MPP and MPA Programs
University of Kansas, School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA)
Program Comparison Highlights
Institutional Structure: TO COME
Curriculum Design: TO COME
Professional Program Features: TO COME
Program Summary
Website: http://www.kupa.ku.edu/
University: University of Kansas
Location: Lawrence, Kansas
Degree: Masters in Public Administration (MPA)
Marketing Approach: "The Master of Public Administration program is consistently ranked #1 in the nation in city management and urban policy by U.S. News and World Report. If you are interested in a career in local government, we invite you to learn more about our signature program.
The School of Public Affairs and Administration is home to the Edwin O. Stene Graduate Program in Public Administration and offers a Master of Public Administration degree. The Edwin O. Stene Master's program is one of the oldest and most respected programs in the United States, with our local government leadership program founded in 1948.
Since 1998, our tradition of excellence in educating students at the masters’ level has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report with a #1 ranking in city management and urban policy." (at http://www.kupa.ku.edu, accessed 5 May 2014)
Degrees Awarded per Year: Intern Track: Program only accepts 12-15 Students per year
Academic Unit within University: The School of Public Affairs and Administration is home to the Edwin O. Stene Graduate Program in Public Administration
Related Academic Units and Degrees: The School of Public Affairs and Administration's graduate programs are listed, by graduate unit, at http://www.kupa.ku.edu/degrees.
Posted Tuition: $6,231 tuition and fees per year for MPA for domestic students and $14,576 for non-residents entering in 2013 (at http://affordability.ku.edu/costs, accessed 5 May 2014)
Concentration/Curriculum Overview: There are two tracks for the MPA: the Intern Track and the Career Track.
Intern Track: The Intern track is designed for students who have little or no public administration experience and are willing to commit to one year of full-time study and a second year in a full-time internship to prepare themselves for careers in city or county management. Intern track students begin the program in the summer semester, and complete the majority of their coursework over three semesters (summer, fall, spring).
Career Track: The Career track is designed for working professionals seeking to strengthen their leadership skills for careers in public service professions or advance in their current profession without a career interruption. Most career-track students attend part-time. Career-track students may begin in any semester.
MPA Degree Requirements
Summary:
Intern Track:
Students who select the intern track MPA program begin the program in the summer semester, and must complete the majority of their coursework (37 credit hours) over three semesters: summer, spring and fall.
Students earn the final six (6) credit hours toward their MPA during their second year in the program, for a total of 43 credit hours.
Career Track:
Students who select the career track MPA program begin the program in the fall or spring semesters. Most students take one or two courses per semester. Courses are offered at the Edwards Campus in Overland Park, the main campus in Lawrence, and at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas. Once a student begins the program, all degree requirements must be completed within 7 years.
The master’s degree is awarded after successful completion of 43 credit hours of course work. This includes 31 hours (10 courses) of required core courses (listed below) that all students complete, and 12 hours (4 courses) tailored to the student's interests. In addition, all students must pass a written master's examination (final paper) to complete the requirements for the M.P.A. degree, which is part of the PUAD 897 core course.
Duration: 2 years (four terms of full-time study).
Academic Prerequisite:
Intern Track
- A GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Prefer background in social sciences, with courses in college algebra and statistics recommended. A GPA below 3.0 can be considered if academic deficiencies are addressed in the personal statement.
- The GRE will be required for all MPA applicants who have earned their bachelor's degree within the past three years. For students who earned their bachelor's degree more than three years ago, the GRE is recommended, but not required.
Career Track
- A GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). Prefer background in social sciences, with courses in college algebra and statistics recommended. A GPA below 3.0 can be considered if academic deficiencies are addressed in the personal statement
- The GRE will be required for all MPA applicants (including career track applicants) who have earned their bachelor's degree within the past three years. General test only (verbal, analytical and quantitative). GMAT or LSAT may substitute for the GRE. Our institution code is 6871, and the department code is 4801.
For students who earned their bachelor's degree more than three years ago, the GRE is recommended, but not required.
Number of One-Semester-Equivalent Courses Required for Completion: Intern Track: 14, Career track: 14
Number of Required Courses: Intern Track: 14, Career track: 10
Number of Electives Typically Taken (difference between above two entries): Intern Track: 0, Career Track: 4
Number of Electives Offered within Program: Intern Track: 0, Career Track: 23
Comprehensive Examination: Intern Track: No, Career Track: Yes
Thesis Required: No
Internship Required: Internship track: Yes, Career Track: No
International Study Required: No
Co-curricular Activities Supportive to Degree
Professional Development and Career Support: Yes
Student-run Journal: No
Applied Projects: No
Pro Bono Consulting: No
Courses Offered: The full list of 2013-2014 School of Public Affairs and Administration courses is found at: http://www.kupa.ku.edu/curriculum-career-track. In the CourseMap below, required courses are indicated by (R).
Course Material Online: Short course descriptions, but few if any syllabi are available to the public online.
Instructional Distribution (PEACO Profile): The distribution of instruction offered, based on the course assignments to subjects in the Kansas Course Map below, weighted by estimated enrolment based on the number of elective sections offered and number of electives typically taken is displayed below. [See note on PEACO Algorithm.]
|
|
Career Track |
Intern Track |
|
I. Courses Required and Offered |
|
|
|
a. Number of one-semester courses required for degree |
14.3 |
14.3 |
|
b. Number of required courses |
9.3 |
14.3 |
|
c. Number of elective courses taken (a - b) |
5 |
0 |
|
d. Number of elective courses offered |
46 |
6 |
|
e. Enrolment weight of elective courses (c/d) |
0.11 |
0 |
|
Number of weeks (classes) per semester |
14 |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
II. Distribution of Courses (Enrolment-Adjusted) among Atlas |
|
|
|
Domains and Subjects |
|
|
|
Tools and Skills |
36.4% |
46.2% |
|
- Strategy and Structure |
16.5% |
15.9% |
|
- Economic Analysis |
0.0% |
0.0% |
|
|
- Quantitative Methods and Management Sciences |
12.3% |
9.3% |
|
- Leadership, Communication, Professional Practice |
7.6% |
20.9% |
|
Institutions and Context |
23.8% |
15.0% |
|
- Democratic Institutions and Policy Process |
11.5% |
8.0% |
|
- Ethics and Accountability |
8.5% |
7.0% |
|
- Social, Political, Global and Local Contexts |
3.8% |
0.0% |
|
Management Functions |
24.7% |
22.9% |
|
- Public Financial Management |
8.5% |
7.0% |
|
- Evaluation and Performance Measurement |
7.7% |
7.0% |
|
- Other Management Functions |
8.5% |
9.0% |
|
Policy Sectors |
15.0% |
15.9% |
|
- Fiscal, Monetary and Tax Policy |
7.0% |
7.0% |
|
- International Development |
0.0% |
0.0% |
|
- Health |
2.0% |
0.0% |
|
- Other Policy Sectors |
6.1% |
9.0% |
|
Total |
100% |
100% |
|
|
|
|
|
III. Number of Courses in "NASPAA-required Subjects" taken by |
|
|
|
Typical Student in NASPAA Required Competency Domains |
|
|
|
Lead and Manage in Public Governance |
1.81 |
2.35 |
|
Participate and Contribute to the Policy Process |
3.18 |
2.66 |
|
Analyze, Synthesize, Solve Problems and Make Decisions |
4.65 |
4.22 |
|
Articulate and Apply Public Service Perspectives |
2.14 |
2.00 |
|
Communicate and Interact with Workforce and Citizenry |
0.42 |
1.40 |
|
Total Course Equivalents taken in Required Competencies |
12.19 |
12.63 |
|
|
|
|
|
IV. Ratio of Courses in "NASPAA-required Subjects" taken by |
|
|
|
Typical Student to Estimated Requirement for Competency |
|
|
|
Lead and Manage in Public Governance |
0.91 |
1.18 |
|
Participate and Contribute to the Policy Process |
1.59 |
1.33 |
|
Analyze, Synthesize, Solve Problems and Make Decisions |
1.63 |
1.48 |
|
Articulate and Apply Public Service Perspectives |
1.20 |
1.12 |
|
Communicate and Interact with Workforce and Citizenry |
0.31 |
1.03 |
|
Ratio of Total Instruction in Competencies to Amount Needed |
1.22 |
1.26 |
Source: At http://www.kupa.ku.edu/degrees and http://affordability.ku.edu/costs and http://www.kupa.ku.edu/curriculum-0 and http://www.kupa.ku.edu/curriculum-career-track (accessed 5 May 2014)
Page Created By: Kyle Richardson on 5 May 2014 and updated by Ian Clark on 8 June 2014. Updating and editing may consist of substantive and/or formatting changes. Unless otherwise noted, however, information regarding a program's structure, curricular offerings and PEACO score is based on the program as it was on the date of page creation. The content presented on this page, except for the assignments of courses to Atlas subjects, the Instructional Distribution analysis, and the Commentary is drawn directly from the source(s) cited above, and consists of direct quotations or close paraphrases.
Kansas SPAA Course Map
C o u r s e s O f f e r e d, l i s t e d b y P u b l i c P o l i c y a n d M a n a g e m e n t S u b j e c t