Earn your MPA degree at UBalt.
These requirements apply to students entering this program in fall 2024 and thereafter. Students who enrolled earlier should consult the catalog in effect at the time they enrolled.
Read the course descriptions.
Prerequisites: This program requires all incoming students to be computer and information literate. Students should be comfortable operating a computer for such basic tasks as word processing, Internet searching, file downloading and e-mailing. Competence in a specific computer application program, such as Microsoft Excel, is stipulated as a prerequisite for enrollment in some courses.
This 36-credit program requires the following:
Public Administration Fundamentals (9 credits)
choose three courses
PUAD 619 Public Management
PUAD 620 Public Policy
PUAD 623 Foundations: Bureaucracy and the Political Process
PUAD 627 Legal and Ethical Environment of Public Administration
Management Skills (6 credits)
choose two courses
PUAD 621 Human Resources Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations
PUAD 622 Public Budgeting and Fiscal Administration
PUAD 626 Information Resources Management
Analytical Skills (9 credits)
must take all three courses
PUAD 628 Statistical Applications in Public Administration
PUAD 629 Public Program Evaluation
PUAD 630 Analytical Tools in Public Administration
Capstone Experience (3 credits)
PUAD 798 Problem Solving Seminar in Public Administration
Specialization (9 credits)
Select 9 credits within your chosen specialization. (below are recommended electives)
Note: Through the Online MPA, you can only specialize in Public and Nonprofit Management (see below)
Budgeting & Fiscal Administration
PUAD 701 Public Administration and Public Finance
PUAD 702 Public Financial Management
PUAD 777 Political Economy of Nonprofit Organizations
PUAD 781 Information Technology: Public-Sector Applications
PUAD 785 Public-Sector Performance Measurement
Global Affairs & Human Security
GAHS 504 Human Security and Social Change
GAHS 508 Global Governance
GAHS 740 Global Affairs and Human Security Capstone
Health-Care Policy & Administration
HSMG 630 The Legal Environment of Health Care Management
HSMG 660 Comparative Global Health and Human Security
HSMG 753 Policy Issues in Health Care
HSMG 766 Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior for Health Administrators
Negotiations & Conflict Management
CNCM 506 Understanding and Assessing Conflict
CNCM 513 Negotiations: Theory and Practice
CNCM 515 Mediation: Theory and Practice
Public Policy & Administration
HSMG 753 Policy Issues in Health Care
PUAD 720 Urban Politics and Policy Planning
PUAD 734 Strategic Planning
PUAD 740 Administrative Law and Regulation
PUAD 763 Public Policymaking
PUAD 775 Intergovernmental Administration
PUAD 781 Information Technology: Public-Sector Applications
Public & Nonprofit Management
Specialization option for Online MPA program
PUAD 700 Intro to Nonprofits
PUAD 703 Urban Management
PUAD 704 Managing Diversity
PUAD 730 State and Local Personnel Management
PUAD 732 Leadership and Organizational Change
PUAD 733 Managing Public-Sector Projects
PUAD 734 Strategic Planning
PUAD 770 Community Development
PUAD 775 Intergovernmental Administration
PUAD 777 Political Economy of Nonprofit Organizations
PUAD 781 Information Technology: Public Sector Applications
PUAD 785 Public-Sector Performance Measurement
*PUAD 705 Special Topics in Public Administration and PUAD 709 Individual Research may also be used to satisfy specialization requirements. NOTE: Faculty members are limited to teaching a maximum of two independent study courses per semester as well as the summer school session.
Internship (3 credits)
PUAD 790 Internship
**May be waived by the program director for those with pertinent experience. If you have not had any significant public-sector work experience, you must take a 3-credit internship in addition to the other requirements.
Assurance of Learning: Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Mission Statement: The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program prepares graduates to be effective administrators, managers and leaders serving the public interest in public, nonprofit and private sector organizations. Through an active faculty engaged in research and service, the MPA program delivers a curriculum providing students with substantive knowledge, skills and judgment to succeed as professionals in an increasingly complex and diverse environment. Students graduating from our program contribute to their broader communities while adhering to the highest standards of ethical conduct.
Program-Level Student Learning Outcomes
By completion of the Master of Public Administration program:
Students will have the ability to formulate evidenced-based recommendations from an analysis of public policy issues.
Students will have the ability to use appropriate judgment in practicing current public organizational management and public budgeting techniques.
Students will have the ability to demonstrate a broad based knowledge in public administration theory, research and practice.
Students will have the ability to prescribe appropriate policies as they relate to a variety of human resource and personnel issues.
Students will have the ability to demonstrate technical written and oral presentation skills needed to communicate to professional audiences.