Master of Public Administration

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) with a concentration in Public Administration stresses the practical skills and knowledge necessary for a career in the public sector. The program provides a pragmatic approach which balances the theoretical with the practical. Students are exposed to the normative and empirical aspects of problem-solving, organizational management, budget and resource management, policy-making, and program administration.  The program is designed for students presently serving in government and non-profit organizations, those involved in the private sector who are involved with and affected by governmental activities, and those who seek careers in government at the management level. In this period on increased interdependency among the public, non-profit, and private sectors, the program is dedicated to the increased responsibilities and challenges confronting the public manager.  The program provides the student with a concrete foundation for the acquisition of administrative expertise and tools essential for management at all levels of government and within non-profit service oriented organizations.

Program Requirements

This program consists of ten (10) courses which are divided into a core component (seven courses) and an elective component (three courses).

Students are expected to be familiar with office/management level software.

Students may take courses in any sequence subject to the following general requirements:

1. PADM 901 Foundations of Public Administration serves as a foundation for the core and elective courses in the Public Administration program. Students are recommended to complete this course prior to taking other core courses.
2. Students must meet course prerequisites.
3. PADM 984 Seminar in Public Administration is the culminating course in the student’s program and may not be taken before the final semester of the program. Exceptions, requiring advisor approval, may be made for students taking an elective course over the summer. Registration for the seminar requires prior written approval from the Dean of Graduate Studies. Students will not be able to fulfill this requirement with a course transferred from another institution.

Undergraduate Prerequisite (1):

• QUAN 676 Statistical Analyses for Managers or
• • STAT 117 Introduction to Statistics

Program Core Courses (7):

• MGMT 904 Management and Leadership
• PADM 901 Foundations of Public Administration
• PADM 929 Techniques of Policy Analysis
• PADM 937 Techniques of Public Budgeting and Resource Management
• PADM 981 Personnel Management in the Public Sector
• PADM 984 Seminar in Public Administration
• QUAN 908 Quantitative Analysis for Administrators

Program Elective Courses (3):

Any three (3) courses with the written approval of the student’s advisor. The following are suggested:

• BUIS 909 Information Technology in Business
• MGMT 955 Compensation and Performance Appraisal
• PADM 911 Grantsmanship and Development
• PADM 932 Managing Public Sector Projects
• PADM 944 Marketing for Non-Profit Organizations
• PADM 957 Risk Management and Fiscal Analysis                      

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. The evaluation of a candidate is primarily based upon the applicant’s quality point average which is used as an indicator of intellectual development and ability. Extracurricular activities, employment and non-employment experiences, career goals, and motivation for graduate work serve as additional admission criteria. In addition to a suitable QPA or possession of other indicators of academic success, admission will be granted only to persons with acceptable employment experience.

Applicants must:

1. Complete the online graduate admission application.
2. Submit the $50.00 application fee.
3. Have earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
4. Submit a typed, 300-word personal statement discussing their motivation for seeking a master’s degree in view of prior formal education, current job responsibilities, and career plans.
5. Provide two letters of recommendation submitted on the Framingham State University Letter of Recommendation form and sent directly to the University’s Graduate Admissions office by the recommender. One letter must be from an employer or supervisor, and the other must be from a faculty member who has taught the candidate at collegiate level if the candidate attended classes in the last five years;
6. Have acceptable employment experience. Acceptable employment is usually a minimum of one year of full-time paid experience in the field and is usually verified by appropriate letters of recommendation. This requirement may be waived after a personal interview.
7. Have an overall undergraduate quality point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale in a program acceptable to the admissions committee is expected. Students who do not meet these requirements may be offered the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to do successful graduate work by:

1. Taking two advisor-approved courses and earning a grade of B (3.00) or better in each course;
   OR
2. Taking either the Graduate Management Admissions Test, Graduate Record Examination, or the Miller Analogies Test and achieving a score in the 60^th percentile higher.

Evaluation of the materials submitted by the applicant for admission to the Masters of Public Administration program will begin as soon as all required documents have been received. Applicants may be admitted to the program for the fall and spring semesters, although courses may be taken during the summer.

^{Effective as of the 2023-2024 Graduate Catalog}