Illinois Chicago

Program Comparison Highlights

Website:  http://cuppa-pa.uic.edu/

University: University of Illinois at Chicago

Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Degree: Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Marketing Approach: The UIC MPA program promotes excellence through professional education in a diversity of public service careers in public, nonprofit, and private sectors,  informed by scholarly research, engaged with administrative and policy communities, and dedicated to ethical and equitable practice. An MPA degree can provide you with an opportunity to influence the communities you live in – the cities, states, and nations around the world. Employment demand for professionals with leadership, financial management, policy analysis, and other skills imparted by the MPA degree has never been stronger. Recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of the field, the UIC MPA program faculty represent mastery of many disciplines. Their academic training and research interests cover a broad range of relevant areas including law, management, political science, statistics and research methods, survey research, sociology, economics, business, organizational theory and decision making, human resources, budgeting and finance, and information technology. The program’s full-time faculty is complemented by several distinguished adjunct professors who are recognized practitioners in the areas of public policy, law, and administration. (At http://cuppa-pa.uic.edu/the-department/department-information/prospective-students/mpa/ accessed 17 June 2014.)

Degrees Awarded per Year: As of Spring 2014, there were 108 students registered in the program. Rates of graduation by enrolment type and subsequent employment are available at http://cuppa-pa.uic.edu/the-department/department-information/prospective-students/.

Academic Unit within University: College of Urban Planning & Public Affairs

Related Academic Units and Degrees: The College offers an undergraduate program in Urban and Public Affairs, the MPA degree, and a Ph.D program in Public Management and Organizations, Financial Management, and Survey Methods.

Posted Tuition: $9,629 for residents of Illinois, $15,628 for non-residents of Illinois (tuition and fees). Accessed 7 June 2014 at http://www.uic.edu/depts/oar/grad/tuition_grad/tuition_grad_fal14_spr15.html.

Concentration/Curriculum Overview: Through a combination of elective and required courses, students pursue specialized concentrations in the following areas: Public Management – includes courses in organizational theory and public management, innovative management practices, program evaluation, and special topics courses in decision making, strategic management, and leadership; Financial Management – includes courses in budgeting, the management of the financial affairs of government, accounting, economics, and special topics courses in areas such as public finance; Information Technology- includes courses in information systems and other applications, the use of the internet in government, the management of information technology, and special topics courses in areas such as geographic information systems; Survey Methods – includes courses in survey planning and design, sampling and estimation methods, the psychology of survey measurement and cross-cultural survey measurement; Local Government Administration – includes courses in local government management, intergovernmental management, and urban expertise across the university in courses such as urban policy, urban politics, and local economic development; Non-profit Management – provides specialized expertise in the nonprofit sector including theory, history, management, and fundraising and financial management in nonprofit organizations. Students examine the relationships between nonprofit organizations and government such as the civic base of the nonprofit sector, intergovernmental and inter-sectoral relations, advocacy, lobbying, and nonprofit budgeting for government contracts and grants; and Information and Performance Management – includes courses in information systems and other applications, the use of the internet in government, the management of information technology, and special topics courses in areas such as geographic information systems.

MPP Degree Requirements

Summary: 13 one-semester courses (52 credit hours) through 8 required courses (including capstone), 3 courses in a selected concentration and 2 elective courses. 

Core Courses: PA 400: Public Administration Theory; PA 407: Data Analysis for Public Administration; PA 410: Economics for Public Administration and Policy Decisions; PA 502: Legal Context of Public Administration; PA 503: Public Personnel Management; PA 504: Budgeting for Public Management; PA 506: Policy Development and Analysis for Public Administrators; PA 590: Public Administration Capstone

Concentration: Students are required to select one of the following six concentrations in the MPA program: Public Management; Financial Management; Information and Performance Management; Survey Methods; Local Government Administration; and Nonprofit Management

Electives: 2 courses

Duration: 2 years, including summer internship.

Academic Prerequisite: “The Department of Public Administration requires an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.00 (A= 4.00) for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of baccalaureate study, including all of the work taken in the term in which the student began the final 60 semester hours of study (programs may require a higher GPA). If your GPA is below 3.0, your application must be approved by the Graduate College.” GRE scores are only required from applicants who request financial aid consideration. A sample of written work, as well as a two page statement of intent and reference letters, are required for admission.

Number of One-Semester-Equivalent Courses Required for Completion: 13 (52 credit hours)

Number of Required Courses: 7 core courses (28 credit hours) + 1 capstone course (4 credit hours) + 3 concentration-specific courses (12 credit hours)

Number of Electives Typically Taken (difference between above two entries): 2 (8 credit hours)

Number of Electives Offered within Program: 

Comprehensive Examination: No.

Thesis Required: No.

Internship Required: No, optional but strongly recommended for those without any experience. If taken, the internship is worth four credit hours.

International Study Required: No.

Co-curricular Activities Supportive to Degree 

Professional Development and Career Support: Yes, available at http://cuppa-pa.uic.edu/current-students/mpa/career-development/.

Student-run Journal: No.

Applied Projects: Yes, capstone project.

Pro Bono Consulting: Yes, as part of capstone project.

Courses Offered: Full course listings are available at http://cuppa-pa.uic.edu/current-students/course-offerings/

Course Material Online: Descriptions and syllabi are available for most courses online at http://cuppa-pa.uic.edu/current-students/mpa/course-descriptions/

Instructional Distribution (PEACO Profile): The distribution of instruction offered, based on the course assignments to subjects in the 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.] 

  

I. Courses Required and Offered
	a. Number of one-semester courses required for degree	13
	b. Number of required courses	8
	c. Number of elective courses taken (a - b)	5
	d. Number of elective courses offered	43
	e. Enrolment weight of elective courses (c/d)	0.12
II. Distribution of Courses (Enrolment-Adjusted) among Atlas
Domains and Subjects
	Tools and Skills	51.3%
	- Strategy and Structure	8.6%
	- Economic Analysis	7.7%
	- Quantitative Methods and Management Sciences	23.8%
	- Leadership, Communication, Professional Practice	11.3%
	Institutions and Context	18.1%
	- Democratic Institutions and Policy Process	15.4%
	- Ethics and Accountability	0.9%
	- Social, Political, Global and Local Contexts	1.8%
	Management Functions	25.2%
	- Public Financial Management	10.4%
	- Evaluation and Performance Measurement	0.0%
	- Other Management Functions	14.8%
	Policy Sectors	5.4%
	- Fiscal, Monetary and Tax Policy	0.0%
	- International Development	1.8%
	- Health	0.0%
	- Other Policy Sectors	3.6%
	Total	100%
III. Number of Courses in "NASPAA-required Subjects" taken by
Typical Student in NASPAA Required Competency Domains
	Lead and Manage in Public Governance	1.96
	Participate and Contribute to the Policy Process	2.20
	Analyze, Synthesize, Solve Problems and Make Decisions	6.32
	Articulate and Apply Public Service Perspectives	1.26
	Communicate and Interact with Workforce and Citizenry	0.57
	Total Course Equivalents taken in Required Competencies	12.32
IV. Ratio of Courses in "NASPAA-required Subjects" taken by
Typical Student to Estimated Requirement for Competency
	Lead and Manage in Public Governance	0.98
	Participate and Contribute to the Policy Process	1.10
	Analyze, Synthesize, Solve Problems and Make Decisions	2.21
	Articulate and Apply Public Service Perspectives	0.71
	Communicate and Interact with Workforce and Citizenry	0.42
	Ratio of Total Instruction in Competencies to Amount Needed	1.23

Source: Information available at http://cuppa-pa.uic.edu/prospective-students/ (accessed 7 June 2014).

Page Created By: Dave Marshall on 7 June 2014 and updated by Ian Clark on 17 June 2014 and by Dave Marshall on 3 April 2015. 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.