Public Administration and Policy (PUA) MS

Overview

Program Coordinator: Tim Bagwell

Program Delivery Format: 100% Online  (8-week sessions)

Total Credits: 33

Average Completion Time: 12 to 18 months

Admission Cycle: Fall, Spring and Summer (two admission options each semester, six per year)

Admissions Contact: Colin Hoover, Admissions Counselor, Graduate Enrollment Management (choover@mcdaniel.edu | 410-871-3139)

GPS Student Support Liaisons: gpsadvising@mcdaniel.edu or 410-857-2500

This online program aims to produce thoughtful and insightful community leaders at the local, state, and national level by educating students in the various facets of public administration and policy, planning and governing. Students in the program will learn from experienced practitioners how to be effective and skilled leaders in any public organization. This thirty-three (33) credit master’s program may be completed in as little as 12 to 18 months. Courses include but are not limited to, Public Budgeting and Finance, Communication for Public Administration, Public Policy, and Leadership in Public Organizations.

The online delivery format is primarily asynchronous; however, some courses may require limited synchronous (real time) virtual meetings. 

Admissions Requirements

Applicants to the program must:

• Complete an application for graduate study
• Submit an official transcript verifying completion of an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.00* 
• Provide a professional resume highlighting related work experience
• Provide a goal statement detailing personal and professional goals relative to the program of study

*Please note: Students with a GPA between 2.75 and 2.99 will be admitted provisionally which requires a student to maintain a 3.0 GPA in the first 9-12 credit hours. Students with less than a 2.75 GPA can be considered for provisional admission on a case-by-case basis but may be required to provide additional documents or participate in an interview. Admission may also require additional conditions.

International Students:

This program is delivered primarily online and as a result does not meet the federal regulations for international students to study in the US. If you are a US citizen living outside of the US, you should contact gps@mcdaniel.edu to discuss your eligibility for admission to this program.

Program Requirements

• Successful completion of 33 credit hours outlined in curriculum
• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Successful completion of
  • three credits of PUA 552 - Internship in Public Administration or
  • three credits PUA 580 Capstone: Public Administration

Courses (30 credits)

• PUA 501 - Foundations of Public Administration
• PUA 502 - Introduction to Public Policy Process
• PUA 505 - Leadership in Public Organizations

•  

• PUA 511 - HR in Public and Nonprofit Organizations

• OR

• HRM 502 - Introduction to Human Resource Management

•  

• PUA 520 - Project Management in the Public Sector
• PUA 527 - Public Budgeting and Finance

•  

• PUA 537 - Public Organizational Theory and Analysis

• OR

• HRM 501 - Organizational Theory and Behavior

•  

• PUA 539 - Communication for Public Administration
• PUA 540 - Program Evaluation and Research
• PUA 543 - Ethics, Law and Public Responsibility

Capstone

McDaniel is a member of SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement) and is approved to offer this program to students in any state except for California. Students completing an internship in lieu of the capstone course will be required to receive approval prior to entering internship in a state outside of Maryland. Request for internship must be made to the Program Coordinator prior to enrolling in the internship course.  Students who live or will be studying in a state outside of Maryland may be required to complete the capstone course if the internship is prohibited by the state reciprocity regulations.

• PUA 552 - Internship in Public Administration (3 credits)

• OR

• PUA 580 - Capstone Public Administration

Total Credit Hours: 33

State Authorization

McDaniel is an approved institutional member of the National Council of State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA). Membership in SARA is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses/programs offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. For more information about SARA, including the states currently participating in the agreement, visit http://www.nc.sara.org.

SARA membership allows McDaniel to accept and deliver our programs/courses online to students in 49 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Students who reside in California, currently the only state not a member of SARA, should contact the admissions office prior to application to verify if you are eligible to participate in the online program of interest.

For more information about state authorization requirements and complaint resolution, visit https://www.mcdaniel.edu/academics/graduate-professional-studies/state-authorization-requirements-complaints-resolution