list:
- BusMgmt 709 – Analytic Models for Managers, 3 credits
- Pub Adm/Pol Sci 792 – Decision Making for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, 3 credits
- Crm Jst 756 – Proseminar: Analysis of Criminal Justice Research, 3 credits
One seminar in Organizational Management and Leadership, 3 credits selected from the following list:
- Bus Adm 731 – Diversity in Organizations, 3 credits
- Bus Adm 443 – Special Topics in Human Resources Management: (Subtitled), 3 credits
- Bus Adm 706 – Managing in a Dynamic Environment, 3 credits
- Bus Adm 737 – Managerial Decisions and Negotiations , 3 credits
Capstone Seminar, 3 credits
Every student will be required to take the capstone seminar, Pub Adm (Pol Sci) 959: Capstone Seminar in Public Administration. The course requirements will include the completion and written and oral presentation of a project on a topic selected with the assistance of the instructor. This course will also be devoted to coverage of special issues and problems of the public administration profession, including administrative ethics.
General Public Administration, 9 credits
Select any three of the following courses:
- BusMgmt 724 – Accounting for Nonprofit Organizations, 3 credits
- Pub Adm 400 – Ethics and Responsibility in Public Administration, 3 credits
- Pub Adm/Urb Plan 630 – Budgeting and Finance in the Public Sector, 3 credits
- Pub Adm 750 – Public Administration Risk and Analysis, 3 credits
- Pub Adm/Pol Sci 914 – Seminar in Intergovernmental Relations, 3 credits
- Pub Adm 958 – Seminar in Public Administration: (Subtitled), 3 credits
- Pub Adm 965 – Municipal Management, 3 credits
Concentration, 12 credits
- Satisfied by 12 credits taken in Crm Jst courses
Internship, 0-3 credits - Pub Adm 921 – Government/Non-profit Administrative Internship, 3 credits
(An internship is mandatory for students with no public sector work experience.)
Graduate Grievance Procedures
Federal law and UWM policy require programs and departments to have procedures for graduate students to appeal academic decisions such as grades or scholastic standing. These procedures ensure the protection of students’ rights. These pages serve as a reference on procedures for graduate student academic appeals.