Degree Requirements

The master of public administration (M.P.A.) degree requires all students to:

1. satisfactorily complete 42 credits of coursework with a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 (no more than 9 credits with a grade of C or C+ are allowed); and

2. satisfactorily complete all requirements in a concentration.

The 42 credits of coursework are divided into 18 credits of required core courses and 24 credits of specialized courses for concentration, electives, seminars, internships, and research requirements. The exact mix, and specific courses a student must take is determined by the concentration chosen.

Students may enroll in elective courses through the School of Law-Camden, the School of Business–Camden, and other departments on the Camden, New Brunswick, and Newark campuses. Students wishing to take such electives must obtain, in writing, the approval of both the Department of Public Policy and Administration and the school or department in which the proposed elective is to be taken.

All students in the M.P.A. program must complete the following core courses (18 credits) 

  56:834:501  Foundations of Policy Analysis (3)

  56:834:503  Law and Public Policy (3)

  56:834:515  Introduction to Public Budgeting and Finance (3)

  56:834:525  Public Management (3)

  56:834:535  Research Methods (3)

  56:834:536  Public Information Systems (3)

Educational Policy and Leadership Concentration

The educational policy and leadership concentration is oriented toward educational administrators who display the potential and motivation necessary to assume responsibilities as school principals. The two-year program includes rigorous coursework, seminars, and a one-year internship under the supervision of a qualified mentor principal and a Rutgers faculty mentor. Upon completion of the program, successful participants will have earned an M.P.A. degree with an educational policy and leadership concentration, and will have fulfilled the requirements for a certificate of eligibility as school principal, including (1) written examination (administered through ETS) and (2) assessment (incorporated into the program requirements through the administration of the PROFILOR and offered directly through Rutgers–Camden).

  56:834:522  Educational Supervision of Instruction (3)

  56:834:557  Human Resources Management (3)

  56:834:558  Leadership and Communication Skills (3)

  56:834:600  Education Law and Finance (3)

Nine additional credits are required in the educational policy and leadership internship from among the following: 

  56:834:543  Educational Policy and Leadership Internship I (3)

Students will be placed under the mentoring and supervision of a school principal to gain additional administrative and research expertise through individual fieldwork.

  56:834:544  Educational Policy and Leadership Internship II (6)

Students will be placed under the mentoring and supervision of a school principal to gain additional administrative and research expertise through individual fieldwork.

  56:834:545  Models for Planning and Policy in Education (3)

  56:834:546  Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Education (3)

  56:834:547  Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement (3)

  56:834:548  Developing Curriculum for Deep Learning (3)

  56:834:549  Curriculum Leadership (3)

Capstone Requirement

  56:834:612  Education Policy and Leadership (3)

International Public Service and Development Concentration

The international public service and development concentration combines graduate-level studies in public policy and administration with coursework on community service, international development policy and administration, and nonprofit management. Students in this concentration serve a placement in the Peace Corps or other approved international development organizations (one-year minimum). Students who serve a Peace Corps placement will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Peace Corps in addition to the M.P.A. degree.

Students in the international public service and development concentration are required to complete the core courses during one academic year in residence.

  56:834:542  Internship (3)

And to take 9 credits from the following:

  56:834:606  International Economic Development (3)

  56:834:607  International Development Administration (3)

   56:834:670  International Conflict and Conflict Resolution (3)

Elective Courses (electives include but are not limited to):

  56:834:505  Organizational Behavior (3)

  56:834:558  Leadership and Communication Skills (3)

  56:834:559  Ethics in Government (3)

  56:834:650  Special Problems in Public Policy

  Choice of any M.P.A. Colloquia (3), such as education track courses, and master of public health (M.P.H.) courses offered by Rutgers School of Public Health

Culminating Requirements

   56:834:676  International Placement and Capstone Projects (9)

Public Management Concentration

The public management concentration is designed to provide public employees or those preparing for service in the public sector with essential knowledge and skills in administration, budgeting and finance, communications, information systems, law, leadership, personnel, and policy analysis that are important for effective management in local, state, and federal agencies or nonprofit organizations.

In addition to the 18 credits of core courses, students in the public management concentration must take:

  56:834:541  Internship I (3) (waived with relevant professional experience and approval of department chair)*

  56:834:553  Financial Management of Public Programs (3)

  56:834:557  Human Resources Management (3)

  56:834:558  Leadership and Communication Skills or 56:834:505  Organization Behavior (3)

  56:834:559  Ethics in Government (3)

  56:834:650  Special Problems in Public Policy (3)

Choice of Colloquia (3)

*Waiver of the internship reduces the concentration requirement from 12 credits to 9 credits and increases the elective requirements from 9 to 12 credits.

Capstone Requirement (3 credits)

  56:834:521  Directed Study (with permission of M.P.A. director) (3)

  56:834:675  Research Workshop (3)

*A student may, with the approval of the M.P.A. director, substitute 56:834:650 Special Problems in Public Policy and Administration, 56:834:601-607 Colloquium in Public Policy and Administration, or other electives for the internship requirement. Also, students with no public or nonprofit sector experience or with special educational needs or experience may apply to take an extra 3 credits of internship in lieu of one 3-credit elective or seminar.

Community Development Concentration

The community development concentration is designed to provide students with theoretical and applied exposure to domestic and international aspects of power, policy, advocacy, and resource allocation to address urban public administration.

Students will gain skills to be a professional administrator and policy expert in the subject of community development by using the community region of Camden, South Jersey, and Philadelphia.

   56:834:541  Internship (3)

  56:834:556  International Community Development (3)

  56:834:603  Community Development Theory (3)

  56:834:604  Community Development Colloquium (3)

  56:834:608  Geographic Information Systems (or other spatial applications course) (3)

Elective Courses (2 courses, 6 credits)

Any two additional graduate courses chosen from law, business, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, or master of public administration degree program international course, community economic development, nonprofits, civic engagement, public and nonprofit community development service learning course. 

Capstone Course

  56:834:675  Research Workshop (students complete an original project in this course) (3)

Executive M.P.A. Concentration

This highly selective, 42-credit program targets mid- to upper-level managers possessing five-plus years of administrative and/or managerial experience for executive leadership positions. The program uses a cohort model (enrollment limited to 20 students per cohort) and is designed to develop and enhance the students' leadership, organizational, policy, and public management skills. Courses are held off campus, on weekends, and some courses will be offered online. Degree requirements can be completed in 18 months with one-week summer residencies offered over two summers. Additionally, up to 9 credits may be awarded for professional experience.

Courses:

  56:831:501  Foundations of Policy Analysis (3)

  56:831:503  Law and Public Policy (3)

  56:831:505  Organizational Behavior (3)

  56:831:525  Public Management (3)

  56:831:535  Research Methods (3)

  56:831:536  Public Information Systems (3)

  56:831:553  Budgeting/Financial Management of Public Programs (3)

  56:831:557  Human Resource Management (3)

  56:831:558  Leadership and Communication Skills (3)

  56:831:559  Ethics in Government (3)

  56:831:675  Capstone: Research Workshop (3)