Business Administration/Public Administration Dual Master’s Degree

The Master of Business Administration/Master of Public Administration (MBA/MPA) Program is a dual degree offered by the Coles College of Business Administration and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The objective of this program is to allow students who are interested in public and private sectors to concurrently register in both MBA and MPA programs. The increasing interdependence of the public and private sectors makes this dual degree program not only innovative, but attractive to students wishing to pursue careers in positions responsible for working with their counterparts in private and public organizations, and in a variety of settings where both the knowledge of business and government are very crucial.

Program Admission Requirements

To be admitted into the dual degree program, the applicant must specify the option at the time of application to the Graduate School. Students interested in applying for the dual degree option MBA/MPA Program should consult with either the MPA Director or the MBA Director with regard to admission requirements and required courses.

General Admission Requirements for the MBA/MPA Dual Degree Program

Submission of application to the graduate admission office and a non-refundable application fee.
Baccalaureate degree from an institution accredited in a manner accepted by Kennesaw State University (official transcripts from all previous institutions of higher education are required);
Official score reports for either the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT); Each program has separate admission standards.
Two letters of recommendation; and
A personal statement describing your career aspirations.

*International applicants have additional requirements; see the Graduate Admissions section of this catalog.

Program Requirements

The program consists of a minimum of 51 hours of graduate study, of which 27 hours are in areas of Business Administration and 24 hours are in the areas of Public Administration. Additional credit hours may be taken depending on each student’s academic background or areas of concentration in the MPA Program. It generally takes approximately three years to earn both degrees as a full-time student.

Students will be required to take the core courses from both the MBA and the MPA programs.

Core courses

Electives

Students are required to select and complete 6 credit hours of elective courses, one MBA elective and one MPA elective, that best fits their career and personal goals in either program. In consultation with the faculty and the program director, students may develop their specific areas of administrative expertise by selecting an appropriate combination of courses within designated concentrations.

Students must take at least 27 credit hours of MBA course work. Of these 24 credit hours are the required core courses shown above. The one additional MBA elective must be an international business course. Additionally, choosing an MPA concentration may require the student to take more than the minimum 51 credit hours required for the dual degree program.