2019-2020 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Master of Public Administration
For additional information about opportunities your college offers, please refer to the College of Community and Public Service section in this catalog.
Website: www.gvsu.edu/grad/mpa
M.P.A. graduates are leaders. They lead their communities and organizations on the basis of advanced administrative skills with a dedication to democratic values and public service. In today's global society, such leadership takes many forms and occurs in a variety of settings. The mission of the master of public administration is to develop both the general knowledge and specific abilities needed for professional careers in public service organizations. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to act ethically and effectively in state, regional and local governance policy analysis, nonprofit management, criminal justice, and health care administration.
As a professional school in an urban setting, the Master of Public Administration is actively involved with the community in professional service activities and applied research. The program offers flexibility and innovation in curriculum design to meet the diverse educational needs of part-time and full-time students, including evening and weekend courses and workshops, and hybrid and online learning. Because careers in administration are varied and include the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the curriculum is designed to develop advanced executive abilities through a combination of core competencies and specialized areas of concentration. Satisfactory completion of the program of study leads to the award of the M.P.A. degree.
Accreditation
Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration.
Minimum Number of Hours for Graduation: 39 (42 for precareer students)
Admission to Master of Public Administration Program
- An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale calculated on the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate coursework
- Three letters of reference from informed sources
- A detailed resume
- An essay on career and educational objectives (250-750 words)
- A demonstrated commitment to community and public service
- Submitting a GRE score is recommended for applicants who have neither a 3.0 undergraduate GPA nor five years of professional experience. The GRE is also recommended for applicants applying for a graduate assistantship with SPNHA.
Transfer Credit
A maximum of 12 semester hours of transfer credit will be given for appropriate graduate courses completed within the previous five-year period with a grade of B or better at another college or university. These transfer credits may be substituted for required courses or given general credit as determined by the faculty.
Requirements for the M.P.A. Degree
The M.P.A. degree consists of a minimum of 39 credit hours of coursework. Precareer students must take three credit hours of internship in addition to the 39 required hours of coursework for a total of 42 credit hours. Students must meet with an advisor upon entry into the program to develop a program of study.
The Program Core
The program core includes 18 credit hours, as follows.
- PA 520 - Foundations of Public Service Credits: 3
- PA 611 - Research Methods Credits: 3
- PA 612 - Human Resources in Organizations Credits: 3
- PA 614 - Organization Theory Credits: 3
- PA 615 - Public Financial Administration Credits: 3
- PA 619 - Public Management Seminar Credits: 3
Students must select one concentration of 15 credit hours.
Criminal Justice
- CJ 601 - Criminal Justice Leadership Credits: 3
- CJ 602 - Legal and Ethical Issues Credits: 3
- CJ 604 - Criminal Justice Policy and Program Evaluation Credits: 3
- CJ 607 - Criminology Credits: 3
And one of the following:
- PA 620 - Metropolitan Politics and Administration Credits: 3
- PA 621 - Administrative and Regulatory Law Credits: 3
Health Administration
- PA 630 - Health Administration and Service Credits: 3
- PA 631 - U.S. Health Policy and Politics Credits: 3
And two of the following:
- PA 632 - Health Services Financial Management Credits: 3
- PA 633 - Health Economics Credits: 3
- PA 634 - Health Care Law and Ethics Credits: 3
- PA 639 - Community Benefits Assessment and Management Credits: 3
- PA 640 - Marketing Health and Human Services Credits: 3
- PA 645 - Opportunities in Aging Societies Credits: 3
Nonprofit Management and Leadership
- PA 660 - Philanthropy and the Nonprofit Sector: History and Ethics Credits: 3
- PA 661 - Nonprofit Management: Practices Credits: 3
- PA 662 - Nonprofit Financial Management Credits: 3
And two of the following:
- PA 641 - Economic and Community Development Credits: 3
- PA 663 - Nonprofit Organizations, Advocacy and Public Policy Credits: 3
- PA 664 - Program Evaluation Credits: 3
- PA 665 - Nonprofit and Foundation Boards, Trustees and Governance Credits: 3
- PA 666 - Foundations and Strategic Grantmaking Credits: 3
- PA 667 - Fund Development Credits: 3
- PA 670 - International NGO Management Credits: 3
Policy Analysis, Advocacy, and Evaluation
Required (Credits: 6)
- PA 616 - Public Policy Analysis Credits: 3
- PA 664 - Program Evaluation Credits: 3
And three of the following:
- PA 621 - Administrative and Regulatory Law Credits: 3
- PA 631 - U.S. Health Policy and Politics Credits: 3
- PA 639 - Community Benefits Assessment and Management Credits: 3
- PA 643 - Strategic Management and Planning Credits: 3
- PA 663 - Nonprofit Organizations, Advocacy and Public Policy Credits: 3
- PA 674 - Health Advocacy and Built Environment in Public Administration Credits: 3
- CJ 604 - Criminal Justice Policy and Program Evaluation Credits: 3
State, Regional, and Local Governance
Required (Credits: 9)
- PA 620 - Metropolitan Politics and Administration Credits: 3
- PA 641 - Economic and Community Development Credits: 3
- PA 643 - Strategic Management and Planning Credits: 3
- AND two of the following:
- PA 621 - Administrative and Regulatory Law Credits: 3
- PA 642 - Conflict Management Credits: 3
- PA 644 - GIS in the Public Service Credits: 3
- PA 664 - Program Evaluation Credits: 3
- PA 671 - Building Sustainable Communities Credits: 3
General Electives Requirements Credits: 6
The remainder of the M.P.A. program credits come from electives. Students must select six credits of electives.
The elective component of the M.P.A. degree can be made up of three one-credit workshops and one additional course from one other concentrations (or outside the SPNHA unit with prior approval), or two three-credit courses from our curriculum. The number of elective credits is reduced by three if the student does a second three-credit internship.
- Any PA course in a concentration listed previously
OR one from the following list.
- PA 535 - Grant Writing Credits: 3
- PA 550 - Public Administration Workshop Credits: .5 to 3
- PA 551 - Public Administration Workshop Credits: 1 to 3
- PA 552 - Public Administration Workshop Credits: 1 to 3
- PA 553 - Public Administration Workshop Credits: 1 to 3
- PA 635 - Hospital Organization and Management Credits: 3
- PA 637 - Ambulatory Care Organization and Management Credits: 3
- PA 638 - Long-Term Care Organization and Management Credits: 3
- PA 646 - Managerial Epidemiology for Health Administrators Credits: 3
- PA 680 - Special Topics in Public and Nonprofit Administration Credits: 1 to 3
Internship
All precareer students are required to take at least a three-credit internship (in addition to 39 hours of coursework). They may take a second internship for a total of six credits:
- PA 690 - Public Administration Internship I (3 credits)
- PA 691 - Public Administration Internship II (3 credits)
Capstone
Students must take a three-credit culminating experience at the end of their studies.
Most students will take PA 619 as their culminating experience. They must have completed 30 credits of coursework before registering for PA 619. As an alternative to PA 619, students may opt for a research project as their culminating experience.