Master of Public Administration

Applicants to the MPA program must satisfy the following requirements:

1.     An undergraduate degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5 calculated on a 4.0 basis or 5 years of relevant work experience;

2.     GRE and TOEFL scores: GRE scores are not required. However, in addition to the requirements for regular admission, all applicants from non-English speaking countries must take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Admission to graduate study in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration requires a TOEFL iBT score of at least 100 or a IELTS score of at least 7.0 overall;

3.     Three letters of recommendation, which must be academically or employment related. These should be from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic abilities and professional goals. Applicants who obtained their undergraduate degrees in the last three years must submit at least one academic letter;

4.     A thoughtfully drafted statement of purpose; and

5.     Official transcripts from all previous colleges or universities you have attended (both graduate and undergraduate).

Early Admission to Master of Public Administration Program

Description

The Early Admission option allows advanced undergraduates to enroll for graduate level-credit in up to 9 hours of 5000-level classes that will simultaneously contribute towards their bachelor's degree and their Master of Public Administration degree. Students accepted in the Early Admission Program receive both graduate and undergraduate credit for these classes; undergraduate instructional fees will apply to these courses.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Early Admission program, students must:

  • Major in any social science bachelor's degree program and/or be enrolled in another bachelor's degree program and minor in political science or public administration.
  • Grade point average: For students majoring or minoring in Political Science or minoring in Public Administration a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a 3.2 GPA within the major/minor is required.  For other social science majors, a cumulative GPA of 3.2 is required.  Grade point average shall be calculated solely on University of Toledo earned credits.
  • Undergraduate advisor's approval
  • Permission of the Political Science department chair
  • Permission of the MPA program director
  • Have at least junior standing when applying for the program.

Application Process

To apply for the Early Admission program, students should submit to the Chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration (jetsabe.caceres@utoledo.edu):

  1. An application for Early Admission (See https://www.utoledo.edu/al/pspa/pdfs/MPAEarlyAdmissionsApplication.pdf)
  2. A letter of interest (which may be reused in the graduate school application)
  3. Two letters of recommendation (from an undergraduate advisor and one undergraduate course instructor)
  4. After initial approval from the Chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration and MPA Director, students must also apply for admission to the College of Graduate Studies for the semester in which they intend to matriculate. See https://www.utoledo.edu/graduate/apply/

Students accepted into this option will initially be granted provisional graduate admission to allow them to enroll in 5000-level courses that are approved for the MPA program. To receive dual (undergraduate and graduate) credit, the following conditions apply:

  • Courses must be taken at The University of Toledo after acceptance into the Early Admission option.
  • Only 5000-level courses that are approved for the MPA program may be taken.
  • Students must complete all graduate-level requirements in the course and be evaluated by the same criteria as graduate students.
  • Students complete a graduate plan of study indicating courses that will receive graduate and undergraduate credit.

Degree Requirements: 
The MPA is a graduate program comprised of 36 hours.  21 hours of required courses are:

PSC 5300Principles of Public Administration3
PSC 5430Human Resources Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations3
PSC 5440Budgeting And Financial Administration3
PSC 5560Law And Public Administration3
PSC 6110Public Policy Methods and Analysis3
PSC 6430Public Policy Process3
PSC 6490Public Administration Capstone2
PSC 6940Professional Experience1
Electives (15 hours of 5000 or 6000 MPA related electives) from the list of MPA electives. Students develop a coherent area of focus with courses selected in consultation with the MPA director:15
Advocacy Groups in US Politics
Urban Policy & Administration
Environmental Policy And Administration
Ethics In Public Policy And Administration
Fundraising
Public and Nonprofit Management
Political Determinants of Health
Introduction to Nonprofits
Program Evaluation
Public Relations Campaigns
Disability Ethics and Policy
Regional Economics
Public Finance Economics
Health Economics
Econometrics Models And Methods I
Econometrics Models And Methods II
Geographic Information Systems
Geographic Information Systems Applications
Land Use Planning
Principles Of Urban Planning
Community Planning Workshop
Urban Geography
Transportation Geography
Seminar-Urban/Regional Planning Applications
Seminar In Environment Planning
Seminar In Neighborhood Revitalization
Urban Development And Housing
Health Communication
Advanced Negotiation and Conflict Management
Management and Leadership in Public Health
Public Health Assessment and Planning
Implementation of Public Health Programs
Social Marketing in Health
Introduction to Health Policy and Health Systems
Public Health Advocacy
Evaluation Of Health Programs
Health And Gender
Administration and Management of the Arts
Promoting the Visual and Performing Arts
Other courses may be approved as electives by the MPA director if they provide a coherent public administration related area of focus. Non-MPA core courses taken as part of a graduate certificate sponsored by the Departments of Political Science and Public Administration, Geography and Planning, or Economics will be approved as elective courses in the MPA program.

Suggested Plan of Study with Nonprofit Management Certificate

Plan of Study Grid
First TermHours
PSC 6110 Public Policy Methods and Analysis 3
PSC 5300 Principles of Public Administration 3
PSC 5480 Introduction to Nonprofits 3
 Hours9
Second Term
PSC 5560 Law And Public Administration 3
PSC 5440 Budgeting And Financial Administration 3
PSC 5380 Fundraising 3
 Hours9
Third Term
PSC 6430 Public Policy Process 3
PSC 5430 Human Resources Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations 3
PSC 5320 Urban Policy & Administration 3
 Hours9
Fourth Term
PSC 5410 Public and Nonprofit Management 3
PSC 5220 Advocacy Groups in US Politics 3
PSC 6490 Public Administration Capstone 2
PSC 6940 Professional Experience 1
 Hours9
 Total Hours36

Suggested Plan of Study with Municipal Administration Certificate

Plan of Study Grid
First TermHours
PSC 6110 Public Policy Methods and Analysis 3
PSC 5300 Principles of Public Administration 3
GEPL 5110 Geographic Information Systems 3
 Hours9
Second Term
PSC 5560 Law And Public Administration 3
PSC 5440 Budgeting And Financial Administration 3
PSC 5410 Public and Nonprofit Management 3
 Hours9
Third Term
PSC 6430 Public Policy Process 3
PSC 5430 Human Resources Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations 3
PSC 5320 Urban Policy & Administration 3
 Hours9
Fourth Term
GEPL 5210 Land Use Planning 3
PSC 5220 Advocacy Groups in US Politics 3
PSC 6490 Public Administration Capstone 2
PSC 6940 Professional Experience 1
 Hours9
 Total Hours36
  • PLO 1: lead and manage in public governance;
  • PLO 2: participate in and contribute to the policy process;
  • PLO 3: analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions;
  • PLO 4: articulate and apply a public service perspective;
  • PLO 5: communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.