Master of Public Administration and Policy (MPAP)

The 36-credit curriculum consists of 18 credits of required core courses, 15 credits of electives, and a three-credit capstone seminar taken at the end of the program. You have the option to choose 12 or more credits from core and elective courses to fulfill one of three concentrations:

• Public Policy
• Human Resources
• Evaluation and Assessment

1. Decision-Making to apply critical thinking skills to make decisions that enhance performance of governmental and nonprofit organizations or improve public policy and reflect awareness of key elements in these organizations’ external and internal environments
2. Human Resource Management to effectively manage human resources within governmental and nonprofit organizations
3. Financial Resource Management to effectively manage financial resources of governmental and nonprofit organizations
4. Leadership to understand and exhibit behaviors that enable effective leadership of governmental and nonprofit organizations
5. Effective Communication to communicate proficiently orally and in writing in a manner that facilitates shared understanding, growth, and high performance
6. Ethical Standards to act in a manner that exemplifies professional ethical standards for governmental and nonprofit administration
7. Appreciation for Diversity to demonstrate respect for the diverse cultures, values, and perspectives in society in the development, administration, and provision of public services
8. Equity to uphold professional standards of equity in the development, administration, and provision of public services
9. Theory-Practice Links to appreciate the role of political, administrative, policy, and organization theory in understanding and structuring practice in public and nonprofit administration and a continuously strive to improve practice through the application of theory

Our seminars are designed to accommodate full-time jobs, allowing you to learn while gaining real-world experience in your field. You’ll get to implement what you learn in real time, witnessing first-hand how the theories and principles can be applied in practical scenarios.

More opportunities for hands-on experiences are available in our internship, research, and study abroad programs. Check out the pages for these programs, and talk to your professors to learn more.

An accelerated 4+1 option lets students complete their bachelor’s degree at UM-Dearborn and their master’s degree in public administration and policy in just five years, saving time and money. Junior and senior students in the accelerated program can take up to 16 credits of graduate courses, which are counted toward both degrees. To be eligible for the 4+1 option, students must have completed at least 60 undergraduate credits with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2.

To be considered for regular admission, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited program. You should include the following with your application:

• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
• A statement of purpose describing your personal history, educational and professional goals, and objectives in pursuing the program
• Two letters of recommendation
• A resume or CV
• If your native language is not English, you must fulfill the English Language Requirements for Graduate Admission