Public Administration, M.P.A.

Naomi Bick, Graduate Advisor

The M.P.A. Program builds on the belief that effective leadership of public agencies requires a basic set of abilities and public values irrespective of the particular characteristics of an organization. Courses in the program focus on the development of critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as an appreciation for ethical decision making.

All students in the program complete a core program of 21 units within the 36 units required for the M.P.A. In consultation with their advisers, students will select the remaining units from graduate public administration courses and courses offered by other departments and programs. These units can be used to further develop a general competence in public administration or to provide students with an opportunity to pursue additional topics of interest. The M.P.A. student can meet the university Graduate Writing Requirement by passing the writing component of the course MPA 210 . Please see program director for the written policy. To finish the program students may elect to write a thesis or to take a comprehensive examination.

The curriculum of the program follows the guidelines established by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) and was designed following consultation with senior public administrators in the Fresno area. Consistent with the NASPAA guidelines, the program seeks to prepare administrative specialists who understand the place and role of public agencies and their staffs in the political, social, and economic systems of the United States; who have the analytic tools, both quantitative and qualitative, to diagnose problems and analyze alternative courses of public action; who have the leadership abilities to develop and make effective use of the talents and abilities of agency staffs; who have the abilities required to formulate, implement, and evaluate public policies which are responsible and effective; and who are able to manage an agency in such a way as to make responsible and effective use of its resources now and in the future.

Degree Requirements

Core (18 units)

MPA 200 - Administration and Society Units: 3
MPA 201 - Quantitative Applications for Public Administration Units: 3
MPA 210 - Organizational Theory in Public Administration Units: 3
MPA 230 - Public Budgeting Units: 3
MPA 245 - Human Resources Management Units: 3
MPA 260 - Public Policy Administration Units: 3

Additional Core (3 units)

Select from:

MPA 215 - State and Local Government Units: 3
MPA 240 - Seminar in Public Management Units: 3
MPA 250 - Ethics and Public Administration Units: 3
MPA 280T - Topics in Public Administration Units: 3

Approved Electives (3-15 units)

Comprehensive Examination (0 units)

Thesis (0-3 units)

MPA 299 - Thesis Units: 3

Minimum Total: 36 Units

All students will be required to take 21 core units; 18 of these core units are prescribed for students. The remaining 3 core units must be selected from the courses listed under the “Additional Core” heading. Students may take more than one course listed under the “Additional Core” heading. If they do, these courses will count towards meeting their “Approved Electives” requirement. MPA students may also choose to take units offered as MPA 289T - Practitioner Seminar . Pre-service or in-service students with less than six months of experience in the public or non-profit sector will be advised to take MPA 287 . This will provide them with both a valuable learning and working experience. Students also have the option of taking MPA 290 - Independent Study , which allows them to undertake in-depth research on a selected topicTo culminate their MPA experience, students may choose either the comprehensive exam or thesis. The comprehensive exam does not count for any units towards the degree, but does satisfy the requirement that students be provided with a culminating experience to their program. The MPA 299 - Thesis is worth 3 units toward the degree and also satisfies the culminating experience requirement.

Approved elective courses may used to build on the foundation of the program’s core offerings. The courses to be used as electives in the MPA program are to be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor and must be approved by the MPA director. The students’ selection of electives should be guided by their interest in a particular course/topic and its relationship to the practice of public administration.

Admission. Applicants may qualify for admission to the program and thereby take program courses by achieving classified graduate standing. Classified standing requires:

An acceptable baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association;
Good standing at the last college attended;
Submission to the university of the following materials: online university application form (www.calstate.edu/apply); fee for online university application form; transcripts of university work; and TOEFL or IELTS scores if required by university.
Submission to the MPA program of the following materials via (www.calstate.edu/apply); MPA program application form; a written statement indicating why the applicant wishes to pursue an MPA degree and the expected benefits of the degree; and two letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation evaluate both the motivation and intellectual ability of the applicant.
Recommendation for admission by the Admissions Committee of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program: Candidates will be recommended on the promise they show for successfully completing the program and achieving a successful career in public or nonprofit administration. To receive classified standing, applicants must meet ALL of the following requirements. Applicants that meet some, but not all, of the listed standards may receive conditionally classified standing. Candidates will be evaluated using a combination of criteria:
1. Grade point average: Applicants need a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average to be eligible for classified standing. Applicants must possess a minimum of a 2.70 cumulative grade point average to be considered for conditionally classified standing.
2. Statement of Purpose: Applicants must explain their reasons for wanting to pursue the MPA degree. As part of this statement of purpose, applicants may list their professional experience and goals. They may also list relevant personal experiences. The statement of purpose should be limited to 500 words. It should respond to the following prompt: What are your reasons for pursuing the MPA degree? What benefits do you expect to gain from your degree?
3. Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must submit TWO letters of recommendation. These letters should speak to the applicant’s motivations to pursue and abilities (both intellectually and professionally) to complete the MPA degree. These letters may be submitted by those in a position to evaluate the applicant’s motivations and abilities. This includes but is not limited to the following: current or former course instructors, or work supervisors who have extensive work experience with the applicant
4. English Proficiency: Applicants whose native language is not English must also achieve a minimum of 80 iBT on the TOEFL or 6.5 overall on the IELTS.
MPA Graduate Program Application Filing Period: The deadline for applications to the graduate program is April 1st of each year for Fall Admission. The deadline for Spring applications is November 1st. Incomplete applications and those received after the specified dates will not be considered by the graduate admissions committee.