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2020-2021 Graduate Catalog
Public Administration, MPA
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Introduction
The Master of Public Administration degree (MPA) provides graduate professional education for students interested in public service leadership positions and careers with public and nonprofit agencies and organizations. The program serves students new to public service as well as those already in the field who are interested in furthering their careers.
To learn more about our renowned faculty, please visit our website to view our faculty bios.
Program Director: Jane Hansberry, PhD
The School of Public Affairs offers three distinct ways to complete an MPA degree:
- Accelerated MPA
- Executive MPA
- Traditional MPA
Students may also choose to designate a concentration within one of the optional focus areas or complete the MPA without a specified concentration.
Program Delivery
- Courses are offered on campus, online, and in hybrid formats. The Accelerated MPA is only offered on campus in a corhort model
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Program Requirements
- Students must successfully complete 36 credit hours of approved coursework.
- Students must maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA in this program.
- Students must earn at least a B- in all core coursework and at least a C in all elective coursework to be accepted for graduate credit towards the degree.
- No more than 6 credit hours of Independent Study may be applied toward the degree.
- Students who have not had at least one year of professional work experience in the public or nonprofit sectors must complete an internship through an additional 3-semester-hour course, bringing their total semester-hour requirements to 39.
- This program must be completed within 7 years.
All MPA students (with the exception of those in the executive MPA option) must complete the following seven core courses or approved equivalents, for a total of 21 credit hours.
MPA Options
In addition to the traditional MPA program, students may consider the accelerated and executive options.
Accelerated MPA
The Accelerated MPA (AMPA) is a fast-paced, full-time option that brings academically superior students together with a dedicated research and teaching faculty in the midst of the vibrant downtown Denver environment. The students in the cohort enjoy a unique experience as they go through all classes in the MPA together, fostering a community of scholar-practitioners.
The Accelerated MPA enables students to focus their energies in a concentrated program of study and earn a nationally accredited, 36-hour MPA in 12 months. All coursework is completed in-person as a cohort. The online option is not available for the AMPA program.
Students are admitted to the program in cohorts of up to 20 participants. A new cohort starts each August. The cohort format helps to increase the opportunity to become acquainted with other graduate students and increases the opportunities for interaction between program participants and faculty. It is preferred that applicants have some knowledge of economics, statistics and political science prior to starting the program, although no required.
This program is priced at a flat rate, regardless of in-state or out-of-state student status, providing out-of-state students with substantial savings.
Students interested in pursuing the Accelerated MPA program should designate this as their desired program on their Admissions application.
Executive MPA
The Executive MPA program is designed for senior level professionals in the nonprofit and public sectors. The Executive MPA requires 30 credit hours to complete the degree.
Initial Leadership Experience (3 Hours)
All students will enroll in the Rocky Mountain Leadership Program (RMLP) which is a six-day seminar typically held in Breckenridge. The RMLP brings together public and non-profit professionals from across the country to collaborate on current management issues while honing leadership skills. Federal employees may elect OPM’s federal Management Assessment Seminar at either the Western or Eastern Management Development Centers in lieu of the Rocky Mountain Leadership Program. For more information about the OPM program option please see www.leadership.opm.gov.
Coursework
Required courses (15 Hours)
All students will complete PUAD 5001 and PUAD 5002 together as an Executive cohort. Both courses are held in a hybrid format, which combines a one-week intensive session on the Denver campus with additional online instruction. Students will also complete two additional core courses (6 total credits) from the regular MPA core. The remainder of the core courses may be taken in the student’s preferred format as either online, weekend intensive or through the traditional campus-based classroom setting.
All Executive students will complete PUAD 5361, Capstone Seminar (3 credits) at the end of their program. The Capstone allows students to synthesize the information learned during the program and put it into practice within their professional setting.
Electives (12 Hours)
In consultation with an advisor, students select four additional elective courses that best meet their professional goals. These may be taken online or in the classroom. Students may complete up to 9 credits through the federal OPM Management Development Center provided they are approved for graduate credit by the American Council on Education.
Optional Concentrations
Students may select one of the concentrations below or complete the MPA without a specified concentration. Students completing a concentration take their electives in the area of their concentration, complete the advanced seminar project in the area of their concentration and are advised by faculty from the concentration.
All MPA concentrations require a total of 12 credits hours of concentrated elective coursework and may either be taken as part of the MPA program or as a stand-alone Graduate Certificate.
Disasters, Hazards and Emergency Management Concentration
The concentration in Disasters, Hazards, and Emergency Management (DHEM) provides advanced education in the management of emergencies, hazards, disasters, and community resilience. DHEM is designed for students who work or will work in the field of natural and man-made hazards, community resilience, and emergency management.
Required Coursework
The DHEM concentration requires a total of 12 credit hours.
Education Policy Concentration
The concentration in Education Policy provides students with an understanding of how K-12 education is governed, financed and regulated in the United States. Students will become familiar with the interaction between federal, state and local policies and with the context in which education policy is formulated and implemented.
Required Coursework
The Education Policy concentration requires a total of 12 credit hours.
Environmental Policy and Management Concentration
The concentration in Environmental Policy and Management provides an understanding of how our natural environment is governed and affected by relationships between various entities, including legislatures, administrative agencies, courts, government and more.
Required Coursework
The EPM concentration requires a total of 12 credit hours.
Emergency Management and Homeland Security Concentration
The concentration in Emergency Management and Homeland Security (EMHS) provides advanced education in the management of emergencies, hazards, disasters and homeland security. The EMHS program is designed to meet the needs of students who wish to work, or are currently working, in the field of emergency management and homeland security.
The EMHS program is also offered as a stand-alone Emergency Management and Homeland Security Graduate Certificate program.
Required Coursework
The EMHS concentration requires a total of 12 credit hours.
Gender-Based Violence Concentration
The concentration in Gender-Based Violence (GBV) focuses on the management and policies surrounding gender-based violence, as well as grass-roots social justice work and best practices in this emerging field. Each fall, 10 to 20 students are accepted into the GBV cohort, allowing the participants to build a strong community of advocates and learners.
This program combines online courses with four intensive campus seminars spaced throughout the two-year program. Nonresident students pursuing the MPA with a concentration in Gender-Based Violence may also qualify for reduced tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program which covers 14 western states.
The Gender-Based Violence program is also offered as a stand-alone Gender-Based Violence Graduate Certificate program.
Required Coursework
The concentration in GBV concentration requires a total of 12 credit hours. All students will complete the four required courses below. Students will complete all four of required courses below.
Local Government Concentration
The Graduate Local Government Concentration prepares students to become well-versed in the forces that shape the agendas of the public sector, including those of municipalities, counties, regional authorities and councils of government. Additionally, students gain an understanding of government management and policy making.
Required Coursework
The Local Government concentration requires a total of 12 credit hours.
Nonprofit Management Concentration
The concentration in Nonprofit Management prepares students to become innovative and critical thinkers in the areas of nonprofit organizational management and public policy, with a unique approach that bridges theoretical knowledge with real-world experience. As students prepare for their careers or advancement in their current positions, they gain insight into the interdependence between the nonprofit, public, and for-profit sectors. Graduates are able to span the boundaries of these three sectors to assess community needs, navigate the realm of public policy, and strategically and effectively manage organizations that ultimately benefit society.
SPA’s affiliation with the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance gives students the opportunity to earn the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential through completion of the Nonprofit Management concentration [or certificate] coursework, additional required extracurricular activities, and an examination. Contact cnp@ucdenver.edu for more information about this credential.
The Nonprofit Management program is also offered as a stand-alone Nonprofit Management Graduate Certificate program.
Required Coursework
The Nonprofit Management concentration requires a total of 12 credit hours.
Public Policy Analysis Concentration
The concentration in Public Policy Analysis provides training in the tools and skills needed to assess the impact of public policies and programs, including policy analysis, cost-benefit analysis, program evaluation, multivariate regression, and other analytical techniques.
Required Coursework
The Public Policy Analysis concentration requires a total of 12 credit hours.
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