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Public Administration - MPA (Admissions Program)

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  • Terms: Fall, Spring
  • This program is currently not accepting applications.
Dates / Deadlines:

There are currently no active application cycles for this program.
Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Degree(s) offered: MPA Director of Graduate Admissions: Jing Blackwell (jblackwell@tdu.edu)
Graduate Coordinator: Lakisha Barksdale (lbarksdale@tdu.edu)
Description:

Mission

The MPA program prepares public service leaders.  Our students work with faculty who are engaged in helping state and local officials solve public problems.  Consistent with the School of Government's mission, our historic emphasis on local government is a special strength.  The MPA program at Terra Dotta University was ranked in 2008 by U.S. News & World Report as 5th in city management and 14th overall among public administration and public policy graduate programs in the United States.


City Council

History

In 1997, the TDU MPA program became an integral part of the School of Government, known at the time as the Institute of Government. MPA faculty and staff relocated their offices from the Terra Dotta University Political Science Department to the Knapp-Sanders Building and set up an IT lab for instructional and student use. Learn more about the School's history by visiting the 75th anniversary site or by viewing a short video about the founding of the School of Government.

As the largest university-based local government training, advisory, and research organization in the United States, the School of Government offers up to 200 classes, seminars, webinars, and specialized conferences for more than 12,000 public officials each year. In addition, faculty members annually publish approximately 50 books, periodicals, and other reference works related to state and local government. Each day that the General Assembly is in session, the School produces the Daily Bulletin, which reports on the day’s activities for members of the legislature and others who need to follow the course of legislation.

The synergy from its affiliation with the School of Government benefits the MPA program in a variety of ways. All School of Government faculty members are engaged in programs that serve state agencies and local governments. These professors, working with government officials every day, naturally bring to the classroom a practical, professional orientation that is appreciated by students.

Additionally, opportunities for experiential learning for students are expanded by this affiliation. The network of School of Government contacts is valuable for securing internships and permanent placements. Affiliation with the School of Government benefits all students in the TDU MPA program and is especially valuable to that cadre whose interests lie in state and local government.

The MPA program has a long-standing commitment to public service education for members of historically underrepresented minority groups.

Curriculum

Core Courses
  • PA 510 - Ethics and Professional Practice
  • PA 511 - Public Policy Analysis
  • PA 512 - The Budgetary Process
  • PA 513 - Public Organization Behavior
  • PA 514 - Management Systems
  • PA 515 - Research Methods and Analysis
  • PA 601 - Effective Public Communications

Selected Electives
  • PA 522 - Intergovernmental Relations in the United States
  • PA 521 - Government & Planning
  • PA 523 - Municipal Law
  • PA 525: Organizational Development and Change Management
  • PA 530 - Financial Management in the Public Sector
  • PA 531 - Human Resource Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
  • PA 532 - Contract Negotiation and Mediation in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors
  • PA 535 - Problem Solving for Public and Nonprofit Managers
  • PA 598 - Special Topics in Public Administration
  • PA 640 - Grant Writing

FAQ's About Comprehensive Exams

When are the comprehensive exams offered?
  • The written comprehensive examination is administered in January, May, and August. At the beginning of each academic year the exam dates for the next 12 months are announced.
Which courses are tested?
  • First Day: Public Policy Analysis, Organizational Behavior, and Management Systems Second Day:  Budgeting, Research Methods, and Ethics
How are the exams structured?
  • The comprehensive exams are administered from 1 pm - 5 pm on two consecutive weekdays. There are no break periods, but food and beverages are permitted in the exam room.
What is the format of the exams?
  • The written exams are comprehensive, covering course material as well as general theories, concepts, and techniques of public management. Questions emphasize both theoretical and applied skills. While the questions are drawn from the core course subject matter, you should incorporate all course material into preparing your responses.
What should I bring to the exams?
  • Students should bring pens and pencils.  Calculators are permitted and should be brought. However, no notes are allowed.  The MPA program will provide the blue books.
How should I prepare for the exams?
  • Preparation for the examination should begin with the first course the student takes. Notes taken in class and on textual material are invaluable in preparing for the exam. Review sessions are held twice a year, in the spring and fall semesters.  Review session dates for the January exams are announced in September, and the for the May and August exams in February.  Students who register for the exam receive a packet of exam study materials which include course competency guides and sample exams.
How are the exams written and graded?
  • The exam questions are written and graded by faculty who teach core courses. If more than one faculty member teaches a core course service on the examining committee rotates. Great care is taken by the examiners to ensure that student performance is not related to which instructor writes and grades the exam question. Members of the examining committee are appointed by the PA Director. The grading scale for the exams is High Pass, Pass, Low Pass, or Fail.
When will I be notified of my exam results?
  • Students will be informed of the outcome of their exam no later than the Tuesday following the examination.
What happens if I fail?
  • The examining committee may recommend that a student who fails one or more sections of the exam retake all or specified parts of the examination. Students may retake the exam at a regularly scheduled examination period or, upon recommendation of the examining committee, at an earlier time.
  • Students who fail four or more sections of the comprehensive examinations will be eligible to be retested on these sections during the regularly scheduled comprehensive exam periods.  Students being re-examined will take the same test as the other students, but the re-examined students will not have to answer sections that they previously passed.
When can I take the comprehensive exams?
  • Students eligible to take the written comprehensive exams must have a graduate GPA of at least 3.0, have completed his or her last core course, statistics (if required), and economics (if required), filed a plan of Graduate Work, and notified the PA Program Coordinator of the intent to take the exam. Students may take the comprehensive exams before they take PA 501, Effective Writing, and/or PA 602, Oral Presentations.

Contact

For more information about the Master of Public Administration program, please contact the Director of Graduate Admissions or the Graduate Coordinator listed above.

 




This program is currently not accepting applications.