Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration Degree top
The primary mission of the Master of Public Administration Program at Old Dominion University is to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of public sector professionals and to serve other students who desire careers in public and non-profit organizations.
The program conveys knowledge and develops competencies in public sector management practices, public policy analysis, and public decision making processes. Graduates of Old Dominion University's MPA program hold positions as program planners and analysts, line managers, and public policy managers in local, state, federal, and nonprofit agencies.
The Master of Public Administration program offered by the faculty of Public Administration and Urban Studies in the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the national certifying organization for public administration programs. The Master of Public Administration program is designed to develop the student's knowledge, skills, and competencies in five context areas:
· Public management processes, including public budgeting and personnel systems;
· Organizational design processes and behavior;
· Political, legal, and ethical concepts and issues of public administration;
· Quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques; and
· Policy analysis and program evaluation.
Many of the students in Old Dominion University's graduate public administration program are employed in government and nonprofit agencies and seek to add to their management competencies in preparation for more senior positions. The program is offered in the evenings (and at other convenient times) to facilitate participation by students who are employed full-time and wish to pursue their education on a part-time basis. Full-time students can complete the program within a two year period. Part-time students usually require three to four years to complete the program.
Curriculum top
The M.P.A. curriculum consists of thirty-nine (39) credit hours (thirteen courses)* Courses are required in three categories:
The Core Curriculum (six required courses plus a Capstone Seminar)
A Concentration Area (four courses)
Electives (two courses)
An additional 1.5 credit hour course PADM 410 Data Analysis for Public Administrators is required for students without prior background in quantitative methods. This requirement may be waived by demonstrating knowledge of basic statistical procedures.
The Core Curriculum (21 credit hours)
The following courses are required of all public administration students. These core courses introduce the field of public management; demonstrate analytical approaches in public management; and focus on the administrative, organizational, legal, political, and ethical influences on public administration practice. (18 semester hours)
PADM 651 Administrative Theory I: The Context of Public Administration
PADM 652 Administrative Theory II: The Process of Public Administration (Prerequisite is Admin Theory I)
PADM 671 Public Budgeting and Financial Management
PADM 701 Public Policy Analysis and Evaluation
PADM 733 Legal and Ethical Foundations of Public Administration
PADM 753 Research Methods for Public Administrators ( Prerequisite is PADM 410 Introduction to Data Analysis, or Exemption)*
PADM 746 Capstone Seminar
* PADM 410, Data Analysis for Public Managers, a 1.5 credit course in basic statistics and spreadsheet analysis. Exemption from PADM 410 is available based prior completed coursework or on demonstrated capabilities in the course's subjects. (The Program Director will advise on qualifying for an exemption from PADM 420).
Concentration Areas (12 Credit Hours)
Students select one concentration area; and in consultation with their faculty advisor select at least four (4) courses within that area. The MPA offers concentrations in four areas and the option of an Individually Configured Concentration.
• Public Management
• Urban Research and Planning
• Human Resource Administration
• Port and Maritime Administration
• An Individually Configured Concentration - developed in conjunction with a faculty advisor.
Public Management
Students selecting a concentration in public management shall in consultation with their program advisor select at least four (4) courses from the following listing of courses offered by the Department of Urban Studies & Public Administration.
PADM 603. The Environment of Public Administration
PADM 655. Theories of Public Organization
PADM 672. Public Financial Management
PADM 704. Methods of Public Program Evaluation
PADM 711. Urban Services Administration.
PADM 712. Emergency Management and Policy
PADM 714. Privatization
PADM 715. Management of Nonprofit Organizations
PADM 718 Contract Management
PADM 719 Leadership
PADM 720 Public Personnel Administration
PADM 723. Ethics in Public Administration
PADM 725. Business, Government, and Society
PADM 730. Theories of Conflict Resolution and Problem Solving
PADM 734. Negotiation and Dispute Resolution
PADM 737. Digital Government
PADM 738. Conflict Mediation and Arbitration.
PADM 745. Managing Development and Change in Public Organizations
PADM 785. Intergovernmental Management
PADM 795 Advanced Topics in Public Personnel Administration
Urban Research And Planning
Students selecting a concentration in urban research and planning shall in consultation with their program advisor select at least four (4) courses from the following listing of courses offered by the Department of Urban Studies and Public Administration.
URBN 690. Introduction to Urban Studies
URBN 632. Environmental Planning.
URBN 633. Methods of Urban Planning.
URBN 634. Regional Planning.
URBN 635. Urban Design..
URBN 696 Topics in Urban Studies.
URBN 701 Urban Policy Analysis
URBN 702 Urban Resource Allocation.
URBN 703 Urban Program Design and Implementation.
URBN 705 Urban Law and Public Policy.
PADM 704 Methods of Urban Program Evaluation.
URBN 705 Urban Law and Public Policy.
PADM 711 Urban Services Administration.
PADM 724 Administration of Human Services
Human Resource Administration
Students selecting a concentration in Human Resource Administration shall, in consultation with their program advisor select at least four (4) courses in human resource administration offered by the Public Administration department, and by the Management department in the College of Business and Public Administration. This concentration may include courses in negotiation and dispute resolution, motivation and incentives, compensation management, organization behavior, organization development, strategy and policy, ethics, employment law, and other approved courses.
Port And Maritime Administration
Students selecting a concentration in Port and Maritime Administration shall in consultation with their program advisor, select at least four (4) focused courses in port and maritime administration and in planning and urban affairs offered by the Public Administration department, or by the Institute for Port and Maritime Studies in the College of Business and Public Administration. This concentration may include courses in urban and regional planning, emergency management, intergovernmental management, international maritime transport, port operations and management, port planning and economics, supply chain management, and other approved courses
Individually Configured Concentrations
Students wishing to concentrate in the administration of specialized public agencies and functions not addressed in the concentrations above may, with the approval of the MPA program director, develop a formal plan of study for four to six courses creating an individually designed concentration. For example, combining selected courses from the public administration department and other departments in the College of Business and Public Administration, MPA students may develop a concentration in: Public Sector Marketing and Contracting; or in Financial Management; or in Information Technology. Other concentrations: in criminal justice administration, health policy administration, and homeland security administration, may be developed in conjunction with graduate courses offered in other Colleges in the University. In each case the plan of study must be approved by the MPA program director and the program director of the relevant graduate program.
Elective Courses (6 Credit Hours)
Students may select two (2) courses outside of their concentration area as electives. Electives will be selected in consultation with student's program advisor. Normally electives will be selected from courses offered by the Department of Urban Studies & Public Administration. Students may select PADM 668 Internship, or PADM 698 Directed Research as electives. Students may select courses within their concentration area as electives.
The Capstone Seminar (3 Credit Hours )
Upon completion of the six core courses, students are required to take the capstone seminar course. This course is designed as an integrative experience for students utilizing the knowledge, skills, and techniques learned in the core courses to complete coursework assignments in the capstone seminar. (Three semester hours) PADM 746 Capstone Seminar
Internship/Field Experience
PADM 668 Internship/Field Experience. Practical professional experience in a public or non-profit agency setting is an important asset for all public administration students. A formal internship is strongly recommended for students who lack significant experience in a public or non-profit agency. Internships give students the opportunity to gain professional level experience in a government of non-profit agency and provide agencies with the services of graduate students with high potential for future achievement. M.P.A. students have the opportunity to earn three semester credits for internships and apply these credits as one of their electives. The Internship/Field Experience course is a 300 hour public service experience in an approved agency.
Admission Criteria top
The Department of Urban Studies and Public Administration welcomes applicants who have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution. Admission to the program is competitive and is granted only to those who show ability and likely success in graduate study. The applicant must meet the University's general requirement - an overall grade point average of 2.8 on a four-point scale. Prospective students may apply for admission to the Master of Public Administration Program throughout the year.
The decision to admit an applicant to the Master's program is based on a balanced review of official transcripts, the written statement of career goals, a review of work experience for in-service students, written recommendations, and test scores when required.
The Application Package top
The Old Dominion University Graduate Application Package may be received by calling (757) 683-3685 or on the web at http://www.odu-cbpa.org/mpa.htm. This package includes all forms necessary to apply to the Master of Public Administration program. To be considered for admission, applicants must submit the following:
An official transcript of all previous college degree program(s).
A written statement describing your career goals and how your life experience in work and education, and your choice of graduate study in public administration, will lead to achieving your goals. 1000 words maximum length. (Applicants with relevant work experience should include a resume in addition to their written statement.)
Scores on the aptitude section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or the Law School Aptitude Test (LSAT) taken within the past six years.* Two letters of recommendation (forms provided) from academic sources or employment supervisors.
Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit an acceptable score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
* The requirement for the GRE or GMAT or LSAT may be waived for qualified applicants with at least three years of substantial supervisory, managerial or professional level experience in a local, regional, state, federal, military or nonprofit agency. Applicants who wish to be exempted from the GRE or GMAT or LSAT requirement should complete the Request for GRE/GMAT Waiver form and submit it with their application package for review by the admissions committee. The decision to waive the GRE or GMAT is the responsibility of the Graduate Program Director whose decision is final. If a Waiver request is denied, applicants must complete the requirement for the GRE, GMAT or LSAT. Denial of a Waiver Request is not denial of Admission to the MPA, and those denied waivers are encouraged to complete their application requirements.
Financial Assistance top
Financial Aid is available to graduate students at Old Dominion University. Financial aid may be available in the form of university fellowships, tuition grants, and research assistantships. The M.P.A. program offers graduate research assistantships available each semester. Research assistantships offer stipends and research assistants pay the in-state tuition rate. In addition to the financial aid offered by the University, graduate students may be eligible for aid and student loans administered by other agencies. For information about part-time employment, scholarships, and student loans, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Admission Decisions top
The Old Dominion University Graduate Application Package may be received by calling (757) 683-3685/3648. This package includes all forms necessary to apply to the Master of Public Administration program. To be considered for admission, applicants must submit the following:
· an official transcript of previous college degree program(s).
· written statement describing how your experience in work and in other settings, and your choice of graduate study in public administration, will lead to achieving certain career goals. 1000 words maximum length.
· scores on the aptitude section the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT) taken within the past six years.
· two letters of recommendation (forms provided) from academic sources or employment supervisors.
· applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit an acceptable score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
The decision to admit an applicant to the master's program is based on a balanced review of official transcripts (particularly in the last two years of undergraduate education), the written statement of career objectives, written recommendations, and GRE scores.
For More Information top
For more information about the Master of Public Administration program, please contact:
M.P.A. Graduate Program Director
2084 Constant Hall
College of Business and Public Administration
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA 23529
Phone: (757) 683-3961
Email: padmgpd@odu.edu
For Application information and materials, contact:
Admissions Office, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529.
Phone: (757) 683-3685
Application may be made online at: http://admissions.odu.edu/graduate.php
For Financial Aid information, contact:
The Office of Student Financial Aid, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529
Phone: (757) 683-3683
For information about on-campus housing, contact:
Director of Housing Operations, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, A 23529
Phone: (757) 683-4290
Visit the Old Dominion University web site at: http://www.odu.edu
