The program leads to the professional degree of Master of Public Administration. It provides pre-service students with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective administration of local, state and federal government agencies and of nonprofit organizations. It also offers mid-career administrators and professionals in public service an opportunity to improve their management skills and qualifications. For the convenience of students who are employed full-time, all courses are offered in the evening or on weekends. Alumni assist with orientation and mentoring activities.
The MPA program provides each student with a basic understanding of the environment of public policy and the ability to deal with:
Students also develop the ability to:
The MPA offers two program tracks. The general management track is for persons interested in preparing themselves for leadership roles and senior management positions in public sector agencies and not-for-profit organizations. The second program track is a concentration in emergency management.
Minimum requirements for admission to the Graduate Division are outlined in this catalog. Students will be granted classified graduate standing in public administration upon the fulfillment of the following requirements:
A bachelor's degree or its equivalent, from an accredited college or university is required. No specific undergraduate major is necessary. Preparation must include introductory courses in American government, economics and statistics from an accredited institution. Deficiencies in preparation must be removed before admission to candidacy and before completion of 12 hours of MPA courses.
Applicants applying directly after graduating from an undergraduate school, need an overall grade point average of 3.0 in all courses, or in the last 60 units as an undergraduate, or in the major. Applicants applying three or more years after completing the BA degree, need a grade point average of 2.75 overall, or in the last 60 units of undergraduate courses, or in the major. In addition, applicants should submit evidence of professional development.
In addition to a resume, a career interest essay providing biographical and career interest information should be sent to: MPA Director c/o Political Science Department; One Washington Square, San José, CA 95192-0119
Foreign students must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language. A minimum score of 575 is required.
In unusual cases, applicants who are otherwise qualified, but who lack some prerequisites, will be admitted to conditionally classified standing. Conditionally classified students need to fulfill the conditions for classified standing before they complete twelve units of work in the MPA program.
Students must apply for admission to candidacy before the last semester of their graduate program. In addition to meeting the university-wide requirements for admission to candidacy as outlined in this catalog, applicants must have submitted an approved program for the degree. The University requires that all graduate students demonstrate competency in written English as a condition for advancement to candidacy. Please refer to the SJSU catalog section titled “Competency in Written English” for details. For graduate courses that meet the competency in written English requirement, please refer to the Graduate Studies and Research website at www.sjsu.edu/gradstudies.
As soon as students are admitted to classified standing, they should meet with an advisor to draft an interim program itemizing 36 units of coursework as specified below.
A thesis demonstrating the student's competence in original research and acceptable to the department must be submitted to the department at least eight weeks prior to the date on which the degree is to be awarded. This thesis must conform to university standards and be approved by the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research.
In lieu of a thesis, a student may complete PADM 297 and execute a project serving as the basis for a substantial paper conforming to department standards by enrolling in PADM 298 to complete the project component of Plan B.
| Course Requirements | |||
| Core Courses | 15 | ||
| Each student must complete a core curriculum of 15 units. The courses form a base of knowledge and skills that prepare students for advanced seminars. Students must complete these courses before taking PAdm 298. | |||
| PADM 210, PADM 212, PADM 213, PADM 214 and PADM 218 | |||
| Required Advanced Seminars | 12 | ||
| Complete three courses from: PADM 202, PADM 215, PADM 217, PADM 219, PADM 223, PADM 295 (as approved) | |||
| Electives | 6-9 | ||
| Depending on thesis or project arrangements, electives may include additional MPA courses or approved 100- or 200-level courses in political science or other departments. | |||
| Thesis or Special Problems | 3-6 | ||
| Plan A | 3-6 | ||
| PADM 299 | |||
| Plan B | 3-6 | ||
| PADM 298 | |||
| Total Units: | 36 | ||
No more than six hours of 100-level course work may be applied towards the MPA degree.
Students who do not have substantial management work experience related to the curriculum are required to complete an appropriate internship in addition to the required 36 units and register for PADM 281.
Evidence of competence in written English is necessary to qualify for the master's degree.
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