Dec 07, 2024

2021-2022 Graduate Catalog

2021-2022 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Public Administration, MPA

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College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences > Department of Political Science > Public Administration, MPA

The Master of Public Administration Program (MPA) provides higher levels of training and education for pre-service and in-service public managers, and public officials to address major public policy issues in a metropolitan scenario. Visit the Master of Public Administration Program website: http://www.uh.edu/class/mpa.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the MPA program at the University of Houston requires an undergraduate degree* from an accredited college or university with a 3.0 (B) or better grade point average in the last 60 hours of course work. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) if required .

*An applicant (domestic or international) has to be awarded his or her undergraduate degree by the end of the prior Spring term for Fall application.

Application Deadline

All required application materials including official GRE Score report should be sent by:

Spring application deadline: October 15th**
Fall application deadline: June 15th

How to apply

Applicants should submit the following required material online: https://www.applyweb.com/uhouston/index.ftl

A statement of purpose for pursuing an MPA degree
Three letters of reference (there is no specific form)
A hard copy of official transcripts from each university attended
A completed application form (apply to our program through the online system: https://www.applyweb.com/uhouston/index.ftl)
Official copy of scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)*
- Requesting your official score: ETS GRE website*
- Exam Schedule: Please check The University of Houston Testing Center or any college near you.

*The GRE score must be sent directly from Educational Testing Service (ETS) to the University of Houston (UH Code for the GMAT/GRE is R6870). GRE Scores older than 5 years will not be accepted.

International Applicants

To apply to the MPA program, students should submit the following online: https://www.applyweb.com/uhouston/index.ftl

Application materials common for all applicants

A statement of purpose for pursuing an MPA degree
Three letters of reference (there is no specific form)
Two hard copies of official transcripts from each university attended
A completed application form (apply to our program through online application: https://www.applyweb.com/uhouston/index.ftl)
Official copy of scores from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
Application materials and requirements specific to International applicants

All application materials should be submitted to Office of International Admissions. Your application materials will be processed at Office of International Admissions prior to our review.

Please consult the Office of International Admissions webpage for additional application materials and criteria including TOEFL: http://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/international-students/.

How to apply (International Admissions)
- Steps in applying
- Residency Requirements
- Dates and Deadlines
Admission Criteria
- Documentation
Admissions Forms
International graduate tuition and fees

UH MPA Curriculum

12 courses - 38 credit hours

The UH MPA program focuses on the management side in the public sector. The total core curriculum consists of eight courses or 26 hours. Three of the remaining four courses are electives oriented to your specialization. The Capstone Problem Project, PUBL 6325, is the final course. This results in an overall total of 12 courses or 38 hours for the MPA degree. The electives are tailored to the students’ specialty needs. A full time student should be able to complete the coursework in two school years.

PUBL 6310 - Administrative Theory Credit Hours: 3.0
PUBL 6398 - Special Probs Publ Adm/Policy Credit Hours: 3.0
Topic(s):
- Administrative Law and Regulations
PUBL 6313 - Fundamentals of Policy Analysis Credit Hours: 3.0
PUBL 6410 - Quantitative Methods I Credit Hours: 4.0
PUBL 6311 - Public Administration and Policy Implementation Credit Hours: 3.0
PUBL 6342 - Budgeting For Public Agencies Credit Hours: 3.0
PUBL 6350 - Public Management Credit Hours: 3.0
PUBL 6415 - Decision Science for Public Affairs Credit Hours: 4.0

Electives

Three courses are required and chosen in consultation with advisor. Electives will be tailored to the students’ specialty needs and career goals using an inter-disciplinary approach across UH departments.

The elective curriculum is complemented by nine hours (three courses) in the students’ area of specialization. The specialization courses are chosen by the student and must be approved by the program director.

Early in the second year of the program students are required to submit a formal statement of specialization to the MPA Director. This statement should describe the specialization and the three courses, which will be used to fulfill the requirements. Electives will be tailored to the students’ specialty needs and career goals using an inter-disciplinary approach across UH departments such as:

PUBL 6321 - Seminar in Urban Politics Credit Hours: 3.0
PUBL 6343 - GIS for Urban Applications Credit Hours: 3.0
PUBL 6349 - Seminar in Non-Profit Management Credit Hours: 3.0
PUBL 6347 - Seminar in Health Care Policy Credit Hours: 3.0
cross-listed with
POLS 6315 - Health Care Policy Credit Hours: 3.0
PUBL 6346 - Seminar in Emergency Management Credit Hours: 3.0
Inter-disciplinary courses - Political Science, Business, Psychology, Economics, Law, Social Work, Architecture, and Sociology.

Note(s):

Elective courses can be taken from UT Health Science Center and Rice University through inter-institutional arrangements.

Examples of specializations include: personnel management; city management; environmental policy; higher education, and management for non-profits. Specialization courses can be taken in a variety of colleges throughout the University including Business, Social Work, Psychology, Economics, Political Science, Computer Sciences, Architecture, and Law Center. For a list of Specialization Electives see http://www.uh.edu/class/mpa/degree-requirements/specialization/.

Final Requirements

PUBL 6325 - Capstone Problem Project Credit Hours: 3
This course represents the culmination of graduate work in the MPA program. This course permits the student to demonstrate mastery of the skills and knowledge acquired in their core and specialization courses. Each student is expected to formulate and analyze a real issue of public administration, organization, or policy; to examine alternative solutions or procedures; and to make independent and specific recommendations dealing with the issue.

Students should submit project proposal to the Director prior to commencing his or her project, as projects are subject to approval by the Director.

MPA Comprehensive Exam

At or near the completion of course work, students are asked to demonstrate their familiarity with the literature in the field and their ability to apply it to problems of public administration in a one-day exam. This exam is typically taken during the last term of course work.

Internship

Determined in consultation with advisor. The internship requirement is designed for those who have not had a full time work experience in private, public, or non-profit sector.

(No credit)

Visit the Master of Public Administration website.