Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) focuses on preparing students for administrative positions in governmental and nonprofit
organizations. It is accredited by the National Association of Schools
of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). The MPA degree consists
of the following four parts, for a total of 60 credits:
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Basic
core of 30 credits in administration and public policy, including
courses in public administration, administrative ethics and values,
administrative theory and behavior, public policy: administrative law
and policy implementation, public budgeting, financial management in
the public sector, human resource management, and two courses in
analytic methods.
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Six
credits of integrative experience, which is available to students under
two options after they have completed 42 credits in their master's
program.
Option 1 requires the student to complete PA 509 Organizational Experience
(6 credits). It is intended for "in-service" students, those who have
had limited or no administrative experience, and typically involves
supervised field experience for one or two quarters during which time
an administrative task that is instructive to the student and of
importance to the agency is identified and undertaken.
Option 2 is for students who already have at least three years of
full-time administrative or management experience in public, nonprofit,
and/or health care organizations and requires the student to complete
PA 512 Reflective Practice and Case Analysis plus one elective 3-credit
course approved by the student's advisor.
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Fifteen
credits in an area of specialization selected by the student with the
approval of his/her advisor. The specialization may be related to, or
support, the student's interests and employment area. It may be chosen
from individual disciplines or put together as multidisciplinary
endeavors. Examples of areas of specialization are administration of
justice, managing nonprofit organizations, global leadership and
management, human resources management and public sector labor
relations, communication, environmental studies, and various public
policy fields.
Students
may transfer up to 21 credits of coursework taken at another university
or at Portland State University prior to admission into the MPA degree
program, provided they received at least a B- grade in each course, the
course work was taken at an accredited college or university, all the
courses were completed less than seven years prior to the student's
completion of the MPA degree and the Division agrees that the
coursework may be applied to the student's MPA degree program.
MPA Degree Requirements
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