The College of Business and Social Sciences at West Virginia State University offers a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree for those interested in public management and service. The MPA degree prepares students for careers in the public and non-profit sectors, and offers those already in public service the opportunity to enhance and hone their competencies.
Utilizing a cohort model with both evening and online classes, this MPA is specifically geared towards busy professionals. Potential students include public service professionals interested in enhancing their credentials, those seeking a career change, and recent college graduates.
Program Objectives
The objective of the MPA program at WVSU is to develop public managers and administrators to become visionary leaders in public service. Graduates will be able to:
- Apply appropriate management practices to the public and non-profit sectors.
- Analyze and apply to “real world” scenarios, competing policy proposals and management techniques by utilizing evidence-based decision-making.
- Evaluate the quality of management practices and public policy proposals.
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate professionally within the setting of public and non-profit organizations.
Careers
Having completed the required coursework for the graduate program in public administration, graduates of the MPA program are well prepared for a wide range of careers, including:
- Program Director
- Program Coordinator
- Program Manager
- Budget Analyst
- Research Associate
- City/Urban/Regional Planner
- City Manager
Benefits of this program include:
- Value – WVSU offers some of the most affordable graduate programs in the area
- Flexibility – all classes are either in the evening or online
- Location – close proximity to the State Capitol provides experiential education and professional development activities
- Opportunity – professional growth enabling career advancement, salary increases, and career change
Students with relevant professional experience will complete the Program in 36 credit-hours, while pre-professional students will be encouraged to take an additional 6 credit-hours of internship for a total of 42 credit hours. In order to graduate with the degree in Public Administration from WVSU, every student must complete all coursework with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Students who fall below a 3.0 CGPA will be placed on academic probation until such time as they regain a 3.0 CGPA. Students who accumulate more than two (2) “C” grades, or students on academic probation who fail to regain a 3.0 CGPA, will be dismissed from the WVSU MPA.
Admission Requirements
- A completed application
- A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.70.
- Standardized test scores from exams (GRE, GMAT, LSAT or MAT) completed no more than seven years prior to the application submission to the program (if available).
- Candidates who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible to waive the standardized test requirement.
- Candidates who have experience working as a manager or an administrator of a company or government agency can request to waive the standardized test requirement.
- A current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Two letters of recommendation.
- Demonstrated knowledge of American Government.
- At least one course in statistics or research methodology.
- All candidates for whom English is not their native language must take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the IELTS Exam. On the TOEFL, a minimum of score 500 (paper-based exam), 173 (computer-based), or a 61 (Internet-based) is required. On the IELTS, a minimum score of a 6 is required. These candidates may choose to submit the TOEFL or IELTS exam. Graduates of English speaking universities will have TOEFL requirements waived.
- $28 for in-state applicants, and $38 for out of state or international applicants.
- Full consideration for admission will be given to students who have completed the admission requirements by April 1 for Fall Semester Admission.
- Applicants can be granted conditional admission