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Master of Public Administration

This program is available on the Aurora campus and the University Center location.

This program is offered in an Online and Plus-One format.

Program Description

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree is the professional degree for students seeking a career in the public sector or nonprofit management. The MPA program develops the skills and techniques used by managers to implement policies, projects, and programs that resolve important problems within their organization and in society.

Sound leadership and management are vital to organizational and governmental effectiveness. The Aurora University MPA program prepares graduates for senior-level positions in an organization that implements and manages public sector policies.  The MPA is divided into two parts, the MPA core and MPA electives.  Upon completion of the MPA, graduates will gain a comprehensive understanding of how leadership, management, policy, and politics intersect along with the tools to enhance communication, collaboration, and ethical, data-driven decision-making.

Graduates with an MPA serve in various roles, including local, state, and national government, nonprofit management, and industry.

MPA Plus One Program

In addition to the online MPA program, AU offers a select MPA Plus One program designed for early career professionals.  The MPA Plus One program is a full-time, day cohort version for completing the MPA program, generally intended for students who have completed their bachelor’s degree within 24 months preceding the start of the cohort.  Since the MPA Plus One program is designed for early career professionals with typically fewer years of public sector experience, the cohort emphasizes not only MPA content found in the regular MPA program but development of professional skills and dispositions through a required internship experience. 

The MPA Plus One program and registration for its courses are limited to students admitted to the MPA Plus One program.  As a cohort, all MPA Plus One students are required to take the following prescribed MPA curriculum.  Students seeking to fulfill the MPA degree requirements through other courses than those prescribed by the MPA Plus One will be required to receive special dispensation from the Program Director or withdraw from the cohort and finish the MPA through other MPA degree delivery modalities.

Admission Requirements

The general admission requirements can be found in the “Graduate Admission Requirements” section. Requirements for admission include:

• Completed Graduate Application for Admission (aurora.edu/auapply)
• Submit transcripts (official, sealed in envelope) for all prior college and/or university credit. Aurora University accepts official electronic transcripts at AUetranscripts@aurora.edu
• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution with a grade point average of 3.0 or greater (on a 4.0 scale). Students with a GPA of less than 3.0 will be considered on a case-by-case basis
• A professional resume
• Applicants may be required to complete an interview the program director and provide letters of recommendation

MPA Program Detail

Aurora University’s MPA program accepts students from all academic backgrounds and an undergraduate degree in public administration is not required. There are no prerequisite courses required for admission to the MPA program. In the interest of ensuring student success, the program director may require limited foundational coursework for students whose academic and/or experiential backgrounds suggest they would benefit from such preparation. Decisions about required foundational courses are made collaboratively with students and are based on a review of academic transcripts, professional experience, and the results of a personal interview.

The Master of Public Administration is offered in the regular (Evening or Online) and a Full-Time Plus-One format. The program requirements for each are listed below.

Program Requirements - MPA

The MPA degree requires 36 semester hours: 21 semester hours of required core courses plus 15 semester hours from electives, concentrations, and/or special topics courses.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Required Core Courses
MBA-6130	Economics	3
MPA-6110	Administration of Public Institutions	3
MPA-6120	Public Policy and Analysis	3
MPA-6130	Government and Community Relations	3
MPA-6140	Public Finance and Budgeting	3
MPA-6170	Applied Research, Insights, and Evaluation	3
MPA-6200	Advanced Seminar in Applied Public Administration	3
Selected Courses
Select 15 semester hours of approved elective coursework of the following: 1,2		15
MPA-6350	Nonprofit Management and Leadership
MPA-6360	Grant Writing, Philanthropy, and Advancement
MPA-6450	Public Safety Administration
MPA-6460	Public Sector Law and Civil Liability
MPA-6640	Principles of Community and Economic Development
MPA-6810-9	Selected Topics in Public Administration
MPA-6940	MPA Internship
Total Credits		36

¹

MPA students may also select up to two non-MPA classes in ACC, MBA, or MKT graduate programs to the MBA elective requirements (maximum total of six non-MBA elective semester hours). 

²

Since MBA-6130 Economics is part of the MPA core course requirements, it does not count toward MPA elective courses.

Program Requirements - MPA Plus One 

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Required Courses
MBA-6130	Economics	3
MBA-6310	Design Thinking	3
MPA-6110	Administration of Public Institutions	3
MPA-6120	Public Policy and Analysis	3
MPA-6130	Government and Community Relations	3
MPA-6140	Public Finance and Budgeting	3
MPA-6170	Applied Research, Insights, and Evaluation	3
MPA-6200	Advanced Seminar in Applied Public Administration	3
MPA-6350	Nonprofit Management and Leadership	3
MPA-6450	Public Safety Administration	3
MPA-6940	MPA Internship	6
Total Credits		36

Graduate Degree Requirements

1. Completion of all coursework specified by the graduate program.
2. Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or higher if specified by the graduate program.
3. Submission of all pre-graduation materials required by the graduate program.
4. Acceptance of thesis or other required final project by the graduate program.
5. Submission of two copies of approved thesis or project in a specified form together with payment of binding fee where applicable.
6. Submission of Application for Graduation and payment of any graduation fees assessed by the university.
7. In the case of certification programs, submission of all governmental forms.
8. Residency Requirement: A minimum of 25% percent of the total credits required for the completion of the graduate degree or post-baccalaureate certificate or credential must be earned at Aurora University. Individual programs may establish more extensive residency requirements, including requirements that specific coursework be completed at Aurora University.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required for all class sections.  If a student is to be absent for any reason, they must discuss the expected absence with the course instructor before it occurs.

Academic Standards and Evaluation

Grades will be assigned to each student at the conclusion of each course according to the procedures outlined in the section “Graduate Grading System.”

At the graduate-level, a “C” grade indicates less than complete mastery of the content of a course.  Only two grades of “C” are accepted at the graduate-level in the MPA program. If a “C” is received within the first three courses, the student may be removed from the program by action of the Program Director.

Residency Requirement

A minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit must be earned at Aurora University in order to receive the MPA degree. A maximum of six (6) semester hours of graduate credit may be transferred from an accredited college or university and applied to the requirements of this degree. Any coursework substituted for transfer must be approved by the Program Director. See the section “Transfer of Credit” for the conditions governing the transfer of credits.

Learning Outcomes