Earn your UBalt degree fully online in our MPA program.

Degree Requirements

  • These requirements apply to students entering this program in fall 2024 and thereafter. Students who enrolled earlier should consult the catalog in effect at the time they enrolled.

  • Read the course descriptions.

  • Prerequisites: This program requires all incoming students to be computer and information literate. Students should be comfortable operating a computer for such basic tasks as word processing, Internet searching, file downloading and e-mailing. Competence in a specific computer application program, such as Microsoft Excel, is stipulated as a prerequisite for enrollment in some courses.

This 36-credit program requires the following:

Core Courses (27 credits)

Public Administration Fundamentals (9 credits)
choose three courses

  • PUAD 619 Public Management 

  • PUAD 620 Public Policy 

  • PUAD 623 Foundations: Bureaucracy and the Political Process 

  • PUAD 627 Legal and Ethical Environment of Public Administration

Management Skills (6 credits)

choose two courses

  • PUAD 621 Human Resources Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations

  • PUAD 622 Public Budgeting and Fiscal Administration

  • PUAD 626 Information Resources Management

Analytical Skills (9 credits)
must take all three courses

  • PUAD 628 Statistical Applications in Public Administration

  • PUAD 629 Public Program Evaluation

  • PUAD 630 Analytical Tools in Public Administration

Capstone Experience (3 credits)

  • PUAD 798 Problem Solving Seminar in Public Administration

Specialization (9 credits)

Note: Through the Online MPA, you can only specialize in Public and Nonprofit Management as listed below:

Public & Nonprofit Management

  • PUAD 700 Intro to Nonprofits 

  • PUAD 703 Urban Management 

  • PUAD 704 Managing Diversity 

  • PUAD 730 State and Local Personnel Management 

  • PUAD 732 Leadership and Organizational Change 

  • PUAD 733 Managing Public-Sector Projects 

  • PUAD 734 Strategic Planning 

  • PUAD 770 Community Development

  • PUAD 775 Intergovernmental Administration 

  • PUAD 777 Political Economy of Nonprofit Organizations 

  • PUAD 781 Information Technology: Public Sector Applications 

  • PUAD 785 Public-Sector Performance Measurement  

 

Learning Outcomes

Assurance of Learning: Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Mission Statement: The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program prepares graduates to be effective administrators, managers and leaders serving the public interest in public, nonprofit and private sector organizations. Through an active faculty engaged in research and service, the MPA program delivers a curriculum providing students with substantive knowledge, skills and judgment to succeed as professionals in an increasingly complex and diverse environment. Students graduating from our program contribute to their broader communities while adhering to the highest standards of ethical conduct.

Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes

By completion of the Master of Public Administration program:

Students will have the ability to formulate evidenced-based recommendations from an analysis of public policy issues.

Students will have the ability to use appropriate judgment in practicing current public organizational management and public budgeting techniques.

Students will have the ability to demonstrate a broad based knowledge in public administration theory, research and practice.

Students will have the ability to prescribe appropriate policies as they relate to a variety of human resource and personnel issues.

Students will have the ability to demonstrate technical written and oral presentation skills needed to communicate to professional audiences.