Degree Requirements

The College of Letters & Science and the Lubar School of Business offer and present jointly the Master of Public Administration (MPA). The program is designed to provide theoretical and practical preparation for careers in public and non-profit administration with three areas of concentration – municipal management, general public administration, and non-profit management.

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

Required/Core Courses (18-21 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
  • Pub Adm 921 – Government/Non-profit Administrative Internship, 3 credits
    (waived for students with significant experience in public or nonprofit sector; see Track A)
  • Pub Adm 959 – Capstone Seminar in Public Administration, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm/Urb Plan 630 – Budgeting and Finance in the Public Sector, 3 credits

One course in statistics selected from the following list:

  • Bus Mgnt 709 – Analytic Models for Managers, 3 credits
    Only those students with quantitative GRE scores of 600 (old version) or 160 (new version) or greater should take this course.
  • Pub Adm 792 – Decision Making for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, 3 credits
    Students with quantitative GRE score below 600 (old version) or 160 (new version) should take this course.
  • Students in the combined MUP/MPA program (and only these students) may use Urb Plan 740 – Data Analysis Methods to satisfy the MPA statistics requirement.

One seminar in organizational management and leadership, 3 credits, selected from the following list:

  • Bus Adm 731 – Diversity in Organizations
  • Bus Adm 443 – Special Topics in Human Resources Management
  • Bus Adm 706 – Managing in a Dynamic Environment
  • Bus Adm 737 – Managerial Decisions and Negotiations

Concentrations

Municipal Management (18 credits)

Select two of the following three course options (total of 6 credits):

  • Pub Adm 730 – Budgeting for Public Sector Professionals, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm 750 – Public Administration Risk and Analysis, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm 965 – Municipal Management, 3 credits

Select two of the following four course options (total of 6 credits):

  • Pol Sci/Pub Adm 914 – Intergovernmental Relations, 3 credits
  • Urb Plan 651 – Land Use Planning Practice, 3 credits
  • Urb Plan 684 – Planning Local Economic Development, 3 credits

Both …

  • Urb Plan 701 – Introduction to Land Use Planning, 1 credit, and
  • Urb Plan 702 – Introduction to Planning Law, 2 credits

Also required: At least six additional elective credits selected by the student with the approval of the MPA Director that relate to the student’s substantive interests within the discipline of public administration.

General Public Administration (18 Credits)

Select four of the following courses:

  • Bus Adm 731 – Diversity in Organizations, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm 400 – Ethics and Responsibility in Public Administration, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm 705 – Government Public Relations, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm 750 – Public Administration Risk and Analysis, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm 958 – Seminar in Public Administration, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm/Pol Sci 452 – Administrative Law, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm/Pol Sci 914 – Seminar in Intergovernmental Relations, 3 credits

Also required: At least six additional elective credits selected by the student with the approval of the MPA Director that relate to the student’s substantive interests within the discipline of public administration.

Nonprofit Organization and Management (18 credits)

Select any four of the following courses:

  • Bus Adm 766 – Marketing for Nonprofit Organizations, 3 credits
    Or
    Bus Adm 767: Services and Relationship Marketing, 3 credits
  • Bus Mgmt 724: Accounting for Nonprofit Organizations, 3 credits
  • Nonprof 789 – Theory and Role of Nonprofit Organizations, 3 credits
  • Nonprof 791 – Nonprofit Advocacy and Public Policy, 3 credits
  • Pub Adm 958 – Seminar in Public Administration, 3 credits

Also required: At least six additional elective credits selected by the student with the approval of the MPA Director that relate to the student’s substantive interests within the discipline of public administration.

Credits and Courses: 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.

Total Degree Credits Required: 39-42 credits

Other Degree Option

Coordinated Degree Program in Public Administration and Urban Planning
Master of Public Administration/Master of Urban Planning (MPA/MUP) combines professional training in planning with applied administrative and managerial skills.

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.