Master of Public Administration and Master of Urban Planning
M.P.A./M.U.P. Combined Program
This program is designed for the student with career goals that center on assuming administrative and management responsibilities in urban planning and urban affairs. It combines into 3 years (excluding the 1-year internship required for the M.P.A. City and County Management Fellows curriculum) the normal course work required for the 2-year Master of Urban Planning degree and the 2-year Master of Public Administration degree. The program offers students experience not only in public policy management, but also in administration with particular expertise in planning the sustainability of communities.
Admission to Graduate Studies
Admission Requirements
- All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy.
- Bachelor’s degree: A copy of official transcripts showing proof of a bachelor's degree (and any post-bachelor’s coursework or degrees) from a regionally accredited institution, or a foreign university with equivalent bachelor's degree requirements is required.
- English proficiency: Proof of English proficiency for non-native or non-native-like English speakers is required. There are two bands of English proficiency, including Admission and Full proficiency. For applicants to online programs, Full proficiency is required.
M.P.A./M.U.P. Admission
A student must meet admission requirements of both programs but only needs to submit one application. The M.P.A./M.U.P. dual degree program is open to those who have earned baccalaureate degrees and whose undergraduate academic records indicate that they have the capacity to complete these graduate programs. Please visit the School of Public Affairs & Administration M.P.A. / M.U.P. dual degree page for complete admissions information and deadlines.
For all applicants, a completed application includes:
- Online Graduate Studies application.
- A nonrefundable application fee, submitted online with the application form.
- 1 official transcript from the degree-granting college or university and any post-graduate college or university attended.
- 3 letters of recommendation. If possible, at least 1 should be an academic reference.
- A 750-1250-word reflective essay describing your background and career goals and clearly indicating how the M.P.A./M.U.P. dual degree fits into those goals and addressing any deficiencies in your academic preparation.
- A current résumé.
- A writing sample that is at least 5 pages long. It should be a well-cited work in which you critically analyze (not just summarize) an issue.
- Non-native speakers of English must meet Graduate Studies English proficiency requirements.
While completing the following degree requirements, graduate students are expected to understand and follow Office of Graduate Studies policies relevant to their student status and academic standing.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MPA Core Course Work | ||
| PUAD 824 | Creating Good Public Policy | 3 |
| PUAD 835 | Managing Public Money | 3 |
| PUAD 841 | Context, Ethics and Legal Environment of Public Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 845 | Managing Public Organizations | 3 |
| School of Public Affairs & Administration Certificate | 12 | |
| City & County Management, Public/Nonprofit Management, Public Policy, or Performance Management. | ||
| City & County Management Fellows in the Local Governement Concentration complete the City & County Management Graduate Certificate. | ||
| MPA Elective Course Work | 12 | |
| Graduate course work either from the School of Public Affairs & Administration, or outside the School in chosen in consultation with the program coordinator and approval from the program director. | ||
| City & County Management Fellows in the Local Governement Concentration complete the following courses plus one additional 3-credit elective to fulfill MPA electives: | ||
| Reflections on Practice | ||
| Professional Development Seminar I: Public Admin Contemporary Issues & Competency Assessment | ||
| Professional Development Seminar II: Leading to Create a Culture for High Performance | ||
| MPA Final Required Course | ||
| PUAD 899 | Excelling in the Practice of Public Administration | 1 |
| M.U.P. Core Course Work | ||
| UBPL 705 | Urban Economic Theory and Analysis | 3 |
| UBPL 736 | Planning Law and Institutions | 3 |
| UBPL 741 | Foundations of Compassionate Critical Thinking | 3 |
| UBPL 742 | Applied Data and Spatial Analysis | 3 |
| UBPL 785 | History and Theory of Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 763 | Politics and Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 777 | Equity, Justice, and American Cities | 3 |
| UBPL 780 | Climate Change and Hazards Planning | 3 |
| M.U.P. Topic Areas | 9 | |
| To complete degree requirements, students must select a substantive topic area and complete the courses listed. | ||
| Housing & Development: | ||
| Housing Policy and Planning | ||
| Community and Neighborhood Revitalization | ||
| Real Estate Development | ||
Other courses may be approved by the Urban Planning Director. | ||
| Sustainable Land Use: | ||
| Sustainable Land Use Policy and Planning | ||
| Environmental Planning Techniques | ||
| Site Planning and Design | ||
Other courses may be approved by the Urban Planning Director. | ||
| Transportation: | ||
| Transportation Policy and Planning | ||
| Data Driving Transportation | ||
| Transportation for Livable Cities | ||
Other courses may be approved by the Urban Planning Director. | ||
| Multidisciplinary Planning: | ||
| City and County Planning | ||
| Transportation Policy and Planning | ||
| Real Estate Development | ||
Other courses may be approved by the Urban Planning Director. | ||
| Electives | 3 | |
| Any UBPL course that is not being counted toward the student's chosen topic area, SPAA certificate, or MPA electives may be counted as an elective. Please refer to the SPAA Electives list below for elective course options. | ||
| Total Hours | 73 | |
MPA Core Courses
The MPA core provides students with knowledge and skills foundational to advanced educational and professional engagement in public affairs and administration fields. They provide an important underpinning for the MPA certificates and are transferable across a range of public service professions.
School of Public Affairs & Administration Graduate Certificates
The graduate certificate is a way to delve into specific areas of public administration theory and practice. They are structured to provide a condensed version of skills and knowledge to advance in particular professional fields. Students in the dual degree program will not be eligible for the Urban Planning graduate certificate in addition to the credentials earned for the dual degree but may any of the School of Public Affairs & Administration graduate certificates below.
MPA Degree Final Course Requirement
All MPA degree students will complete the 1-credit course PUAD 899 Excelling in the Practice of Public Administration in their final semester of the program. This course serves as a culminating review and reapplication of the core competencies and learning objectives emphasized throughout the MPA curriculum. Students will be eligible for degree conferral upon completion of this course and the other requirements toward the MPA/MUP dual degree.
M.U.P. Electives
Any UBPL class can be taken as an elective. UBPL 767 and UBPL 730 are strongly suggested as electives because they are applied skills classes covering all of the topic areas. Graduate level classes taken outside of Urban Planning require Urban Planning Director approval.
Portfolio Exam
The portfolio exam offers the student a learning opportunity to integrate the knowledge acquired through coursework and demonstrate their competence as a planner. The portfolio entails compiling coursework and any relevant planning-related work completed during their studies. The portfolio should demonstrate the practices, knowledge, skills, and behaviors that support the student’s success in the planning profession. Additionally, it requires students to reflect on their learning. For the work samples selected, students will reflect upon and write about why they chose the work sample giving a brief overview of the work and describing what they learned from it. This should include a discussion of the specific skills they gained referencing the Urban Planning Program Learning Objectives table. Ultimately, the portfolio and reflection should illustrate that they have the necessary foundation to pursue a career in planning.
The examination consists of the student completing the portfolio and written reflective narratives summarizing how the work samples demonstrate competency in planning practices, knowledge, skills, and behaviors. The Urban Planning faculty committee appoints a 2-member portfolio exam committee for each student's portfolio. The grading committee is selected from the full-time faculty in the Urban Planning Program. One grader teaches at least one of the core courses and is outside the student's chosen topic area, and the other grader teaches within the student's topic area . The portfolio exam committee assesses and grades the exam with Honors, Pass, or Unsatisfactory with options to retake. Up to two retake attempts are permitted. The department will determine an appropriate minimum interval between exam attempts
School of Public Affairs & Administration Courses
The following courses may be counted as electives toward the student's degree so long as they are not being counted toward completion of a School of Public Affairs & Administration Graduate Certificate or Urban Planning topic area.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PUAD 703 | Foundations of the Nonprofit Sector | 3 |
| PUAD 708 | Collaboration in Public Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 825 | Urban Policy and Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 828 | Nonprofit Management and Policy | 3 |
| PUAD 834 | Human Resource Management | 3 |
| PUAD 837 | Advanced Public Budgeting and Finance | 3 |
| PUAD 839 | Topics in Public Administration: _____ | 3 |
| PUAD 845 | Managing Public Organizations | 3 |
| PUAD 851 | Infrastructure Management | 3 |
| PUAD 853 | Policy Analysis | 3 |
| PUAD 854 | Innovation and Organizational Change | 3 |
| PUAD 857 | Performance Management and Governance | 3 |
| PUAD 858 | Performance Audit | 3 |
| PUAD 861 | Data Analytics | 3 |
| PUAD 862 | Emergency Management in the United States: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| PUAD 863 | Program Evaluation | 3 |
| PUAD 892 | Reflections on Practice | 1-3 |
| PUAD 898 | Leading to Create a Culture for High Performance | 3 |
| PUAD 930 | Research Seminar in Public Administration and Democracy | 3 |
| PUAD 931 | Research Seminar in Public Management | 3 |
| PUAD 932 | Seminar in the Intellectual History of Public Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 934 | Research Methods in Public Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 935 | Advanced Quantitative Methods for Public Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 936 | Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| PUAD 937 | Qualitative Methods in Public Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 939 | Topics in Public Administration: _____ | 1-3 |
| PUAD 943 | Constitutional Foundations of Public Administration | 3 |
| PUAD 949 | Law, Courts, and Public Policy | 3 |
| UBPL 701 | Directed Readings | 1-6 |
| UBPL 710 | Housing Policy and Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 715 | Community and Neighborhood Revitalization | 3 |
| UBPL 720 | Sustainable Land Use Policy and Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 725 | Environmental Planning Techniques | 3 |
| UBPL 730 | City and County Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 735 | Site Planning and Design | 3 |
| UBPL 746 | GIS Applications for Design and Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 750 | Transportation Policy and Planning | 3 |
| UBPL 756 | Data Driving Transportation | 3 |
| UBPL 758 | Transportation for Livable Cities | 3 |
| UBPL 764 | Real Estate Development | 3 |
| UBPL 767 | Creative Placemaking | 3 |
| UBPL 802 | Special Topics in Urban Planning: ______ | 3 |
At the completion of this program, students will be able to:
- lead and manage in public governance.
- participate in and contribute to the public policy process.
- analyze, synthesize, think creatively, solve problems, and make decisions.
- articulate and apply public service perspectives.
- communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.
- Understand the evolution and current practice of planning in communities, cities, regions, and nations; how planning has advanced and hindered the attainment of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion; past and present conceptions of the future, including the relationship between planning and the future. (Planning History)
- Understand the expectations about planning outcomes in different local and national contexts; conceptual models about what planning is and how it works; the role of planning in responding to the global climate crisis. (Planning Theory)
- Understand the behaviors and structures available to bring about sound planning outcomes; mechanisms and practices for ensuring equitable and inclusive decision-making; legal and institutional contexts within which planning occurs in the U.S. and/or internationally. (Planning Law & Institutions)
- Understand the political, economic, social, and environmental explanations of and insights on historical, present, and future development; relationships between the built and natural environments and individual and community health and well-being; planning responses to mitigate climate change, reduce risks, and recover from climate-exacerbated impacts; interactions – flows of people, materials, ideas, and cultures – across world regions. (Urban & Regional Development)
- Understand the planning process and community and stakeholder engagement; plan creation and implementation; methods of design and intervention to understand and influence the future. (Planning Process & Engagement)
- Develop research and critical analysis skills for preparing and conducting research; quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection, analysis, and forecasting; methods of geo-spatial analysis, mapping and data visualization; data analytics and urban technology. (Analytical Skills & Tools)
- Work in teams and with professionals in allied fields; professional leadership in the planning context; written, oral, and graphic communication. (Professional, Communication, & Leadership Skills)