Introduction
Contact Dr. Jeremy Walling at 573.651.2691 for more information on the Program.
Admission Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university (or international
equivalent)
- An undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.7 on a 4.0 point scale
- A resume
- A 2-5 page personal statement outlining professional goals and commitment to a career
in governmental or nonprofit organizations
- Two letters of recommendation addressing the student’s potential for a career in public
or nonprofit service
- GRE, LSAT, or GMAT scores are not required but may be submitted to strengthen application
- Students who have completed their undergraduate education outside the US are required
to meet one of various standards for measures of English fluency
Program Structure
Total credits required for graduation: 36 hours
All students take 21 hours of Master of Public Administration core courses, an additional
12 hours of electives, and complete an internship or thesis (3 hours). All required
courses will be completed on campus at Southeast Missouri State University or via
web-based instruction. Up to nine hours of transfer graduate credit will be accepted
if approved by the student’s major advisor. The student’s advisor will determine application
of the transfer credit hours to core courses or elective courses.
Master of Public Administration Required Core Courses
- PS 502 Fundamentals of Public Administration (3)
- PS 505 Organizational Theory and Behavior (3)
- PS 518 Public Policy Analysis (3)
- PS 545 Research Methods for Public Administrators (3)
- PS 603 Public Personnel Administration (3)
- PS 615 Government Budgeting Process (3)
- PS 655 Federalism, State and Local Government (3)
- PS 697 Public Administration Internship (3)
OR
- Thesis (3)
In addition to the Master of Public Administration core, the degree requires completion
of 12 hours of elective courses. The student and his/her academic advisor will select
courses which best reflect the career goals and objectives of the student.
Public Administration Options
Select from the following list:
- AC 548 Government/Not-for-Profit Accounting (3)
- EC 525 Public Policy Economics (3)
- PS 625 Administrative Law (3)
- PS 689 Independent Study in Political Science (3)
- PS 691-696 Topics in Political Science
- PY 571 Behavioral Statistics (3)
- PY 650 Organizations as Open Systems (3)
- SC 560 Organizational Communication (3)
- Other graduate-level courses as approved by advisor and MPA Committee (3)
Thesis or Internship (3)
PS 697 Internship in Political Science (3)
Each student will obtain an approved internship in a public or not-for-profit agency.
The student will write a scholarly internship paper, and present and defend it during
an oral examination.
Thesis Option (3)
In place of the internship, and with the approval of the faculty advisor, a student
may choose to do scholarly research on a specified topic. The student will write a
master’s thesis, and present and defend it during an oral examination.