Detailed Graduate Program Table of Contents
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
- Curriculum
- Teaching Strategies
- Program Objectives
- Learner Objectives
- MPA Foundation Requirements
- Completion of Foundational Requirements
Requirements for a Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree at Upper Iowa University provides learners opportunities to develop skill-sets and knowledge in areas specific to administration of public organizations, public policy, leadership of staff, and management of funding, budgeting, and organizational processes and resources. Individual and group assignments combine relevant theory with real-world application. The program provides a balance of quantitative and qualitative studies.
The Upper Iowa University MPA degree provides learners with the current theories, concepts and learning models necessary to assume leadership roles in a public sector or non-profit agency with an emphasis in Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice Administration, or Public Personnel Management. Graduates will be positioned to make significant contributions to their organizations.
Each course focuses on applying theoretical principles and practical experience to public administration situations and problems. Case studies, report writing and in-class discussions (asynchronous for online learners) are blended to provide learners the opportunity to clarify and assimilate course topics. Assessments take a variety of forms, including examinations and quizzes, term projects, and written reports. In-class participation is crucial to learner success and is included as a factor in grading.
The program capstone experience is PA 590 Research Seminar in which learners prepare and present a researched report on a significant topic of interest to the learner relevant to the learner's area of emphasis. The report presentation is oriented to an audience that may include other learners, faculty members, and leaders in government and non-government organizations. The presentation is accomplished utilizing PowerPointâ„¢ as the presentation software (with the script for the presentation incorporated in the speaker's notes section for online learners).The report provides the learner an opportunity to demonstrate integration of the knowledge areas in the area of emphasis, along with appropriate graduate level communication and critical thinking skills.
The MPA degree is a flexible professional degree designed for those who wish to hold management positions in the public sector or in not-for-profit agencies. Graduates are expected to attain the knowledge and expertise needed for successful management of government and not-for-profit agencies at the federal, state, or local level, with regional or sub-state organizations, and with non-government organizations involved in the public sector. Opportunities are also available for graduates of the program with non-profit corporations, public interest groups or commissions, charitable organizations, private corporations that work with government agencies, and international organizations. The MPA degree is designed to prepare a person for a professional career in a wide range of administrative environments.
- Upon completion of the degree, learners are expected to be able to:
- Understand organizational and management theory, process, structure and systems.
- Assess and act upon issues of ethical behavior in the management of public entities.
- Analyze and present learned concepts and theories related to public administration, relationships between organizations, hierarchy, public and private entities.
- Respond to issues raised by legal and environmental factors in a manner consistent with organizational missions, goals, and strategies.
- Evaluate effectiveness and efficiency of public programs and policies.
- Analyze communication and regulation as applied in the public sector.
- Implement programs in support of public policies.
- Articulate and utilize vision, strategic planning, problem solving, quality management, and organizational development, as such pertain to public organization.
To be unconditionally admitted into the graduate program, learners must be able to demonstrate a basic level of knowledge and achievement in the areas of:
| Public Administration |
PA 364* |
| Public Budgeting Process |
PA 440* |
| Macroeconomic Principles |
BA 211* |
| Management Principles |
BA 210* |
| State and Local Government |
PS 230* |
| Elementary Statistics or completion of an upper division computational mathematics course, or attainment of a satisfactory score in the quantitative portion of the GRE or GMAT |
MATH 220* |
* UIU course equivalent
Such knowledge and achievement can be demonstrated through successful completion (grade C or higher) of undergraduate courses in these areas, and/or successful completion of CLEP/DSST/Excelsior College and/or ACT-PEP testing.
Foundational courses are available through UIU's Undergraduate Program. Transfer credit to fulfill foundational requirements will be accepted following the guidelines found here.
Completion of Foundational Requirements
The foundational requirements set forth above must be met by all learners in the MPA program. Learners without knowledge and achievement in one or more of these areas will be required, before enrollment in graduate level classes, to formulate and implement a plan working with the graduate advisor to rectify this.
Learners must complete all foundational requirements before taking more than six semester credits of graduate level courses. Learners who have not completed required foundational courses will not be allowed to enroll in additional graduate level courses beyond six semester credits until the foundational requirements have been satisfied.
Requirements for a Master of Public Administration
The Upper Iowa University Master of Public Administration degree requires 42 semester credits of graduate level course work with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for completion.
At Upper Iowa University, three semester credit courses are scheduled in six, eight week terms, each year. A full time course load is three semester credits per term. A learner must obtain permission to enroll in more than six semester credits by submitting a request in writing to the graduate advisor. Such permission will generally not be granted for more than two terms of a learner's degree program. A learner who has earned a grade of C or F in any Upper Iowa University graduate course or currently has a grade of I pending generally will not be granted such permission.
To receive the Master of Public Administration degree, the learner must have successfully completed 42 semester credits of graduate work including a final report of research and presentation and a cumulative GPA of not less than 3.0 on a 4-point scale.
If program requirements change, the learner can elect to complete the revised curriculum or to complete under the original curriculum.
A learner will have five years after initial enrollment in the first of either a foundational or graduate level course to complete the graduate program under the requirements in effect at the time of enrollment. If the learner does not complete the graduate degree program within the five-year period, the requirements in effect at the time of the next enrollment will be used to determine the learner's graduation requirements. Upper Iowa University reserves the right to make changes in its academic regulations and requirements when, in its judgment, the best interests of the institution are served.
Degree Requirements
Master of Public Administration
Learners must complete the core requirements and the requirements for one area of emphasis, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice Administration, or Public Personnel Management, for a total of 42 semester credits.
| Core requirements: | ||
| Credits | ||
| BA/PA 505 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| PA 507 | Ethics of Public Service | 3 |
| PA 510 | Public Administration | 3 |
| PA 513 | Government Budgeting Systems | 3 |
| PA 515 | Grant Writing and Administration | 3 |
| PA 529 | Public Policy Formulation and Implementation | 3 |
| BA 542 | Managerial Statistics | 3 |
| Capstone | ||
| BA 590 | Research Semina | 3 |
| Total | 24 | |
Health and Human Services
This emphasis is designed to provide learners with specialized knowledge of the issues and challenges in health and human service organizations.
| Credits | ||
| PA 530 | Public Policy and Healthcare | 3 |
| PA 532 | Public Sector Personnel Administration | 3 |
| PA 534 | Economics of the Helping Professions | 3 |
| PA 536 | Legal Environment of the Helping Professions | 3 |
| PA 538 | Healthcare Financial Management | 3 |
| Elective to be chosen from the areas of emphasis not being completed | 3 | |
| Total | 18 | |
The purpose of the homeland security emphasis is to prepare learners with a specialized knowledge of the threats posed by both domestic and international acts of terrorism and strategies for countering such threats.
| Credits | ||
| PA 508 | Terrorism and Politics | 3 |
| PA 522 | Psychology and Culture of Terrorism | 3 |
| PA 535 | Counter-Terrorism | 3 |
| PA 543 | Emergency Management: Planning and Response | 3 |
| PA 555 | Critical Infrastructure: Vulnerability Analysis and Protection | 3 |
| Elective to be chosen from the areas of emphasis not being completed | 3 | |
| Total | 18 | |
This emphasis is designed to prepare learners to exercise leadership positions in agencies and organizations with missions in the area of law enforcement and/or investigation.
| Credits | ||
| PA 550 | Advanced Criminal Procedure | 3 |
| PA 552 | Correctional Systems Issues and Policy | 3 |
| PA 554 | Theories of Crime and Public Policy | 3 |
| PA 556 | Constitutional Law: Civil Liberties | 3 |
| PA 558 | Psychology of Criminal Behavior | 3 |
| Elective to be chosen from the areas of emphasis not being completed | 3 | |
| Total | 18 | |
This emphasis is designed to prepare learners with a specialized knowledge of the issues and challenges in managing personnel resources in public and not-for-profit sectors.
| Credits | ||
| BA/PA 509 | Theories of Leadership | 3 |
| PA 532 | Public Sector Personnel Administration | 3 |
| PA 540 | Information Systems and Public Management | 3 |
| PA 544 | Productivity Improvement in Government | 3 |
| PA 548 | Advanced Issues in Public Management | 3 |
| Elective to be chosen from the areas of emphasis not being completed | 3 | |
| Total | 18 | |
*Electives may be selected from courses outside the learner's area of emphasis or an internship.
Learners may complete, as an elective, an internship (PA 594). This means obtaining a full time paid or unpaid position for a period of eight weeks (i.e., not less than 320 hours) in a public sector or not-for-profit agency. The internship typically involves the learner working on an administrative, policy, or management issue confronting a public or not-for-profit organization. It is an opportunity for the learner to relate her/his academic experience in the master's program to the issue that is the focus of the experience.
Internship positions are coordinated by the MPA Coordinator. Some internships are competitive in nature and are available on a regular basis with federal, state, county, and local governments. Others are posted from time to time as they are made known to the University. Still others become available on an ad hoc basis through the initiative of the learner. A learner's progress in an internship is monitored by the learner's immediate supervisor at the agency sponsoring the internship and by the instructor.
The learner prepares a report on the internship that documents the experience and its product, indicates the utility of the experience for the learner, and offers personal reflection on:
- Achievement of the student's learning objectives articulated at the beginning of the organizational experience.
- Opportunities for integration of curricular content in practice.
- Future career directions based on the experience and related learning.
The report incorporates documentation prepared for and submitted to the sponsoring organization regarding the issue studied, and is submitted to the instructor of record for PA 594 as the evidence of completion of the experience. The sponsoring organization will prepare a report on the work and effectiveness of the learner. These reports, along with the learner's work product, will be considered in assigning a grade to the Internship. The report is graded on a pass/fail basis.
The Internship (PA 594) is graded pass/fail for transcript purposes.
Learning Outcomes for the MPA
Graduates are expected to demonstrate a broad knowledge of the public sector including the skills and techniques necessary to enable them to:
- Assume leadership positions.
- Adapt to changing political and social environments.
- Function as well-informed, politically and morally sensitive administrators and citizens.
- Think critically and ethically about the purposes, design, functions, and character of government organizations, community service and civil society; whether they find themselves in the government, non-for-profit, private or a combination of these sectors.
- Develop effective policy making, management and analytical skills.
- Examine the issues of governance and institutional adaptation.
- Graduates are expected to demonstrate appropriate communication and critical thinking skills.
