The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree at Upper Iowa University is a flexible program designed to prepare students to assume managerial and leadership positions at all levels of government and in nonprofit organizations. The core courses are designed to give students a broad overview of the discipline while preparing them to develop their analytical, communication, and leadership skills.
The Upper Iowa University MPA degree provides students with the current theories, concepts and learning models necessary to assume managerial and leadership roles in a public sector or nonprofit agency with an emphasis in criminal justice, healthcare management, emergency management and homeland security, nonprofit organization or public management. There is also a general study emphasis for students who would like to develop broad knowledge across emphasis areas. Graduates will be positioned to make significant contributions to their organizations.
The UIU MPA program identifies diversity, democracy, and due process as “core democratic values.” The MPA program strives to:
- Develop and maintain a collaborative and inclusive learning environment that promotes the values of diversity, democracy, and due process.
- Develop and maintain a high-quality curriculum that develops students’ leadership, managerial, and analytical skills for public service in government and non-profit organizations.
- Develop a culture of intellectual inquiry for faculty to pursue teaching excellence and for both students and faculty to pursue scholarship that advances the public administration field.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
The program student learning outcomes are based on the core competencies recommended by the Network of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). The program is designed to promote and develop the following student learning outcomes:
- Students will have demonstrated an ability to lead and manage.
- Students will have demonstrated an ability to participate in and contribute to the public policy process.
- Students will have demonstrated an ability to analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions.
- Students will have demonstrated an ability to articulate and apply a public service perspective.
- Students will have demonstrated the ability to communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.
Degree Completion
A graduate student will have five years after initial enrollment in the first graduate level course to complete the graduate program under the requirements in effect at the time of enrollment. If program requirements change, the student can elect to complete the revised curriculum or to complete under the original curriculum. If the student does not complete the graduate degree program within the five-year period, the requirements in effect at the time of the next enrollment will be used to determine the student’s graduation requirements.
Upper Iowa University reserves the right to make changes in its academic regulations and requirements when, in its judgment, the best interests of the institution are served.
Degree Requirements
The Upper Iowa University Master of Public Administration degree requires 36 semester credits of graduate level coursework with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for completion.
Students completing the 18 credit MPA core requirements will have a broad overview of the discipline with an understanding of organizations, ethics, policy and research methods. Students should take either PA 500 or PA 501 as their first graduate course. The 18 credit emphasis areas provide more in-depth knowledge into the areas of criminal justice, healthcare management, public management, nonprofit organizations or emergency management and homeland security. PA 590 should be taken as the last course in the program and should not be taken concurrently with any other course. Permission to deviate from these guidelines can be done with permission from the MPA program director.
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