StudyQA — Master: Public Administration

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Description Contents Requirements Funding

The Masters of Public Administration program seeks to provide the highest quality graduate education for current and prospective officials in all three arenas of public service: government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private vendors. The program strives to achieve local, state and national prominence through a contemporary curriculum, innovative instruction, scholarly and applied research, and service to key stakeholders. Program activities are designed to develop and enhance technical, ethical and leadership competencies.

Our program consists of five core faculty members and more than a dozen other regular, adjunct or part-time faculty in the Political Science Department. We offer both the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) degree and a joint program with the Masters of Public Health (MPA/MPH) in the Miller School of Medicine.

The University of Miami, situated in one of the most cosmopolitan parts of the country, offers a unique opportunity for the study of public administration. UM is advantageously located in Miami Dade County, the first in the U.S. to adopt two-tier metropolitan government, providing an ideal urban laboratory for the study of government organization and consolidation. As the “Gateway to Latin America,” Miami also exposes students to a dynamic international environment. It has a rich multi-cultural heritage and a diverse business, trade and financial community. This international metropolitan area is a growing sunbelt state continues to offer opportunities for public service employment and career advancement.

The MPA degree provides career opportunities in local, state and federal government as well as the nonprofit and private sectors. For several decades the POL department has supplied South Florida with leaders through the vehicle of the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Much of this experience now serves the MPA program in the form of internships and enhanced employment opportunities. There is a growing demand in South Florida and elsewhere for skill developed in the MPA program such as: budgeting, manpower management, program planning, health care, and even international management. Graduates of the POL department and MPA program at UM now occupy numerous leadership positions in the local, state, and national government and other sectors.

Year One
First Semester		Credit Hours
POL 601	Budget and Financial Management and Administration	3
POL 622	Introduction to Graduate Public Administration	3
POL 696	Special Topics In Public Administration, Policy And Law (Administering Global Governance)	3
POL 696	Special Topics In Public Administration, Policy And Law (Equity and Diversity)	3
	Credit Hours	12
Second Semester
POL 610	Political Analysis	3
POL 646	Public Policy Analysis and Administration	3
POL 654	Politics and Ethics,Advanced CHI II for Graduate Research	3
POL 696	Special Topics In Public Administration, Policy And Law(Policy Analysis)	3
	Credit Hours	12
Third Semester
POL 651	Productivity in the Public and Non-Profit Sectors	3
	Credit Hours	3
Year Two
Fourth Semester
POL 619	Introduction To Game Theory For Political Science	3
POL 647	Human Resource Management in Public Service	3
POL 658	From Electronic Government To Digital Governance	3
POL 671	Political Environment of Business	3
	Credit Hours	12
Fifth Semester
POL 606	Organizational Dynamics and Management	3
POL 624	Non-Profit Organizations: Law, Policy, and Management	3
POL 656	Public Service Internship	3
	Credit Hours	9
	Total Credit Hours	48

*	36 to 48 credit hours at the graduate level, depending on government management experience and academic preparation.
**	Completion of core and specialized track course requirements as specified by the POL Department in consultation with the student’s career goals and interests.
***	An option exists for those students who wish to complete in five years their Political Science Bachelor’s Degree and a Master of Public Administration. Contact POL Department for details.
****	All other requirements as stated in sections Requirements for the Master of Arts Degree and General Information.

Hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university of recognized standing
Have demonstrated through their undergraduate record and other qualifications their academic competence to complete a rigorous graduate program
Have achieved minimum combined scores (verbal and quantitative) from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) of 297 *
Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. In order to limit class size for maximum teacher-student exchange, the M.P.A. program prefers student with above average GRE scores, excellent letters of recommendation, and superior writing skills.
Submit two (LOR) Letters of Recommendation (LOR Form).
In addition, international students must achieve a passing score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or successfully complete the Intensive English Program of the University prior to starting the M.P.A.