Mar 29, 2024  
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog 
    
2013-2014 Graduate Catalog [NOTE!!!! THIS IS AN ARCHIVED CATALOG. FOR THE CURRENT CATALOG, GO TO CATALOG.NIU.EDU]

Master of Public Administration


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The mission of the Division of Public Administration is to advance excellence in professional public management through scholarship in teaching, research, and service. The division is committed to strengthening the knowledge and skills that enhance the management and leadership capacity of individuals pursuing public service careers.

Check departmental information for any additional requirements.

The student learning outcomes for this degree are located at http://www.niu.edu/assessment/clearinghouse/outcomes/index.shtml.

Admission


Application for admission to the M.P.A. program is made directly to the Graduate School. A completed application consists of the Graduate School application, a two‑page statement of career goals, three letters of recommendation, transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended, and the official score report on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test.

Pre‑career students should request at least two letters of recommendation from previous instructors who can judge their ability to do graduate work.  If pre‑career students have public sector experience, they should request a letter from an employer who can judge their potential as future public administrators.  In‑service students should request at least one letter of recommendation from a previous instructor and remaining letters from public sector employers.

Prerequisites for admission to the program are 9 semester hours in the social sciences, including at least one course in U.S. government, and appropriate undergraduate work in mathematics or statistics. With the approval of the student’s adviser, a maximum combined total of 15 semester hours of graduate credit transferred from other accredited institutions plus graduate credit earned in courses at Northern Illinois University as a student-at-large may be counted toward meeting the requirements of the M.P.A. degree. The limit on student-at-large hours may be waived in special circumstances, with the approval of the director of the Division of Public Administration.

Requirements


The M.P.A. degree normally requires the completion of a minimum of 39 semester hours of approved graduate study in the public policy/management core and a selected specialization. The student must complete a minimum of 39 semester hours of course work exclusive of internship hours.

In addition to credit-hour requirements, students must also prepare and defend a capstone paper while registered for PSPA 699A and PSPA 699B. The capstone paper must demonstrate the connection of theory and practice to a relevant public service issue or problem. Every student must complete at least 4 semester hours of PSPA 699A and 1 semester hour of PSPA 699B prior to graduation. Each student enrolled in PSPA 695 must enroll for 1 semester hour of PSPA 699A after the completion of 9 semester hours of course work; other students after 18 semester hours. After the completion of 30 semester hours of course work, the student must maintain continuous enrollment in PSPA 699A until the semester of graduation when the student enrolls in PSPA 699B to complete the capstone requirements.

Public Policy/Management Core (27)


Students with appropriate previous course work or professional experience may petition program faculty for permission to substitute elective courses for PSPA 609 or PSPA 610. In no case will any semester hours be waived.

Specialization


Students must also complete the requirements of one of the following specializations, thus permitting the development of expertise in a particular field of academic and professional interests. Students will normally be expected to select elective courses from curricula other than public administration (PSPA) courses.

Specialization in Fiscal Administration


The critical examination of techniques and problems in the areas of fiscal management, accountancy, budgetary policy, and political economy.

  • Approved graduate course work (6)

Specialization in Nonprofit Management


A study of the unique challenges posed by the administration of nonprofit organizations in both the domestic and global contexts, including communication and promotion, fundraising and grant writing, and intersectoral collaboration with the public and private sectors.

Specialization in Strategic Public Management and Leadership


Students will gain an advanced capacity to assume a leadership role and use strategic management and collaborative processes that facilitate the mission of government and nonprofit organizations.

Specialization in Local Government Management


A thorough study of local government administration, focusing on the operations of local governments and the analysis of local government and metropolitan issues.

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