MPA Degree Requirements
An effective leader in solving public problems. Lead to improve lives through innovation, collaboration, and strategy.
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the Hobby School of Public Affairs is a 36-hour graduate degree designed to advance the careers of professionals seeking to improve their communities through public service. The MPA program prepares graduates to lead organizations, manage complex projects, and serve the public through innovation, collaboration, and strategy. The comprehensive curriculum is designed for those looking to enhance their management skills and take on leadership roles in the public sector.
The program consists of a core curriculum, a capstone problem project, and concentration electives. As part of the MPA program, students complete a concentration by taking two graduate-level elective courses (6 credit hours) in a focused area of public policy. This requirement offers targeted training and valuable expertise in a specific policy field while tailoring education to career goals. Students choose from four concentration areas: Economic and Social Policy Analysis, Political Economy, Agile Governance and Public Management, or Ethics and Leadership. Each concentration includes at least one designated core course that must be one of the two electives, ensuring a strong foundation in that field. With approval, students may also design a self-directed concentration by selecting two relevant electives outside these predefined areas (a self-designed concentration).
Typically, both concentration courses are POLC/PUBL 6000-level electives offered by the Hobby School. With prior approval, however, students may count one relevant graduate elective from outside the Hobby School (a non-POLC/PUBL course) toward their concentration, allowing some interdisciplinary flexibility. MPP students who waive the internship requirement will take an additional elective course (for a total of three electives) in place of the internship; this extra course may be in the same or a different concentration area.
Note: Concentrations will not appear on official transcripts or diplomas, but the Hobby School maintains an internal record of each student’s concentration. Students are strongly encouraged to list their concentration on their résumé to highlight their specialized training and the focused learning experience gained in the program.
The UH MPA Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Fall Semester Start
The below table shows a sample degree plan for a full-time MPA student that begins the program in the fall semester:
Fall Admission (MPA) |
|
First-year Fall Semester (First Semester) |
PUBL 6310 - Administrative Theory PUBL 6314 - Public Administration Research Methods I: Introduction to Statistics PUBL 6320 - Policy Analysis: Political Analysis |
First-year Spring Semester (Second Semester) |
PUBL 6311 - Public Administration and Policy Implementation PUBL 6312 - Public Finance PUBL 6315 - Public Administration Research Methods II: Multivariate Analysis |
First-year Summer Semester (Extra Semester) |
PUBL 6333 - Municipal and Local Law (or PUBL 6332) |
Second-year Fall Semester (Third Semester) |
PUBL 6345 Budgeting for Public Agencies PUBL 6332 Administrative Law (or PUBL 6333) POLC/PUBL 6000-level - Public Administration Elective #1 |
Second-year Spring Semester (Fourth Semester) |
PUBL 6350 Public Management PUBL 6325 Public Administration Capstone POLC/PUBL 6000-level - Public Administration Elective #2 |
Total Credits = 36 hours |
|
Spring Semester Start
The following table shows a sample degree plan for a full-time MPA student that begins in the spring semester:
Spring Admission (MPA) |
|
First-year Spring Semester (First Semester) |
PUBL 6311 - Public Administration and Policy Implementation PUBL 6350 - Public Management PUBL 6312 - Public Finance |
First-year Fall Semester (Second Semester) |
PUBL 6310 - Administrative Theory PUBL 6314 - Public Administration Research Methods I: Introduction to Statistics PUBL 6320 - Policy Analysis: Political Analysis |
Second-year Spring Semester (Third Semester) |
PUBL 6315 - Public Administration Research Methods II: Multivariate Analysis PUBL 6325 - Public Administration Capstone POLC/PUBL 6000-level - Public Administration Elective #1 |
Second-year Summer Semester (Extra Semester) |
PUBL 6333 - Municipal and Local Law (or PUBL 6332) |
Second-year Fall Semester (Fourth Semester) |
PUBL 6345 - Budgeting for Public Agencies PUBL 6332 (or PUBL 6333) - Administrative Law POLC/PUBL 6000-level - Public Administration Elective #2 |
Total Credits = 36 hours |
|
The Concentration Requirements
The following are elective MPA/MPP courses that can be taken to satisfy the elective requirements for each concentration.
Economic and Social Policy Concentration |
|
|
POLC 6316 - Policy Research Methods III: Advanced Quantitative Modeling |
MPA only |
|
POLC 6320 - Policy Analysis II: Political Analysis |
MPA only |
|
POLC 6334 - Criminal Justice Policy |
|
|
POLC 6341 - State and Local Policy |
|
|
POLC 6342 - Political Economy and Ethics of the Market Processes |
core |
|
POLC 6344 - Energy Policy |
|
|
POLC 6348 - Population Health and Economic Policy |
|
|
POLC 6352 - Quantitative Methods and Applications |
|
|
POLC 6370 - Family Policy: Theory and Research |
core |
|
POLC 6372 - Research Ethics |
|
|
POLC 6380 - Political Economy of Trade and Finance |
|
|
POLC 6381 - Policy Analysis: Macroeconomic Policy |
|
|
PUBL 6321 - Seminar in Urban Politics |
core |
|
PUBL 6343 - GIS for Urban Applications |
|
|
PUBL 6347 - Seminar in Health Care Policy |
core |
Political Economy Concentration |
|
|
POLC 6320 - Policy Analysis II: Political Analysis |
MPA only |
|
POLC 6342 - Political Economy and Ethics of the Market Processes |
core |
|
POLC 6352 - Quantitative Methods and Applications |
|
|
POLC 6360 Institutions and Development |
|
|
POLC 6372 Research Ethics |
|
|
POLC 6380 - Political Economy of Trade and Finance |
core |
|
POLC 6381 - Policy Analysis: Macroeconomic Policy |
|
|
PUBL 6343 - GIS for Urban Applications |
|
Agile Government and Public Managements Concentration |
|
|
POLC 6311 - Leadership and Professional Development |
MPA only |
|
POLC 6330 - Philosophy and Public Policy I |
MPA only |
|
POLC 6331 - Philosophy and Public Policy II |
MPA only |
|
POLC 6360 - Institutions and Development |
|
|
POLC 6361 - Democratic Erosion |
|
|
POLC 6371 - Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership Seminar |
|
|
PUBL 6310 - Administrative Theory |
MPP only |
|
PUBL 6311 - Public Administration and Policy Implementation |
core (MPP only) |
|
PUBL 6321 - Seminar in Urban Politics |
|
|
PUBL 6346 - Seminar in Emergency Management |
|
|
PUBL 6349 - Seminar in Non-Profit Management |
MPP only |
|
PUBL 6345 - Budgeting for Public Agencies |
MPP only |
|
PUBL 6350 - Public Management |
MPP only |
|
PUBL 6355 - Innovation in the Public Sector |
core |
|
PUBL 6361 - Seminar in Public Management I |
|
|
PUBL 6362 - Seminar in Public Management II |
|
Ethics and Leadership Concentration |
|
|
POLC 6311 - Leadership and Professional Development |
MPA only |
|
POLC 6330 - Philosophy and Public Policy I |
core (MPA only) |
|
POLC 6331 - Philosophy and Public Policy II |
core (MPA only) |
|
POLC 6342 - Political Economy and Ethics of the Market Processes |
core (MPA ony) |
|
POLC 6361 - Democratic Erosion |
|
|
POLC 6371 - Elizabeth D. Rockwell Center on Ethics and Leadership Seminar |
|
|
POLC 6372 - Research Ethics |
|
|
POLC 6373 - Philosophy for Public Policy Students |
|
|
PUBL 6310 - Administrative Theory |
MPP only |
|
PUBL 6311 - Public Administration and Policy Implementation |
core (MPP only) |
|
PUBL 6346 - Seminar in Emergency Management |
|
| PUBL 6349 - Seminar in Non-Profit Management | MPP only |
|
PUBL 6350 - Public Management |
core (MPP only) |
| PUBL 6355 - Innovation in the Public Sector | |
| PUBL 6361 - Seminar in Public Management I | |
|
PUBL 6362 - Seminar in Public Management II |
|
Notes:
To meet the concentration requirements,
(1) MPA/MPP students are required to complete two POLC/PUBL 6000-level elective courses
from one of the four available concentrations.
(2) Students are required to complete at least one required “core” concentration course.
(3) MPP students who petition to waive the internship requirement are required to
enroll in an additional POLC/PUBL 6000-level elective course, which may be taken in
the same or different concentration area.
POLC/PUBL 6000-level courses that are not listed in the concentrations above may fulfill the concentration requirement, subject to approval from two of the following staff members: (1) the Program Director of Academic Advising, (2) the Director of the Master of Public Administration Program, or (3) one of the Associate Deans.
MPA Course Rotation by Semester
The MPA degree requires 36 credits of graduate coursework, including eight core courses (24 hours), three elective courses (9 hours) and a capstone problem project course (3 hours).
The capstone problem project culminates the skills and knowledge acquired throughout the graduate program. Students analyze an actual public administration, organization or policy issue, examine effective solutions and procedures and make specific recommendations to address the problem.
The below MPA courses are typically offered in the indicated respective semesters.
| MPA Course Offerings by Semester | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| PUBL 6310 Administrative Theory | 🗸 | ||
| PUBL 6311 Public Administration and Policy Implementation | 🗸 | ||
| PUBL 6312 Public Finance (Required Course: Beginning Fall 2024) | 🗸 | ||
| PUBL 6314 Public Administration Research Methods I: Introduction to Statistics (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6410 Quantitative Methods I (Prior to Fall 2024) | 🗸 | ||
| PUBL 6315 Public Administration Research Methods II: Multivariate Analysis (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6415 Decision Science for Public Affairs (Prior to Fall 2024) | 🗸 | ||
| PUBL 6320 Policy Analysis: Political Analysis (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6313 Fundamentals of Policy Analysis (Prior to Fall 2024) | 🗸 | ||
| PUBL 6325 Public Administration Capstone (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6325 Capstone Problem Project (Prior to Fall 2024) | 🗸 | ||
| PUBL 6332 Administrative Law (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6314 Administrative Law (Prior to Fall 2024) | 🗸 | ||
| PUBL 6345 Budgeting for Public Agencies (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6342 Budgeting for Public Agencies (Prior to Fall 2024) | 🗸 | ||
| PUBL 6350 Public Management | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6321 Seminar in Urban Politics | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6333 Municipal and Local Law | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6343 GIS for Urban Applications | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6346 Seminar in Emergency Management | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6347 Seminar in Health Care Policy | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6349 Seminar in Non-Profit Management | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6355 Innovation in the Public Sector | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6361 Seminar in Public Management I | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6362 Seminar in Public Management II | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Elective: PUBL 6398 Special Problems in Public Administration and Policy | 🗸 | ||
| MPA Electives (non-Hobby School/POLC/PUBL courses) | 🗸 | 🗸 | 🗸 |
Courses offered are subject to change.
Required Public Administration (PUBL) Graduate Courses
1) PUBL 6310 Administrative Theory
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Strategies and techniques for managing public organizations from the perspectives of various administrative theories and organizational models; case studies used to apply theory.
2) PUBL 6311 Public Administration and Policy Implementation
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Effects of economic incentives on voters, government officials, economy and markets; analysis of situations where private markets fail to be efficient; applications to government policies at federal and local levels; analysis of tax system and interaction among federal, state and local governments.
3) PUBL 6312 Public Finance (Required Course: Beginning Fall 2024)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Effects of economic incentives on voters, government officials, economy and markets; analysis of situations where private markets fail to be efficient; applications to government policies at federal and local levels; analysis of tax system and interaction among federal, state and local governments.
4) PUBL 6314 Public Administration Research Methods I: Introduction to Statistics (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6410 Quantitative Methods I (Prior to Fall 2024)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
First semester of a two-semester sequence on research methods commonly used in political science and public administration. Emphasis on issues of research design, descriptive and inferential statistics, and bivariate regression.
5) PUBL 6315 Public Administration Research Methods II: Multivariate Analysis (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6415 Decision Science for Public Affairs (Prior to Fall 2024)
Prerequisite: PUBL 6314 or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Introduces management science approach to problem solving in order to support management, planning, decision making, and evaluation in the public and non-profit sector, including decision analysis, simulation, and forecasting.
6) PUBL 6320 Policy Analysis: Political Analysis (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6313 Fundamentals of Policy Analysis (Prior to Fall 2024)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
How public policies are decided; tools for policy decision making; political, social, and legal determinants of public policy.
7) PUBL 6325 Public Administration Capstone (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6325 Capstone Problem Project (Prior to Fall 2024)
Prerequisite: PUBL 6314 or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Intensive study of significant policy issue student’s choice. Students formulates and analyzes real issue of public policy and make independent and specific recommendations about the issues.
8) PUBL 6332 Administrative Law (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6314 Administrative Law (Prior to Fall 2024): may be taken instead of PUBL 6333 Municipal and Local Law
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Learning the fundamental principles of administrative law at the federal, state, and local level. Emphasis on the right to an administrative hearing, the process of administrative adjudication, rulemaking procedures, judicial review of agency decisions, the control of agencies by the executive and legislative branches of government, and the application of federal and state administrative procedure acts to agency decisions.
9) PUBL 6333 Municipal and Local Law: may be taken instead of PUBL 6332 Administrative Law (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6314 Administrative Law (Prior to Fall 2024)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Explores the legal authority to act and the constraints on action for municipalities, counties, and other local entities in Texas. Focus is on the Texas Constitution, Government Code, Local Government Code, Special District Local Laws Code, and related case law.
10) PUBL 6345 Budgeting for Public Agencies (Beginning Fall 2024) / PUBL 6342 Budgeting for Public Agencies (Prior to Fall 2024)
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Introduces students to politics, basic concepts, theories, and practices involved in public budgeting process.
11) PUBL 6350 Public Management
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Lecture and seminar on developing the knowledge and skills to effectively manage in
public organizations.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Individual study or projects on an arranged basis under faculty sponsorship.
2) PUBL 6321 Seminar in Urban Politics
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
How local government copes with social and economic problems in overlapping, metropolitan government environments, the complexity of urbanization, and other government agencies.
3) PUBL 6343 GIS for Urban Applications
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Introduces students to applications of geographic information system (GIS) for urban decision makers in the fields of urban geography, urban planning, public health, environmental assessment, hazard and emergency management.
4) PUBL 6346 Seminar in Emergency Management
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Policies and programs of public and private sector including natural and technological disasters and terrorism.
5) PUBL 6347 Seminar in Health Care Policy
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Politics and economics of health and medical care with emphasis on the delivery of services, their quality, and distribution and financing.
6) PUBL 6349 Seminar in Non-Profit Management
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Facilitate an understanding of non-governmental service/advocacy organizations, or “nonprofit organizations”, and the management and leadership skills required to effectively organize, maintain, and grow them.
7) PUBL 6355 Innovation in the Public Sector
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Strategies and methods for pursuing innovation in public entities. Focus is on creating an organizational culture that supports the development and implementation of new ideas.
8) PUBL 6361 Seminar in Public Management I
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
The Seminar in Public Management I gives graduate-level credit for tracks on personnel and human resources administration, managing for quality, and organizational communications in the Certified Public Manager program (CPM).
9) PUBL 6362 Seminar in Public Management II
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
The Seminar in Public Management II gives graduate-level credit for tracks on public finance and budget, productivity and program evaluation, and information systems communications in the Certified Public Manager program (CPM).
10) PUBL 6398 Special Problems in Public Administration and Policy
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Independent study in public administration or public policy.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Individual study or projects on an arranged basis under faculty sponsorship.
2) PUBL 6321 Seminar in Urban Politics
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
How local government copes with social and economic problems in overlapping, metropolitan
government environments, the complexity of urbanization, and other government agencies.
3) PUBL 6343 GIS for Urban Applications
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Introduces students to applications of geographic information system (GIS) for urban
decision makers in the fields of urban geography, urban planning, public health, environmental
assessment, hazard and emergency management.
4) PUBL 6346 Seminar in Emergency Management
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Policies and programs of public and private sector including natural and technological
disasters and terrorism.
5) PUBL 6347 Seminar in Health Care Policy
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Politics and economics of health and medical care with emphasis on the delivery of
services, their quality, and distribution and financing.
6) PUBL 6349 Seminar in Non-Profit Management
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Facilitate an understanding of non-governmental service/advocacy organizations, or
“nonprofit organizations”, and the management and leadership skills required to effectively
organize, maintain, and grow them.
7) PUBL 6355 Innovation in the Public Sector
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.Strategies and methods for pursuing innovation in public entities. Focus is on creating an organizational culture that supports the development and implementation of new ideas.
8) PUBL 6361 Seminar in Public Management I
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.The Seminar in Public Management I gives graduate-level credit for tracks on personnel and human resources administration, managing for quality, and organizational communications in the Certified Public Manager program (CPM).
9) PUBL 6362 Seminar in Public Management II
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.The Seminar in Public Management II gives graduate-level credit for tracks on public finance and budget, productivity and program evaluation, and information systems communications in the Certified Public Manager program (CPM).
10) PUBL 6398 Special Problems in Public Administration and Policy
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of graduate academic advisor.
Independent study in public administration or public policy.