Public Administration, MPA

Contact Information

Website: http://mpa.hss.kennesaw.edu/

Phone: (470) 578-6227

Email: mpa@kennesaw.edu

Program Description

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a professional degree that prepares persons interested in public service for administrative and leadership positions in governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations. The program’s student and teaching-oriented faculty seek to contribute to the development of professional individuals with an ethos of public service values by providing them with a combination of solid academic learning and concrete practical experiences. The MPA Program is located in the School of Government and International Affairs.

Admission Requirements

The following are requirements beyond the general Graduate Admissions requirements.

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with at least 2.75 grade point average;
Submission of an application to the Office of Graduate Admissions and a non-refundable application fee; International students must also provide satisfactory TOEFL or IETLS scores;
Submit a statement of purpose essay of approximately 1,000 words addressing the following question: “In what way do you expect the Master of Public Administration degree to affect or enhance your career goals and aspirations?”;
A current résumé;
Two letters of recommendation from faculty or work supervisors with direct knowledge of the applicant that address the applicant’s potential for graduate study and use of an MPA degree.

Students are admitted to the program based upon an overall review of all credentials including any work and community service experience that indicates potential success in graduate work and in professional public service.

Admission Criteria for Unique Cases

Currently, there are no exceptions to the admission requirements.

Transfer Credit

Up to nine semester hours of graduate work from other NASPAA-accredited master’s programs may be transferred. To be transferred, course work from other institutions must correspond to Kennesaw State University’s MPA curriculum. Students will need to provide course descriptions and syllabi wherever possible, and the amount of credit granted will be at the discretion of the program director. Such course work may be no more than five years old.

Petition to Graduate

MPA candidates must petition to graduate at least one semester prior to completion of their degree requirements. For more information, please view the corresponding section in Academic Policies .

Accreditation

The Master of Public Administration Program is accredited by Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).

Program of Study

Core Curriculum (21 Credit Hours)

Concentrations (12 Credit Hours)

State, Local, and Regional Administration

Select four of the following:

Information Systems Administration

IS 7100:Advanced IT Project Management
IS 7700:Information Systems Policy and Strategy
Students will select two other graduate IS or MPA courses, or other graduate course approved by the program director.

Nonprofit Administration

Required:

Select two of the following:

Additional Course Options

Students who elect not to pursue a designated concentration can choose a combination of four courses from the list below.

Capstone (3 Credit Hours)

PAD 7998:MPA Capstone Seminar

Program Total (36 Credit Hours)

Special Notes:

Kennesaw State University offers qualified students the opportunity to apply for either of two dual degree programs. The MBA-MPA is a dual degree program in which students can earn both a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Business Administration degree. The MPA-MAIGC is a dual degree program in which students can earn both a Master of Public Administration and a Master of Arts in Global Integrated Communication degree. To be admitted into either dual degree program, the applicant must specify this option to the Graduate School at the time of application.