Master of Public Administration (MPA)

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Graduate Study at USI >> College of Liberal Arts

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Students completing dual master’s degrees for both the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and either the Master of Social Work (MSW) or Master of Arts in Criminal Justice (MA) will not complete an MPA specialization in nonprofit administration or public sector administration. The public administration curriculum without a specialization is outlined below, and is only open to dual master’s degree students.

MPA students who are not seeking dual master’s degrees must select an MPA specialization in either Nonprofit Administration or Public Sector Administration .

Dual Master’s Degrees

A limited number of USI master’s programs are approved to be offered in a dual degree format, allowing students to be concurrently enrolled in both degree programs. Select requirements can be satisfied by coursework approved to apply toward both programs, allowing students the opportunity to complete both master’s degrees in a shorter timeframe. Programs approved to be offered in a dual degree format include:

Students must be admitted to both graduate programs before beginning dual degree enrollment, and the time limitation still applies. For more information about program admission and program requirements, refer to the individual academic program pages.

Master of Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the University of Southern Indiana is the preferred graduate degree for individuals who hold or hope to acquire a supervisory position in the public or nonprofit sector. Individuals interested in these sectors pursue the MPA in order to improve their management-related job skills and performance, obtain leadership positions within their current organizations, or begin their career in a public or nonprofit organization. Some students choose to pursue the MPA to strengthen their academic credentials and knowledge of the public sector to prepare for law school or doctoral level work.

Mission Statement: The Master of Public Administration program at the University of Southern Indiana strives to meet the needs of current and future civic leaders and managers by providing students with the practical knowledge and professional and academic skills, rooted in a strong understanding of the theories of public administration, to become ethical, creative, and inspirational leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors. Our graduates are prepared to meet the economic, social, and political challenges that face leading public sector institutions and nonprofit organizations.

Vision Statement: Preparing civic leaders to meet society’s challenges in the 21st century.

Goals of the MPA program

Articulate the theoretical and institutional foundations of the public and nonprofit sectors, and how these sectors are shaped by their economic, social, and political environments.
Demonstrate the practical skills necessary for the management of public and nonprofit organizations, such as grant writing, budgeting, public speaking, human resources management, organizational behavior, electronic communication, and report writing.
Gather and analyze data to advance the knowledge and practice of public administration and public policy.

Graduate Studies Admission Criteria and Application Process

Refer to the Admission section of the bulletin for information about Graduate Studies admission criteria and the online application process.

MPA Program Admission Requirements and Curriculum

Students admitted into the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Southern Indiana must complete the following admission requirements:

A curriculum vitae (CV)
A 200-500 word statement of professional interest or goals
The name and contact number of a professional reference
Applicants must have earned bachelor’s degree with minimum GPA of 3.0 for regular admission; applicants with GPA lower than 3.0 considered for conditional admission

MPA Core (24 hours)

PA 601 - Organizational Behavior Credits: 3
PA 606 - Public and Nonprofit Personnel Administration Credits: 3
PA 609 - Budgeting in Public and Nonprofit Administration Credits: 3
PA 616 - Research Methods in Public Administration Credits: 3 * ^
PA 617 - Statistics in Public Administration Credits: 3 *
PA 632 - Introduction to Public Administration Credits: 3
PA 644 - Policies and Processes in the Public Sector Credits: 3
PA 645 - Program Evaluation in the Public and Nonprofit Sector Credits: 3

Capstone Seminar (3 hours)

PA 697 - Capstone Seminar in Public Administration Credits: 3 * ^

Electives (9 hours)

Students must select an additional 9 hours of electives. Approved courses depend on whether the dual degree is in criminal justice or social work (see below).

MPA/Criminal Justice Shared Coursework *

Students co-enrolled in the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice program can satisfy the following MPA requirements with coursework from the criminal justice program:

MPA Core	PA 616 PA 617	or select CRIM 603 or select CRIM 604
Capstone	PA 697	fulfilled by CRIM 675
MPA Electives	9 hours	Courses from the criminal justice program approved to fulfll two MPA electives include: CRIM 611 , CRIM 612 , CRIM 620 , CRIM 630 , CRIM 640 , CRIM 650 . For the third elective, select a 500- or 600-level PA or CRIM course.

MPA/Social Work Shared Coursework ^

Students co-enrolled in the Master of Social Work program can satisfy the following MPA requirements with coursework from the MSW program:

MPA Core	PA 616	fulfilled by SOCW 605
Capstone	PA 697	fulfilled by SOCW 611
Electives	9 hours	Courses from the MSW program approved to fulfill two MPA electives include SOCW 602 and SOCW 610 . For the third elective, select from PA 605 , PA 611 , PA 614 , PA 631 , PA 655 , PA 663 , PA 664 , PA 684 , PA 689 , or PA 690

For the MSW degree, both the field placement (SOCW 611 ) and practice evaluation (SOCW 605 ) must include administrative practice experiences.