Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration Program at University of West Georgia is a professional degree program that relates academic study to administrative practice. The curriculum is designed for those individuals who are either now in the public service or who are seeking a career in government or nonprofit agencies.
For more information, please see the Academic Catalog.
The MPA program is designed: (1) to augment the skills and knowledge of those already in the public service; (2) to provide a professional graduate degree program to meet the growing need for many additional skilled, knowledgeable public administrators; (3) to encourage students to pursue careers in government by providing public administration education; and (4) to equip superior students for research and study at the doctoral level.
Program Location
Online
Method of Delivery
Courses are 100% online. The face-to-face modality for this program has been deactivated.
Accreditation
The University of West Georgia is accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
This program is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).
Credit and transfer
Total semester hours required: 36
Maximum Hours Transferable into program: 6
A transfer credit evaluation will be completed by the UWG Transfer Team (transfer@westga.edu). Course application to a program is subject to review by the department.
Graduate students may be able to reduce their cost through prior learning, previous degrees earned at UWG, or transfer credits. We have created a tool to help students estimate their tuition costs.
This program is offered entirely online. Though a student may choose to sign-up for a face-to-face elective or core course, one can earn this degree completely online.
Save money
UWG is often ranked as one of the most affordable accredited university of its kind, regardless of the method of delivery chosen. In addition, online courses and programs can mean a huge cost-savings in many non-evident ways: No more high gas charges. No childcare needed. The flexibility can allow one to maintain a job while attending school. Regardless of state residency, out-of-state non-resident students are not charged non-resident tuition for online course credit hours.
Details
- Total tuition costs and fees may vary, depending on the instructional method of the courses in which the student chooses to enroll.
- The more courses a student takes in a single term, the more they will typically save in fees and total cost.
- Face-to-Face or partially online courses are charged at the general tuition rate and all mandatory campus fees, based on the student's residency (non-residents are charged at a higher rate).
- Fully or entirely online course tuition rates and fees my vary depending on the program. Students enrolled in exclusively online courses do not pay non-Resident rates.
- Together this means that GA residents pay about the same if they take all face-to-face or partially online courses as they do if they take only fully online courses exclusively; while non-residents save money by taking fully online courses.
- One word of caution: If a student takes a combination of face-to-face and online courses in a single term, they will pay both all mandatory campus fees and the higher eTuition rate.
- For the cost information, as well as payment deadlines, see the Student Accounts and Billing Services website
There are a variety of financial assistance options for students, including scholarships and work study programs. Visit the Office of Financial Aid's website for more information.
Coursework
The Elective Track (12 hours): With the approval of the program advisor, each student must select 12 hours beyond the core courses. The track courses can be taken from a variety of departments. Generally, electives should form a coherent whole. Examples of track emphases include planning, management, and particular areas of public policy. Students not working in the public sector will take a Public Administration Internship in lieu of one elective class.
The Comprehensive Research Project (3 hours) is taken at the completion of the degree program. A research paper analyzing a policy or program in Public Administration will be completed by the student.
General
A hands-on practical course in how governments collect and spend tax dollars and with what effects. Theories of budgeting are examined for their usefulness in the daily realities of the government budgeting setting. Through in-class group assignments, students learn to construct budgets with economic data, write policy statements, and demonstrate an understanding of capital budgeting, cash and accounting principles.
What is a good administrator? An examination of dilemmas and hard choices in public administration looked at from three conflicting perspectives: the good person, the good administrator, and the good citizen. topics include personal versus organizational responsibility; professional expertise versus democratic accountability; authority and culpability; and the relation between bureaucratic knowledge and the power it fosters.
Research techniques and computer applications relevant to public and nonprofit agencies. The design, data collection, and analysis component of the research process are emphasized.
A survey of the major theories of organizational design and behavior with an emphasis on comparisons of public, private, and nonprofit agencies.
Concepts, techniques of analysis and evaluation methods for the design and assessment of public policy and programs.
A detailed study, by ways of cases and controversies of the Constitutional, legal, ethical, and administrative principles which regulate the actions of public servants, the course examines cases from both federal and state administrative experience.
An examination of the processes, policies, and laws pertaining to public personnel, the course analyzes issues concerning personnel administrators including employee protection, motivation, and efficiency.
Taken at the completion of the student's degree program. Students not employed in public service will complete a 3-month internship in a governmental agency. An exit paper will be required. It will analyze an actual problem which confronts the agency, describe the problem-solving and decision-making processes involved in the solution, evaluate the supportive evidence for the decision made. Finally, the paper will evaluate linkages between the internship or work experience for the in-service student, classroom materials, and public administration literature. An oral defense of the paper before the student's committee is required. In-service students will received 3 hours credit, and pre-service students may receive 3 or 6 hours credit.
Vanessa Woodward Griffin, Ph.D.
Professor of Criminology
Sooho Lee
Professor & Graduate Coordinator of Public Administration
Karen Owen, Ph.D.
Dean of University College and Honors College, Associate Professor, and Director of the Thomas B. Murphy Center
Paul Rutledge, Ph.D.
Professor
Guidelines for Admittance
- All graduate applicants must complete the online Graduate Application. A one-time application fee of $40 is required.
- Applicants should also review the Graduate Studies Website for individual program specific requirements and tasks that must be completed prior to admission. See Graduate Studies Application Process.
- International applicants are subject to additional requirements and application deadlines. See Procedures for International Students.
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended are required and should be sent directly to the UWG Graduate Admissions Office.
Program Specific Admittance Guidelines
- Two letters of recommendation from former professors or from job supervisors.
- A minimum 2.5 cumulative grade average (GPA) equivalent on a 4.0 scale
- A personal statement that describes your work experience, professional goals, the reasons you have chosen this program, why you want to attend UWG, and how the MPA program will help you achieve your goals.
- A current resume
Application Deadlines
Specific Graduate Admissions Deadlines are available via the Graduate School
Posted deadline includes Application, app fee, and all supplemental items/documents.
See The Scoop for more specific deadlines.
Admission Process Checklist
One exception: If you will not ever be traveling to a UWG campus or site, you may apply for an Immunization Exemption. Contact the Immunization Clerk with your request.
Contact
Graduate Admissions
graduate@westga.edu
678-839-1394
University College
Dr. Sooho Lee, MPA Director
slee@westga.edu
678-839-4991
Specific dates for Admissions (Undergraduate Only), Financial Aid, Fee Payment, Registration, Start/End of Term Dates, Final Exams, etc. are available in THE SCOOP.
Specific Graduate Admissions Deadlines are available via the Graduate School
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of public service values including ethics, democracy, and constitutional principles.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of generalist management techniques and skills.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of linkage between theory and practice.