Business Administration/Public Administration Dual Master’s Degree

Contact Information

Website: https://coles.kennesaw.edu/index.php

Phone: 470-578-4470

Program Description

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 Requirements

The program consists of a minimum of 54 hours of graduate study, of which 27 hours are in areas of Business Administration and 27 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.

Admissions 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.

Admissions Requirements for Unique Cases

Currently, there are no exceptions to the admission requirements.

Transfer Credit

No credit from outside institutions is accepted for this degree program.

Petition to Graduate

Each candidate must petition to graduate online. For more information, please view the corresponding section in Academic Policies .

Program of Study

Business Administration Required Courses (18 Credit Hours)

Required classes counting toward the awarding of the MBA degree:

Public Administration Required Courses (18 Credit Hours)

Required classes counting toward the awarding of the MPA degree:

Dual Credit MBA Courses (9 Credit Hours)

MBA courses that count toward both the MBA and MPA degrees:

IS 7090:Leveraging Information Systems in Business
MGT 7050:Managing and Leading Work Behavior
1 MBA elective (must be international business course)

Dual Credit MPA Courses (9 Credit Hours)

MPA courses that count toward both MPA and MBA degrees:

PAD 6500:Policy Analysis
or
PAD 6600:Program Evaluation
PAD 6700:Human Resource Management in Public Service
1 MPA elective

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