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Online Master of Public Administration With a Concentration in Public Policy and Management

Program Highlights

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Women on steps of public building

36 credit hours |  In-state tuition: $480.90/credit hour | Out-of-state tuition: $590.53/credit hour

  • Established program accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)
  • Available in an easily accessible 100% online format suitable for working professionals, military personnel and career changers/enhancers
  • Equips current and future leaders with analytical and management skills for service-minded professionals working in governmental and nonprofit organizations
NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE TO APPLY.

PROGRAM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Be a Public Leader

The MPA is well-suited to those with professional experience in the public or nonprofit sectors, and/or a strong desire to lead programs that serve the public. In recent years, there has been increased pressure to measure results of public and nonprofit programs and to develop alternate funding streams for local government projects. You will develop in employable skills, such as program evaluation and techniques to advance data-driven decision-making, skills in fundraising and fund development for nonprofit professionals, and how to create public-private partnerships to leverage private revenues for public projects. Students in the MPA will acquire current and field-tested skills to lead the governmental and nonprofit challenges of the 21 st century.

Students come from all backgrounds including literature, history, political science, communication, criminal justice, business and other liberal arts; some even have science and education backgrounds. The program equips graduates with the skills needed to

  • Manage a diverse workforce
  • Measure results/evaluate programs
  • Fundraise (nonprofits) and handle alternate public sector funding (public private partnerships & alternative delivery vehicles)
  • Engage and represent the needs of diverse communities
  • Develop skills related to data analysis, program evaluation, budgeting, public service, leadership and data-driven decision-making  

Many of these skills translate to a wide variety of careers.

Job Opportunities in Multiple Sectors

The MPA has close connections with the community of El Paso, and local students will benefit from these relationships. As part of the program, you will also have the opportunity to elect to do an internship for credit. It also has a unique partnership with the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy (USASMA) to provide military-affiliated students with an opportunity to obtain their MPA.

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UTEP Edge

Our student success initiative, the UTEP Edge, develops upon students’ assets through a variety of high-impact experiences. These experiences are designed to improve student skills and give UTEP students a competitive advantage as they move forward in their lives and careers. Our goal as a campus is to provide these UTEP Edge experiences to all students, regardless of their area of study, so they will graduate with a competitive advantage over their peers. These are the Edge experiences Public Administration students will have and the Edge skills they will graduate with:

Edge Experiences

  • Community Engagement
  • Capstone Experience
  • Research and Scholarly Activities

Edge Skills

  • Leadership
  • Problem Solving
  • Communication
  • Social Responsibility
  • Critical Thinking

Learn more about UTEP Edge

Course Overview

The 36-credit hour program is NASPAA-accredited.  

Required Courses

Get an overview of public administration as an academic discipline and practitioners in public agencies, nonprofits and other organizations providing public services and goods, with emphasis on professionalism, strategic communications and information processing.

Study the history of public administration and the basic issues confronted, both legal and political, the role of bureaucratic expertise in contemporary government and in solving public problems, and public participation in administration. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Gain an introduction to microeconomic concepts and analysis and their application to the public sector. Topics to be covered include: Supply and demand theory, firms and markets, consumer theory, market equilibrium, welfare economics, public choice theory and the economics of planning. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Examine the quantitative methods used by public managers in policy analysis (ANOVA; Ordinary Least Squares and variants) and get prepared to be an intelligent evaluator of public sector research and evaluation studies. Design, conduct and report on a research question of your choosing; use of SPSS required. Prerequisites:  with a grade of "B" or better and department approval.

Learn about the use of quantitative decision tools and formal modeling in the evaluation of policy outcomes: study cost-benefit analysis, decision-tree analysis, logistic modeling of categorical choice decisions, etc., with examples from legislative, executive and judicial decision-making environments. Use of SPSS required. Prerequisites:  and  each with a grade of "B" or better and department approval.

Integrate and apply core knowledge and research skills to the analysis of a major administrative or policy problem. Students must complete 33 semester hours in the program before enrolling in this course. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Choose one of the following three courses:

Gain an introduction to contemporary theories of leading and managing in public and nonprofit organizations, including diagnoses of organizational cultures and structures, employee motivation, strategic planning, and organizational transformation. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Get introduced to the theories and practice of budgeting, financial management, tax analysis, and the role budgets play in public policy making and implementation. Learn approaches and techniques of budget analysis. Prerequisite:  with a grade of "B" or better and department approval.

Learn about the social, political and legal dimensions of public personnel management (history, value in the American political system, employee selection, compensation, job design, evaluation, labor relations, staff development and training, administrative ethics, affirmative action, comparable worth, sexual harassment. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Concentration Courses (pick any 5)

Gain an introduction to contemporary theories of leading and managing in public and nonprofit organizations, including diagnoses of organizational cultures and structures, employee motivation, strategic planning, and organizational transformation. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Learn about the social, political and legal dimensions of public personnel management (history, value in the American political system, employee selection, compensation, job design, evaluation, labor relations, staff development and training, administrative ethics, affirmative action, comparable worth, sexual harassment. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Learn about the social, political and legal dimensions of public personnel management (history, value in the American political system, employee selection, compensation, job design, evaluation, labor relations, staff development and training, administrative ethics, affirmative action, comparable worth, sexual harassment. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Examine the administrative challenges in the nonprofit sector, with special attention to social entrepreneurship, practical management and problem-solving. Course includes topics such as the nature and scope of the nonprofit sector, fund-raising, volunteer management, government and public relations, and the organization of nonprofit institutions. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Cover the interrelationships among international, national, state, and/or local governmental institutions in the policy making, executive, and/or administrative processes. Also discuss the special issue of states and communities situated on international borders. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Independent study, research, and writing on a topic agreed upon by the student and professor. May be repeated for credit up to three times when the topic varies. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

Focus on the fundamental concepts involved in preparing for and managing the response to a catastrophic emergency event such as a fire, earthquake, terrorist act, biological materials release, hazardous material spill, weather-related disaster, or internal sabotage. Heavy emphasis is placed on interagency communication and coordination in emergency events. Learn the practical steps needed to develop an effective emergency response plan, and outline how such a plan should be organized and executed. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

Explore innovation, problem solving, and creativity as applied in the public sector. Get an  overview to assist in developing creative problem solving, innovation, and leadership skills relevant to public management.

Cover planning topics associated with satisfying area-wide service needs in urban and regional environments. Topics may include land-use regulations, capital facilities siting, and transportation planning. Prerequisite: Department approval.

Explore public administration at the level of service delivery with emphasis upon the management of and policy problems facing local agencies. Prerequisite: Department approval.

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