MPA Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements

The applicant must meet the School of Graduate Studies’ current minimum general admission requirements as published in the graduate catalog.

1. A four-year bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university.
2. A cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.75 for all undergraduate work or a GPA of at least 3.0 for the junior and senior years of undergraduate work (based on A=4.0)
3. A satisfactory score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). For the internet-based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT) an overall score of 79 is required.
4. Minimum competence in U.S. government institutions and systems. This competence is normally demonstrated by applicant having taken at least one course in American government, but may also be demonstrated through an exam administered by the program. 
5. Twenty credit hours in the social sciences, business administration, and related fields.
6. Students who do not meet requirements, 4 and 5, will be given the opportunity to fulfill them.

Degree Requirements

Students seeking the Master degree at the University of North Dakota must satisfy all general requirements set forth by the School of Graduate Studies as well as particular requirements set forth by the Master of Public Administration Program.

1. A minimum of 36 semester credits.
2. A minimum of 27 credits in public administration and up to 9 credits in cognate fields to total 36 credits.
3. At least one-half of the credits must be at the 500 level.
4. A maximum of nine credits may be transferred to UND from other institutions.

5. Course List

   Code	Title	Credits
   Required Courses:
   POLS 500	Research Methods	3
   POLS 501	Political and Public Policy Analysis	3
   POLS 531	Foundations of Public Administration	3
   POLS 532	Public Policy	3
   POLS 535	Public Organizations	3
   POLS 536	Public Personnel Administration	3
   POLS 537	Program Evaluation	3
   POLS 538	Public Budgeting and Financial Administration	3
   POLS 580	Administrative Internship *	3
   POLS 570	MPA Capstone	3
   POLS Electives or cognate/elective courses		6
   Total Credits		36

    

   *

   Students with a minimum of one year relevant administrative experience may petition the Graduate Program Director to have requirement waived and to substitute a 3-credit elective in its place.

   
    

6. Course List

   Code	Title	Credits
   Select a total of 6 credits from the following list.
   POLS 502	Problems in State and Local Governments	3
   POLS 503	Government and Business	3
   POLS 533	Administrative Ethics in the Public Sector	3
   POLS 539	Administrative Law	3
   POLS 551	Health Administration and Organization	3
   POLS 552	Health Policy	3
   POLS 561	Creation and Management of Social Enterprises	3
   POLS 562	Political Advocacy and Social Entrepreneurship	3
   POLS 593	Problems in Political Science and Public Administration	3

Residence Requirement

There is no residence requirement for the M.P.A. degree; however, at least one-half of the credits for the degree must be taken on campus or as an admitted distance degree student.

Candidacy for the Degree

Admission of a student to the School of Graduate Studies as a degree student in Approved Status implies only that the student has met minimum entrance requirements and will be permitted to take graduate courses, which normally may be expected to lead to a degree. The student has not been admitted as a candidate for a degree. Advancement to candidacy can be granted only after the student has met certain academic requirements in approximately the following sequence:

1. Completion of 12 semester credits.
2. A GPA of at least 3.00 for all work attempted.
3. The appointment of an advisor. The advisor, who must be a member of the Graduate Faculty, will be appointed by the Dean upon the written recommendation of the M.P.A. program director. The advisor is responsible to the department and the School of Graduate Studies for the supervision of the student’s work.
4. Approval of a Program of Study on a form available from the School of Graduate Studies. The program, which should be developed in consultation with the advisor, must carry the signature of the student, the advisor, and the program director and must be submitted to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies for approval.
5. Completion of the MPA Capstone course with a grade of a B or better.

The student and the advisor will be notified in writing of the advancement to candidacy. Students must complete all requirements for advancement to candidacy prior to the semester in which they plan to graduate.

Combined Bachelor's/Master's (CBM)

The Public Administration program offers two options for exceptional undergraduate students wishing to pursue Masters-level work: the Combined Bachelor to Masters Program (CBM) and the Accelerated Bachelor to Masters Program (ABM). The intent of the combined programs are to allow qualified students to complete the requirements for both degrees in one year beyond that required to receive the baccalaureate degree. Students may apply for these programs upon completion of 60 credits toward the Bachelor’s degree but prior to their fourth year of academic work. All requirements for both degrees must be met.   Up to six credits of prior-approved coursework may be double counted under the CBM program, and up to twelve credits of prior-approved coursework may be double-counted under the ABM program.  Double-counted credits may not include required courses for the BSPA or BA degree, but may include appropriate elective coursework, preferably at the 500-level or above.

CBM 5 Year Degree Admission Requirements

The Combined Bachelor's/Master's (CBM) program allows undergraduate students at UND an opportunity to complete the requirements for both the bachelor's and master's degrees at an accelerated pace. These students may double count up to 6 graduate-level credits for both degrees. The completion of this program differs from the Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's program in that it is not constrained to the 4+1 time frame. 

1. 3.25 GPA overall and in major.
2. Completion of 60 credit hours prior to year four. The MPA Program Director may approve minor deviations from the 60 credit minimum to facilitate appropriate graduate course sequencing.
3. Minimum competence in public administration, policy, administrative services, and methodology. This competence is normally demonstrated by at least one course in each of the four fields (Political Science, Accounting, Economics, and Statistics), by special exams in the fields, or by practical experience. Accounting, Economics, and Statistics competencies may be met through the successful completion of self-paced boot camp courses on these topics from Ivy Software (http://ivysoftware.com).
4. Twenty hours in social sciences, business administration and related fields.
5. Students who do not meet requirements 3 and 4 will be given the opportunity to fulfill them.

ABM 5 Year Degree Admission Requirements

The ABM degree program allows exceptional undergraduate students at UND an opportunity to complete the requirements for both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees at an accelerated pace.  All requirements for both degrees must be met, and these students may double count up to 12 graduate-level credits towards the requirements for both their Bachelor in Political Science or Public Affairs and their Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree requirements.  ABM students must obtain their MPA degree within 12 months of completing the Bachelor's degree, provided that the degree requirements can be completed in that timeframe. 

High achieving high school students (GPA of at least 3.5/4.0 and an ACT score of 25 or higher) will initially be considered for “identified” status and become eligible for formal admission when they meet the same criteria that undergraduates must meet for admission into the ABM program.  Admission is a competitive process.  The following are minimum eligibility requirements:    

1. Students must meet the School of Graduate Studies admissions eligibility requirements. 
2. Students must have completed a minimum of 60 credits, including credits earned from advanced placement and dual credit.  Students must apply before completion of the undergraduate degree.
3. Transfer students with a minimum of 60 credits-whether from the transfer institution alone or in combination with UND credits-must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 at the time of admission to the ABM program.
4. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0 at UND at the time of admission into the ABM program.
5. ABM program applicants must submit the standard application to the School of Graduate Studies, the application fee, a personal statement, 3 letters of recommendation, and transcripts. 
6. Additionally, ABM program applicants must submit a detailed Program of Study that describes the 12 credits of double counted courses, the courses that will be taken after being accepted into the MPA program, the courses that will be taken before graduation from the BS/BA program, and the expected graduation date for each degree.  The submitted program of study must be signed by the student, the student's undergraduate advisor, the student’s graduate advisor, and the MPA Program Director. 

Degree Requirements

1. A minimum of 36 semester credits {6 (CBM) or 12 (ABM) credits may be part of undergraduate degree program but taken for graduate credit}.
2. A minimum of 27 credits in public administration and up to 9 credits in cognate fields to total 36 credits.
3. At least one-half must be at the 500-level.
4. A maximum of 9 credits may be transferred to UND from other institutions.