Public Affairs with a Concentration in Public Administration (MPA)

Overview

The Masters of Public Affairs with a concentration in Public Administration seeks to develop the next generation of public servants and leaders in search of the public good. With an interdisciplinary approach toward knowledge and skills required for public administration, this concentration provides its students with multi-level organizational approaches to provide, through collective action, innovative solutions to some of the biggest problems addressed in modern societies. At the same time, the concentration explores areas of scholarship in theory and practice that can lead to the pursuit of a PhD in governance studies, public affairs, community innovation, and leadership studies, as well as to careers in local, regional, state and federal government.

An accelerated online version of the program is also available. Students are not allowed to alternate enrollment in accelerated and traditional program courses.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the graduate program in public affairs, prospective candidates must first meet all requirements for graduate admission to UT Rio Grande Valley, as well as the other requirements listed below. Please provide:

  1. Three names of individuals who may be contacted for personal or professional recommendation.
  2. Personal Statement detailing professional goals and reasons for pursuing the graduate degree indicating references to previous employment and experience.

Application for admission must be submitted prior to the published deadline. The application is available at www.utrgv.edu/gradapply.

Program Requirements

Required Courses - 18 Hours

PAFF 6301Graduate Seminar in Public Administration

3

PAFF 6302Scope and Methods

3

PAFF 6303Policy Implementation and Program Evaluation

3

PAFF 6304Public Budgeting and Finance

3

PAFF 6305Political Leadership: Decision-Making and Management in Public Organizations

3

PAFF 6306Public Sector Human Resources

3

Prescribed Electives – 12 Hours

PAFF 6310Public Service Ethics

3

PAFF 6311Intergovernmental Relations

3

PAFF 6314Formulation of Public Policy

3

PAFF 6315Management of Governmental Information Systems

3

PAFF 6316Management of Nonprofit Organizations

3

PAFF 6317Grant Writing and Fund Development

3

PAFF 6318Bureaucracy and Organizational Theory

3

PAFF 6330Public Policy Analysis

3

PAFF 6331Qualitative Methods in Public Policy

3

PAFF 6334Current Issues in Public Policy/Global Security

3

PAFF 6337Public Policies in the Mexico-U.S. Border Region

3

PAFF 6350Introduction to Urban Planning

3

PAFF 6363Internship

3

PAFF 6374Directed Research

3

PAFF 6375Special Topics

3

PAFF 6380Global Security

3

PAFF 6381Homeland Security in the U.S.

3

Non-thesis Option

Capstone - 6 Hours

PAFF 6364Masters of Public Affairs Capstone

3

Any PAFF course

Thesis Option

Thesis - 6 Hours

PAFF 7300Thesis I

3

PAFF 7301Thesis II

3

Total Credit Hours: 36