MPA curricular requirements are designed to impart knowledge and skills essential to meet pressing public problems and prepare students for professional and administrative employment in the governmental, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Core Coursework
The MPA core provides students with a solid grounding in the study of public management, budgeting and finance, policy development and implementation, and data analysis.
Sample Courses:
- Organizational Dynamics
- Analytical Tools
- Budget & Finance
- Public Policy for Managers
- Information for Decision-Making
The MPA capstone is designed to synthesize, integrate, and apply the knowledge, skills, and perspectives acquired in the core curriculum. It provides students with a venue to demonstrate competency in the MPA Program outcomes.
*Students should meet with their advisors and consult the Master Public Administration catalog page requirements and sample coursework as the official record for all Degree Requirements
See Public Administration Course Descriptions in the UIS Catalog
Elective Coursework
Students may utilize their elective coursework to take a deeper dive into a particular area of interest, develop a chosen skill set, and/or earn one of our Graduate Certificates.
Most of our MPA students take advanced public administration (PA) offerings, including courses in personnel, budgeting, policy analysis/program evaluation, and organizational change/development. Often, these students utilize their elective coursework to pursue an SPMP graduate certificate and earn another credential.
Some students complete advanced PA offerings in conjunction with coursework from other UIS academic departments, such as legal studies (administrative law), management information systems, environmental studies, accountancy (public financial management), or human services (social services). Some of these students will utilize their elective coursework to pursue an affiliated certificate and earn another credential.