Graduate Program
TAMUCC Master's in Public Administration
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CORE COURSES
CORE COURSES
To receive the Master's in Public Administration degree at TAMU-CC students must successfully complete 39 graduate credit hours. These include a 24-hour core requirement taken by all students, and 15 hours of course work in one of five program tracks. Each of these components is outlined below.
PADM 5301 Theory and Practice of Public Administration
PADM 5302 Policy Making and Public Administration
PADM 5304 Human Resources Management
PADM 5305 Public Budgeting and Finance
PADM 5310 Public Organizations
PADM 5311 Research Methods in Public Administration
PADM 5312 Statistics for Public Administrators
PADM 5365 Seminar in Public Administration - Capstone
PROGRAM TRACKS
Public Management Track
Students who choose this broad and general preparation will take, in addition to the core:
FOUR public management courses ( 12 semester hours);
PADM 5308 Administrative Law
PADM 5306 Public Sector Fiscal Management & Analysis
PADM 5335 Program Evaluation
PADM 5360 Strategic Planning
One Course selected from the following:
PADM 5300 U.S. Goverment Institutions
PADM 5303 Administrative Ethics
PADM 5306 Public Sector Fiscal Management & Analysis
PADM 5307 Communications and Organizations
PADM 5308 Administrative Law
PADM 5313 Survery Research for Public Administrators
PADM 5335 Program Evaluation
PADM 5360 Strategic Planning
PADM 5361 Globalization and Public Administration
PADM 5363 Leadership in the Public Sector
PADM 5396 Individual Study
PADM 5397 Internship*
* The internship is recommended for students who have not had significant experience in the public or non-profit sectors. The internship should be completed in teh student's last term prior to graduation. It is offered by application (see the program coordinator for details).
Non-Profit Management Track
Student who elect to focus on non-profit management within the MPA program will take, in addition to the core:
The following FOUR courses (12 semester hours):
PADM 5331 Managing the Non-profit Organization
PADM 5332 Resources Development for Non-profit Organizations
PADM 5335 Program Evaluation
PADM 5360 Strategic Planning
ONE course selected from teh following (3 semester hours):
PADM 5300 U.S. Goverment Institutions
PADM 5303 Administrative Ethics
PADM 5306 Public Sector Fiscal Management & Analysis
PADM 5307 Communications and Organizations
PADM 5308 Administrative Law
PADM 5313 Survey Research for Public Administrators
PADM 5314 Cultural Analysis and Intervention
PADM 5361 Globalization and Public Administration
PADM 5363 Leadership in the Public Sector
PADM 5396 Individual Study
PADM 5397 Internship*
* The internship is recommended for students who have nto had significant experience in the public or non-profit sectors. The Internship should be completed in teh student's last term prior to graduation. It is offered by application (see the program coordinator for details).
Security Studies Track
Students who elect to focus on security studies within the MPA program will take, in addition to the core:
The THREE following courses (9 semester hours):
PADM 5380 Homeland Security and Public Administration
PADM 5381 Modern Terrorism and Counter Terrorism
PADM 5382 Emergency Management and Disaster Planning Practicum
And any TWO of the following courses below (6 semester hours):
ESCI 5302 Federal Environmental Laws and Regulations
ESCI 5330 Oil Spill Management
ESCI 5370 Hazardous Waste Treatment Technologies
ESCI 5408 Environmental Microbiology
ESCI 5480 Environmental Assessment
CRIJ 5302 Foundations of Criminal Justice
COSC 5374 Computer Forensics
COSC 5376 Network Security
COSC 5379 Advanced Information Assurance
ENGL 5396 Individual Study (in Homeland Security Policy)
PADM 5308 Administrative Law
PADM 5397 Internship*
*The internship is recommended for students who have not had significant experience in the public or non-profit sectors. The internship should be completed in teh student's last term prior to graduation. It is offered by application (see the program coordinator for details).
Student will need to ensure they meet any prerequisite for those graduate courses in Computing Science or Environmental Science Listed Above.
Health Care Administration Track
Student who elect a focus on health care administration within the MPA programs will take, in addition to the core:
EACH of the following five health care courses ( 15 semester hours):
HCAD 5312 The Health Care System*
HCAD 5320 Health Economics and Policy
HCAD 5325 Health Care Financial Management
HCAD 5330 Health Law and Ethics
HCAD 5390 Health Care Selected Topics
* It is strongly recommended that this course be taken before the others in the HCAD track if at all possible.
Environmental Science Track
Students considering the Environmental Science Track without a strong foundation in the physical science should consider upper-level undergraduate coursework in the physical sciences prior to the initiation of the track course studies. Students who elect a focus on environmental science within the MPA program will take, in addition to the core:
The following THREE courses (9 semester hours):
BLAW 5330 Environmental Law and Policy
ESCI 5302 Federal Environmental Laws and Regulations
PADM 5340 Environmental Policy
TWO of the following courses ( 6 semester hours):
ESCI 5320 Advanced Environmental Health
ESCI 5322 Industrial Hygiene
ESCI 5330 Oil Spill Management
ESCI 5370 Hazardous Waste Treatment Technologies
ESCI 5412 Environmental Measurement & Data Synthesis
ESCI 5480 Environmental Assessment
ESCI 5490 Advanced Topics
Statistics: Students who have not successfully completed a college statistics course must do so in their first semester in the MPA program. Students lacking an undergraduate statistics course can meet this requirement through successful (B or better) completion of an approved course in statistics. See your adviser to determine an appropriate course to meet your needs. This basic statistics requirement is in addition to the 39 semester hour program of graduate courses leading to the MPA.
Writing Competency: Students must demonstrate a minimum writing ability suitable to graduate work early in their course work toward the MPA. Competency will be assessed through a brief composition test. Students judged deficient in writing skills can meet this requirement through successful (B or better) completion of an approved composition course. See your adviser to determine an appropriate course to meet your needs. This basic writing requirement is in addition to the 39 hour program of graduate courses leading to the MPA.
Computer Literacy: Students must provide evidence of computer literacy during their first semester in the MPA program. This can be done through evidence of successful (B or better) completion of a basic undergraduate computer skills courses, or through documentation of significant practical work experience with computer software packages. See your adviser to determine an appropriate course to meet your needs. This basic computer literacy requirement is in addition to the 39 hour program of graduate courses leading to the MPA.
COMPLETION REQUIREMENTSSuccessful completion of the MPA degree involves the following conditions:
- Completion of all 39 semester hours for graduation within a seven-year time period. The 39 semester hours must be those specified in an approved degree plan.
- Completion of 24 of the required 39 semester hours in residence at this University. Only 12 semester hours may be transferred from accredited institutions. No grade of "C" or lower may be transferred. No correspondence courses may be transferred at the graduate level. Credit from a degree earned at another institution will not be applied to a second master's degree at TAMUCC.
- The student must maintain a graduate grade point average of 3.0 in all courses in the approved MPA degree plan or accepted by approved waiver, and in all graduate work taken at this university. Students receiving more than two grades of "C" in their coursework will be terminated from the program.
- The student is making satisfactory academic progress if courses identified on the degree plan are being completed and a grade point average of 3.0 is maintained. Satisfactory progress is also reflected by a return to a grade point average of 3.0 or higher for students who had been placed on scholastic probation.
- Students should apply for graduation early in the term in which they intend to complete their final semester credits.
- Successful completion of the capstone course, PADM 5365 - Seminar in Public Administration - Capstone, in the last term prior to graduation. All MPA core courses must have been completed before the capstone course is taken.
CAPSTONE GUIDELINES
Capstone Prospectus (pdf) (msword)
Program Evaluation Paper Guidelines (msword)
STUDENT CHECKLIST
- Complete Degree Plan - see MPA Coordinator or assigned advisor. Ideally, see your advisor first.
- Take 39 hours as per Degree Plan. Consult your advisor prior to each registration.
- Update Degree Plan each semester if needed.
- Apply for degree early in ther term of expected graduation.
- Take capstone course in last semester prior to graduation.
