North Georgia and Alabama students now qualify for regional tuition rate discount.
Prospective Students,
Thank you for considering the Master of Public Administration program at UTC. This page provides information about admission procedures, degree completion requirements. Please contact the MPA Coordinator (David-Edwards@utc.edu, 423-425-4068) for additional information.
OVERVIEW
The MPA Program at UTC is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).
Our goal is to prepare students for leadership positions in public and nonprofit organizations. To accomplish this goal, the MPA program provides students with a course of study designed to improve written and oral communication skills, to strengthen analytical and statistical skills, and to enhance our students' ability to ethically and effectively manage human, financial, and physical resources.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
In addition to meeting all UTC requirements for application and admission to the graduate division, applicants to the MPA program must:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- Have a minimum grade point average of 2.70 (based on a 4.0 scale) on all undergraduate work taken prior to receiving the baccalaureate degree or 3.0 in the senior year, or qualify for special admission by earning a B+ average of 9-12 hours of 300 or 400 level approved courses since graduation.
- Submit GRE test scores (not over 5 years old). Note: Applicants who score lower than 3.5 on the GRE Analytical Writing component may qualify for admission by passing the departmentally administered writing proficiency exam.
- Submit three letters of recommendation. The form can be found at this link.
- Complete a supplemental data form. The form can be found at this link.
FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The costs of earning the MPA degree vary according to the number of hours taken per semester, course delivery mode, and residency status. In-state status is granted to residents of a number of communities in northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama. The UTC Bursar's Office maintains current fee lists at http://www.utc.edu/Administration/Bursar/fees.php. Note that online courses are charged according to the New College fee schedule.
A limited number of asistantships and other financial assistance are available. For details, please visit the Graduate School website at http://www.utc.edu/Administration/GraduateSchool/assistantship.php.
APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply, please visit the Graduate School website.
PROGRAM COMPLETION REQUIREMENTS
To complete the MPA program, all students must
- Earn a minimum of 36 semester hours including 24 hours of core courses and
- 12 hours of elective coursework.
In addition, pre-service students (those who have no prior significant experience in public or nonprofit agencies) are required to complete a six hour internship experience.The internship is designed in consultation with the Dr. Christopher Horne, MPA Internship Director. A listing of potential internship placement sites is available at Dr. Horne's internship website.
A recent analysis shows that about 60% of full-time MPA students finished the program in under two years and 85% completed the degree in about two and a half years. Part-time students usually take a little longer to finish the degree, with about 55% completing the program in three years or less. Overall, 75% of the students admitted into the MPA program over the past five years have completed the degree.
Students may choose their elective courses from those offered by the department or from a variety of courses offered by other graduate programs on campus. Elective courses are selected by the student in consultation with the MPA Coordinator to meet the student's academic and career objectives. Concentrations are available in Nonprofit Management and Local Government Management. The department also offers the online Certificate in Nonprofit Management Certificate. A downloadable brochure is located here.
Please see the graduate catalog for a more detailed description of the program and courses offered.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Please note: International Students applying for graduate studies need the Application to the Graduate School as well as forms on the International Studies site. Please follow this link for further information: International Studies . International students should download and complete the application form, following the mailing instructions on the International Studies website. Please do not apply online.
