MPA Curriculum
The Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree program is designed for in-service students who possess professional experience and seek additional education to prepare for career advancement. It is also designed for pre-service students planning careers in the public service area. The program requires a minimum of 39 semester hours. NOTE: An internship is not required for in-service students. Instead, the internship credit hours may be replaced by taking an additional elective course.
Public Affairs Core (24 or 27 hours)
PA 669 - Legal Issues in Public Affairs Credits: 3
PA 670 - Public Affairs Administration Credits: 3
PA 671 - Public Budgeting and Financial Management Credits: 3
PA 672 - Public Organizational Theory and Behavior Credits: 3
PA 673 - Public Policy Analysis Credits: 3
PA 674 - Research Methods for Public Affairs Credits: 3
PA 677 - Public Human Resource Management Credits: 3
* PA 685 - Internship in Public Affairs Credits: 3
PA 699 - Public Affairs Capstone Experience Credits: 3
* Internship is not required for in-service students. Instead, the internship credit
hours may be replaced by taking an additional elective course.
Electives (12 or 15 hours)
Students with public service experience may request to replace the internship with 3 hours of coursework selected from program electives. At least 2 electives (6 hours) must be taken from MPA program offerings (designated PA in the catalog). Any electives taken outside of MPA program, either at 蘑菇短视频or another university, must be approved by the MPA committee in order to be counted towards fulfilling the elective hours requirement.
Elective courses cover areas such as collaborative governance, public policy, nonprofit management, environmental policy, election administration, and performance management, allowing students to focus on the skills and knowledge most relevant to their professional goals. Students can tailor their experience by selecting electives that align with their interests, explore emerging trends in public administration, or gain practical insights through internships and applied projects.
Internship Requirement
The internship experience is an important component of the MPA Program. All students without public service work experience are required to perform an internship, write an internship report, and receive a positive evaluation from the internship sponsor. An internship is not required for in-service students. Instead, the internship credit hours may be replaced by taking an additional elective course.
Our program has been successful in placing students into rewarding internships in the government, nonprofit and private sectors. Our faculty, program alumni, and career center work with students to find an opportunity that will advance their career goals. Internships vary from year to year based on areas of student interest. In the recent past, most of our students have chosen to intern with local county, city, or regional governments. Others have chosen to serve in local or regional nonprofits. Examples of recent internship employer sponsors inlcude the following:
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Buncombe County Government Haywood County Government Graham County Government Jackson County Government Town of Sylva |
The Southwestern Commission Regional Council of Government Defenders of Wildlife Town of Maiden Town of Clyde 蘑菇短视频Campus Services |
If you are currently working in public service or have considerable experience in public and/or nonprofit management, you may petition the MPA faculty for an internship replacement. Students replacing the internship do so by enrolling in another three-hour elective course instead of PA 685 (Internship in Public Affairs). This keeps the MPA required hours at 39 for all students.
Application for Internship Credit