2017-2018 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 public management, urban and regional policy and planning, nonprofit management, criminal justice, and health care administration.
As a professional school in an urban setting, the School of Public, Nonprofit, and Health 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 Internet enhanced 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
National Association of Schools for Public Affairs and Administration.
Minimum Number of Hours for Graduation: 39 (42 for precareer students)
Admission to Master's 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 or 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 15 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 619 - Public Management Seminar Credits: 3
Students Must Select One Concentration of 15 Credit Hours.
Public Management
- PA 615 - Public Financial Administration Credits: 3
- PA 616 - Public Policy Analysis Credits: 3
- PA 620 - Metropolitan Politics and Administration Credits: 3
- AND TWO OF THE FOLLOWING:
- PA 621 - Administrative and Regulatory Law Credits: 3
- PA 623 - Labor Management in the Public Sector Credits: 3
- PA 642 - Conflict Management Credits: 3
- PA 643 - Strategic Management and Planning Credits: 3
- PA 644 - GIS in the Public Service Credits: 3
- PA 664 - Program Evaluation Credits: 3
Sustainable Community Development
- PA 615 - Public Financial Administration Credits: 3
- PA 671 - Building Sustainable Communities Credits: 3
- PA 672 - Building Sustainable Public-serving Organizations Credits: 3
- AND TWO OF THE FOLLOWING:
- PA 641 - Economic and Community Development Credits: 3
- PA 673 - Practicum in Decision-Making for Sustainability Credits: 3
- PA 674 - Health Advocacy and Built Environment in Public Administration Credits: 3
Health Administration
- PA 630 - Health Administration and Service Credits: 3
- PA 631 - U.S. Health Policy and Politics Credits: 3
- PA 632 - Health Services Financial Management Credits: 3
- AND TWO OF THE FOLLOWING:
- PA 633 - Health Economics Credits: 3
- PA 634 - Health Care Law and Ethics Credits: 3
- PA 640 - Marketing Health and Human Services Credits: 3
- PA 645 - Aging in Society: Concepts, Controversies, and Challenges for Public Service Administrators Credits: 3
- PA 639 - Community Benefits Assessment and Management 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 640 - Marketing Health and Human Services Credits: 3
- PA 643 - Strategic Management and Planning 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 667 - Fund Development Credits: 3
- PA 670 - International NGO Management Credits: 3
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
- PA 615 - Public Financial Administration Credits: 3
Urban and Regional Policy and Planning
- PA 615 - Public Financial Administration Credits: 3
- PA 616 - Public Policy Analysis Credits: 3
- PA 620 - Metropolitan Politics and Administration Credits: 3
- PA 641 - Economic and Community Development Credits: 3
- PA 644 - GIS in the Public Service Credits: 3
Students Must Select Nine Credits of Electives.
At least nine credits must be selected from other graduate courses, including PA courses in other concentration areas (preceding) and nonconcentration PA courses and workshops (following). Note that a maximum of three workshop credits may be applied to the degree. 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 above.
- PA 535 - Grant Writing Credits: 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
- 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
Precareer Students Must Take Three Credits of Internship.
All precareer students are required to take at least three internship credits (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 Capstone at the end of their studies.
Most students will take PA 619 as their Capstone 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 Capstone experience.