Public Administration Major with a Concentration in Public Service: Leadership, Governance and Policy (M.P.A.)
The M.P.A. degree serves students interested in careers in the public and nonprofit sectors. The program is professional in nature, and stresses development of managerial and analytical skills, as well as ethical and professional values. All courses are scheduled for the convenience of working students, and the program is offered throughout the year. The program is appropriate for students wishing to transition from private to public or nonprofit sector careers. The two current concentration areas are as follow:
- Public Service: Leadership, Governance and Policy - for students interested in learning to manage complex public policy issues in a global society, and craft creative solutions to public sector issues.
- Nonprofit Organization Management - for those seeking an understanding of the nonprofit and philanthropic sector and skill development in areas such as board staff relations, fundraising, volunteer management, financial management, and grantsmanship.
Admission Requirements for the M.P.A. Program
Anyone with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university is eligible to apply for admission to the M.P.A. program. In general, applicants with the following credentials are admitted: a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better, a well written essay, and three strong letters of recommendation. Standardized test scores are optional for the M.P.A. Program. M.P.A. applicants may be asked to complete a personal interview.
International applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. However, it is important to note that the University requires confirmation of undergraduate degree standards by World Educational Services program (see https://www.wes.org/). In addition, the M.P.A. program generally requires a TOEFL score of greater than 90 for students with undergraduate degrees awarded outside the United States.
Applicants who are confident that they are ready to succeed in a graduate program but do not meet the M.P.A. admissions criteria may be offered conditional acceptance. Candidates granted conditional acceptance must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in their first four graduate courses at Seton Hall.
Application Procedures for the M.P.A. Program
Applicants must complete a College of Arts and Sciences Application for Admissions to Graduate Study (self-managed application packet) that includes:
- a 750-1,000 word essay outlined in the application;
- official sealed transcript from each college and/or university attended;
- three letters of recommendation;
- current résumé;
- official copy of Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores if applicant is an international candidate. The M.P.A. program requires a minimum TOEFL score of 90; and
- a completed application with the application fee (payable to Seton Hall University).
Financial Aid
Seton Hall University and the Department of Social Work offer a variety of financial aid options to assist students in paying for their graduate education. These include:
- Graduate and Research Assistantships
- Partial Tuition Scholarships
- Paid Internships and Fellowships
- External Scholarships
- Loan and Installment Payment Programs
- Employer Tuition Remission Programs
Graduate and Research Assistantships
Graduate assistants receive full tuition remission up to a maximum of 12 credits per semester and a monthly stipend in exchange for 20 hours of work per week in the administrative office of the department, or in other offices on campus.
Research assistants receive full tuition remission and a monthly stipend in exchange for 20 hours of work per week assisting department faculty on various research projects.
Graduate and research assistantships are available to full-time students only.
M.P.A. Program Tuition Scholarships
The M.P.A. program has a number of department-based scholarship opportunities.
These competitive, merit-based scholarships provide partial and possibly full tuition remission for selected courses in nonprofit organization management and public service leadership.
Both full and part-time students in the M.P.A. on-campus programs are eligible. Graduate certificate students are also eligible for these scholarships.
M.P.A. scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis; therefore, students who plan to apply for any or all of these funding opportunities should submit their applications for admission prior to April 1st. For information on M.P.A. scholarship opportunities, please visit https://www.shu.edu/financial-aid/graduate-scholarships-list.cfm.
For further information, including application deadline information and to receive application materials, contact the MPA program director at latesha.sampson@.
Paid Internships and Fellowships
Internships are required for all pre-service students and are an option for in-service students. The department, working closely with the University’s Career Center, assists students in finding internships and maintains information on the availability of paid internships. Information on paid fellowships is also made available to students.
Loans and Installment Payment Programs
Several types of loan programs and installment payment programs are available to assist students with tuition and other expenses. Loans through FAFSA and Sallie Mae are available to M.P.A. students. Contact Enrollment Services at (973) 761-9332 for further information and application materials.
Program of Study and Degree Requirements
The 39-credit M.P.A. degree program includes the following:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| PSMA 6001 | Environment Pub Serv Mgmt | 3 |
| PSMA 6002 | Research Methods-Stat Analy | 3 |
| PSMA 6004 | Econ Environment Service Mgmt | 3 |
| PSMA 6005 | Financial Management-Control | 3 |
| PSMA 6009 | Managerial Decision Making | 3 |
| PSMA 6010 | Managing Hum Res-Pub Serv Org | 3 |
| Subtotal | 18 | |
| Concentration Requirements | ||
| PSMA 6003 | Pub Policy Proc and Analy | 3 |
| PSMA 7122 | Strategic Mgmt-Governance | 3 |
| PSMA 7124 | Fin Budgeting-Effect Govern | 3 |
| PSMA 7715 | Ethics in Public Service | 3 |
| Subtotal | 12 | |
| Electives | ||
| Select two additional M.P.A. elective courses, including any of the following: | 6 | |
| Organizational Theory | ||
| Cross Sector Collaboration | ||
| ST Nonprofit HR-Volunteer Mgt | ||
| Public Service Leadership | ||
| Nonprofit Fndraising | ||
| Nonprofits and Public Policy | ||
| Resource Development | ||
| Fin Mgmt Nonprofit Orgs | ||
PSMA 7315 | ||
| Grantsmanship | ||
PSMA 7712 | ||
| Ethics in Public Service | ||
PSMA 8111 | ||
PSMA 8112 | ||
PSMA 8114 | ||
PSMA 8115 | ||
| Topics in Nonprofit Mgmt | ||
PSMA 8314 | ||
PSMA 8324 | ||
PSMA 8325 | ||
PSMA 8327 | ||
| Spec Topics in NP Orgs | ||
| Nonprofit Advocacy-Lobbying | ||
| Legal Issues Nonprofit Orgs | ||
PSMA 8317 | ||
PSMA 8711 | ||
| Social Entrepreneurship | ||
| Subtotal | 6 | |
| Applied Research and Practice (Capstone) Experience | ||
| Select one of the following: * | 3 | |
| Internship | ||
| Practicum | ||
| Research Seminar | ||
| Subtotal | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 39 | |
- *
Students must complete a 3-credit Applied Research and Practice (Capstone) experience towards the end of their course of study. The requirements depend on the student’s managerial experience.
Students who have completed all degree requirements except PSMA 7993 Research Seminar must register for THCN 7999 Thesis Continuation - Masters for the first semester subsequent to PSMA 7993 Research Seminar) registration and THCN 8000 Thesis Continuation - Masters from the second subsequent semester until the completion and presentation of the culminating research project.
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