Graduation Requirements

 MPA Graduation Requirements (updated 6/26/15)

Entry level courses can be completed of either campus and online. For students to graduate with an MPA degree, the following core requirement courses must be completed:

MPA Comprehensive Examination

All MPA candidates must take and pass the MPA comprehensive examination. The examination will be offered during the fall and spring semesters. Students should take the comprehensive examination as scheduled near the end of the semester when all core courses have been completed. 

MPA Thesis

The thesis will serve as an option to two elective courses, not as an option to the comprehensive examination. The thesis will afford those students who so wish an opportunity to explore and express their research and writing abilities.  Students are required to register for 6 credits of PUA 600.

Before signing up for thesis, students must: 

  1. Have completed 15 graduate credits, including PUA 500, Introduction to Public Administration and Public Affairs, and PUA 526, Quantitative Methods for Public Administration.
  2. Have been approved by the Coordinator of the MPA program as a potential candidate for thesis work through evaluation of graduate work, student workload, and other factors.
  3. Have discussed a potential topic and received the support of a faculty member to be an advisor for the thesis.

Students must follow the existing rules pertaining to thesis requirements.

graduation