Master of Public Administration Program
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Master of Public Administration Program Student Handbook 2020-2021 2 Table of Contents Introduction to the Student Handbook………………………………...5 Overview of the University of Dayton MPA program……………...6 Mission & Program Goals………………………………………………......7 Curriculum………………………………………………………………….….….8 Additional Course Information………………………….………….......10 MPA Plan of Study…..………………………………………………………..12 B.A. to MPA……………………………………………………………………..14 Accreditation...…………………………………………………...………...….15 The Nonprofit and Community Leadership Certificate.…….....16 Scholarship Awards……………………………………...……………….…..17 Pi Alpha Alpha……………………………….…………………………….…..18 Internships and Experiential Learning…..………………..…….…….20 Student Portfolio & Self-Assessment………………………….….…….22 Student Resources, Learning and Writing Support………....…...24 Faculty & Staff Directory……………….………………….……………….26 Social Media……………………………….………………………….………...28 WebLinks………………………………….…………………………………..…28 Notes……………………………………….……………………………………...30 3 4 Introduction to the Student Handbook Overview of the MPA Program__________ Welcome to the Master of Public Administration Program at the The Master of Public Administration Program serves students University of Dayton! currently employed or seeking employment in the public and We look forward to being part of your journey in public service. nonprofit sectors. The University of Dayton has offered a MPA This handbook provides some basic information about the degree since 1967. program, curriculum requirements, and other opportunities as you complete your degree. The program emphasizes a core of recognized public management skills, including the development of team-oriented and Please do not hesitate to contact me or any MPA faculty member interpersonal skills, organizational and communication skills, and with questions and concerns. organizational leadership capabilities. Best regards, Joshua Ambrosius, Ph.D. Accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Associate Professor of Political Science Administration, the MPA program consists of 39 MPA Program Director semester hours with 27 hours of core courses. Students without current employment in the public or non-profit sectors are strongly encouraged to participate in an internship program, while those students currently working in relevant jobs often engage in a public service project to expand their career options. Classes are typically offered during the evening, one night per week. Our MPA program was reaccredited through the 2020-2021 Academic Year. 5 6 Curriculum Mission The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree requires students to satisfactorily complete 39 semester hours of course- In partnership with community, public, and nonprofit work with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. organizations, the MPA program serves the common good by The 39 hours of coursework must include: preparing responsible public-servant leaders who value, understand, and apply the ethics, theories, and skills of public administration. Core Courses (required, 21 semester hours) MPA 500: Introduction to Public Administration F F Program Goals MPA 510: Quantitative Methods in Public Administration MPA 511: Applied Research Techniques S Program Goals: 1. Training and educating students for careers as MPA 520: Organization Theory F public-servant leaders of public and nonprofit MPA 530: Public Budgeting S organizations. MPA 540: Public Sector Human Resource Management F 2. Building mutually respectful and reciprocal MPA 599: Public Administration Capstone S partnerships with organizations in local, regional, and state communities. Public Policy Course (required, choose one; 3 semester hours) F 3. Addressing issues of concern for the public and MPA 504: State and Local Government nonprofit sectors across all levels of government by MPA 551: Introduction to Public Policy S engaging in applied and academic research activities. Ethics Course (required, choose one; 3 semester hours) MPA 526: Leadership in Building Community F MPA 524: Ethics in Public Administration S F indicates a course typically offered during the Fall semester. S indicates a course typically offered during the Spring semester 7 8 Additional Course Information MPA 593: Independent Study Elective Courses * (complete 12 semester hours) An independent study is an intensive, independent research MPA 508: Contemporary Issues (various) experience conducted under the direction of a faculty member with MPA 514: Government Planning a research paper requirement. Students generate a topic of interest MPA 515: Emergency Management and then approach a faculty member to see if s/he is interested in MPA 555: Selected Topics in Public Policy (various) supervising the research. Faculty members typically supervise only in their areas of researching or teaching. Students must submit a MPA 556: Environmental Policy formal project proposal to the MPA Director, and the faculty MPA 561: Nonprofit and Community Leadership member prior to registration. MPA 562: Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations MPA 595: Internship MPA 563: NGO Management and Development Internships with government agencies or other organizations where MPA 564: Overview of Grant Funding students work to gain experience may receive academic credit based MPA 565: Grant Writing on the hours worked and the completion of an academic/research MPA 566: Nonprofit Community Relations based project. Interested students should work with the Director of Experiential Learning to help identify opportunities—but please MPA 567: Building the Nonprofit Network note, there is no guarantee of a placement. Instead, the Director MPA 568: The Responsive Nonprofit assists students in their search for an internship and facilitates the MPA 571: Administrative Law process of earning academic credit. The Program notifies students MPA 593: Independent Study of local opportunities when brought to the attention of the faculty. MPA 595: Internship Students should also check Hire a Flyer, governmental websites, and other job websites, or work with a representative in career services MPA 597: Public Service Project (https://www.udayton.edu/careerservices/). · Students with prior approval from the Program Director, may take graduate level courses up to 6 hours outside of the department to fulfill elective requirements. An internship is not a requirement for graduation, but it is highly · It is recommended that students who have an interest in an elective take it that recommended for students without recent and/or relevant full-time semester as there is no guarantee for when it will be offered again, if at all. employment. 9 10 MPA Plan of Study ____ MPA 597: Public Service Project The Public Service Project is an independent, real–world project at public service agencies that can solve public management Course Name Semester Planned Semester Taken Grade problems and/or policy issues. Generally, students approach an Core Courses (required) organization about potential projects. Students must submit a 21 semester hours formal project proposal to the MPA Director and the supervising MPA 500: Introduction faculty member prior to registration. to Public Administration MPA 510: Quantitative Methods in Public Administration MPA 599: Capstone in Public Administration MPA 511: Applied The summative experience of the MPA program is a capstone to Research Techniques (pre-requisite MPA 510) be taken in each student’s final semester. This course focuses on: MPA 520: Organization (1) Professional development and preparation for the vocation Theory of public service, MPA 530: Public Budgeting (2) Engagement in current literature on a public service topic or MPA 540: Public Sector trend, Human Resource Management (3) Completion of the student portfolio, MPA 599: Capstone in (4) Reflective writings, and, Public Administration (pre-requisites MPA core (5) A professional presentation to the faculty that integrates courses) academic theory from previous coursework and practice of a professional experience (e.g. internship, work, public service project, etc.). 11 12 BA+MPA Program _________________ UD undergraduate students within the College of Arts and Sciences with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better at the time of application are eligible to participate in the accelerated BA+MPA program leading to Course Name Semester Planned Semester Taken Grade a Master of Public Administration degree. Public Policy Course Eligible undergraduate students are required to apply for admission (choose one) 3 semester hours to the accelerated BA+MPA program and to the Graduate School and may do so as early as the second semester of their junior year. At MPA 504: State and Local Government least 75% of the credit hours required for graduation within the MPA 551: Introduction student's undergraduate degree program must be completed before to Public Policy graduate admission can be approved. (choose one) Ethics Course Although the students in the accelerated BA+MPA program can take several approved graduate courses while enrolled as undergraduates, MPA 524: Ethics in only two courses (a maximum of six semester hours) may be counted Public Administration towards both the BA and MPA degrees. These two courses must be MPA 526: Leadership in Building Communities explicitly approved in writing by both the student's undergraduate department and the MPA program before they are taken. Elective Courses 12 semester hours Students admitted to the accelerated program will continue to be 1. classified as undergraduate students until they complete all