Public Administration

To receive the Master of Public Administration degree, the student must satisfactorily complete 39 semester hours of coursework with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

The required courses may be waived for students with appropriate academic backgrounds.

The remainder of the 39 hours must consist of courses selected from the M.P.A. curriculum. Exceptions may be made, on the determination of the program director, if the students career objectives make public management-related courses in other graduate programs particularly useful. No more than 6 semester hours outside the M.P.A. curriculum may be taken.

Within the general requirements listed above, the student may select one of three options:

1. The student may take 33 to 36 semester hours of academic coursework and three to six semester hours of MPA 595 Government Internship. A student choosing this option is encouraged to begin the internship only after completing 18 semester hours of other courses.
2. The student, under certain conditions, may take 33 to 36 semester hours of academic coursework and three to six semester hours of MPA 597 Public Service Project. This option is available only to students employed in administrative positions other than internships in public or nonprofit agencies. Students should enroll in MPA 597 only after completing 18 hours of other courses.
3. The student may take the full 39 semester hours in regular academic courses.

Visit the Catalog to view additional details about the Master of Public Administration, including degree requirements and course descriptions.

Applicants interested in beginning the M.P.A. Program should contact the program director to discuss the program and submit an online application through the Admission Account. The program director and Faculty Admissions Committee will review each application holistically, looking for evidence of the applicant's demonstration of public service motivation and alignment with our program's mission and the potential for academic success in the program.

Applicants must submit the following materials:

• Official academic transcripts
• Current resume
• A career trajectory statement of 500-750 words addressing why you think you would be a successful candidate for the M.P.A. program, what has led you to pursue a master's degree in public administration, your career aspirations in the public or nonprofit sectors, and how you think this degree will help you reach them
• Two letters of recommendation from professors and/or employers

Additional requirements apply for international students.

Current undergraduate students can work toward an M.P.A. degree through the Bachelor's Plus Master's program.

Core M.P.A. Faculty

• Joshua Ambrosius, Ph.D., M.P.A. Program Director; Associate Professor
• Nancy Miller, Ph.D., Chair, Department of Political Science; Professor
• Grant Neeley, Ph.D., M.P.A., Director, Center for Cybersecurity & Data Intelligence; Professor
• Li-Yin Liu, Ph.D.; Associate Professor
• Dongfang Gaozhao, Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Additional Faculty and Staff

• Dan Birdsong, Ph.D., Coordinator of Political Science Experiential Learning; Senior Lecturer
• Eileen Maloney, Administrative Support Staff

• Health Communication (Graduate Certificate)
• Marianist Studies (Graduate Certificate)
• Nonprofit and Community Leadership (Graduate Certificate)
• Strategic Public Relations (Graduate Certificate)
• Sustainability (Graduate Certificate)

Rooted in our Catholic, Marianist traditions, the University of Dayton is dedicated to being transparent and ensuring student success.

Financial aid may be available for degree-seeking graduate students, file the FAFSA to be considered. Once you have applied and been accepted to a graduate program, we will prepare your applicable aid for the upcoming year.

Graduate assistantships are available for M.P.A. students.