Prospective MPA Students

On this page:

• Why the MPA degree?
• Why the UTC MPA degree?
• Where do our graduates work?
• Cost, financial assistance, and graduate assistantships
• Admission requirements and how to apply
• Application review process
• Head start options for current UTC undergraduate students
• Credit for UT IPS certificates
• Fact sheet

Why the MPA degree?

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree is the preferred degree if you are seeking a career in public service. The MPA degree prepares students to be effective leaders, managers, and analysts in a wide range of public and nonprofit agencies and is universally recognized by prospective public and nonprofit employers.

Why the UTC MPA degree?

The UTC MPA program offers several strengths:

• Our courses focus on equipping students with the knowledge and skills that they will need in their careers. This certainly includes learning important theories about different aspects of public administration because these theories are important tools for making sense of the complex tasks faced by public administrators. We are mindful, though, that we are not a “pre-Ph.D.” program. While students interested in pursuing doctorates are well prepared for that path, our primary purpose is preparing students for skillful public service.
• All of our faculty are qualified both academically and through diverse professional experience as public administration practitioners. None of our courses are taught by graduate students.
• The Chattanooga region is a great classroom. The area is known for innovations in local government management, a robust nonprofit sector, and creative collaboration among the region’s government, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors. (And Chattanooga is a great place to live, too!)  Recent internship sites include: City of Chattanooga, City of East Ridge, City of Collegedale, Lookout Mountain Conservancy, Southeast Tennessee Development District, Tennessee Valley Authority, Hunter Museum of American Art, Municipal Technical Assistance Service, Kidney Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, and Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
• Our MPA students have the opportunity to prepare and test for the Certified Municipal Finance Officer exam, which opens up many opportunities for students interested in local government management.
• We offer a predictable schedule that meets the needs of students who work traditional 8-5 jobs and enables all of our students to chart a clear path to program completion, whether in two years for our full-time students or longer for our part-time students. Of the 17 students who enrolled Fall 2017 – Summer 2018, 9 (52%) graduated within 2 years, and 12 (71%) graduated within 3 years.
• Our classes are quite small, generally ranging from 8 to 15 students, and we have a total of about 35 students in the program, giving students access to their professors and cultivating a rich, interactive, supportive learning community.
• The UTC MPA program is the only NASPAA-accredited program in east Tennessee, providing assurance that the program has met rigorous, globally recognized standards for quality.

Where do our graduates work?

The post-graduate experiences of our alumni demonstrate the wide applicability of the MPA degree. Graduates of UTC’s Master of Public Administration program build careers in community-based nonprofit agencies, city and county management, state and federal agencies, health care and insurance providers, regional planning agencies, higher education administration, and professional associations. Some go on to doctoral studies and careers in academia. Some have built careers in the private sector in roles related to diversity and inclusion, legal compliance, and government relations. Learn more about our graduates’ diverse public service careers in our alumni spotlights.

The table below summarizes the employment outcomes of our graduates from the academic year Fall 2019 - Summer 2020 through the academic year Fall 2021 - Summer 2022.

Cost, financial assistance, and graduate assistantships

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 some northwest Georgia and northeast Alabama counties. The UTC Bursar's Office maintains the current fee schedule.

Financial aid may be available to qualified students. The UTC Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships provides financial aid information specifically for graduate students.

A limited number of scholarships are awarded by the graduate school.

State employees are eligible for fee waiver and discount programs.

Graduate assistantships are awarded to qualified students on a competitive basis. Graduate assistants receive a stipend and a half tuition waiver and work 10 hours per week assisting faculty with research and other tasks. To apply, email a cover letter (as the text of the email is fine) and resume to [email protected] in addition to completing the MPA program application. Applications may be submitted at any time, but apply by April 1 for priority consideration for the following academic year. Various administrative units across campus also offer additional assistantships, which are generally listed on the Graduate School's website; the MPA program director may be aware of additional opportunities.

Admission requirements and how to apply

Applicants to the MPA program must:

• Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university;
• Meet one of the Graduate School's GPA requirements: (1) minimum grade point average of 2.7 (based on a 4.0 scale) for all undergraduate work taken prior to receiving the baccalaureate degree, or (2) 3.0 in the final 60 undergraduate credits, or (3) 3.0 in 30 postbaccalaureate undergraduate credits, or (4) 2.7 for the final 60 undergraduate credits and 3.0 for fewer than 24 graduate credits, or (5) 3.0 for 24 or more graduate credits, or (6) 3.0 for an earned graduate degree;
• Submit a statement of purpose;
• Have three references (preferably at least one academic and at least one professional) complete an online recommendation form; and
• Submit GRE test scores (not over 5 years old). The GRE requirement is waived for applicants with an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.25 and applicants who have already earned a graduate degree from a regionally accredited university.

The application process is conducted online at www.utc.edu/apply.

Applicants should apply for fall or spring admission; summer admission should be applied for only after consulting with the MPA Program Director. To assure timely consideration, applicants are encouraged to submit all application materials by July 15 for fall semester admission and by November 1 for spring semester admission.

The application process is supported by our program’s liaison in the Graduate School, Jessica Dickerson. Please feel free to contact Ms. Dickerson at [email protected] with any questions about the admissions process.

Application review process

Applications are first reviewed by the UTC Graduate School. Once approved for admission to the Graduate School, applications are forwarded to the MPA Program Coordinator for review. Applications are reviewed based on the applicant’s statement of purpose, recommendation forms, undergraduate GPA, GRE scores, and relevant professional experience.

Every successful applicant will have a statement of purpose that demonstrates a good fit with the UTC MPA program’s mission and curriculum and supportive recommendation forms completed by professional and academic references.

Having met these requirements, the following applicant profiles usually receive a favorable decision:

• Undergraduate GPA > 3.25, OR
• Undergraduate GPA > 3.0 (or > 3.33 in final 60 credits) + GRE Analytical Writing > 3.5 + GRE Verbal and Quantitative > 40th percentile, OR
• Previous completion of another graduate program at a regionally accredited college or university

Applicants not meeting the above GPA and GRE standards may still be considered for eventual admission to the MPA program by first applying to the Graduate School as a non-degree-seeking student and successfully completing two MPA courses. After completing a minimum of 6 credits of MPA courses with a grade of A or B, students may apply for admission to the MPA program and, if accepted, apply those credits toward the MPA degree. This route gives both the faculty and the student the opportunity to make sure the student is a good fit with the program. Applicants who do not meet the above criteria but do meet the following minimum standards are encouraged to apply first as non-degree-seeking students:

• Undergraduate GPA > 3.0 (or > 3.33 in final 60 credits) + GRE Analytical Writing > 3.5 + GRE Verbal and Quantitative > 20th percentile, OR
• Undergraduate GPA > 2.7 + GRE Analytical Writing > 3.5 + GRE Verbal and Quantitative > 40th percentile, OR
• Undergraduate GPA > 2.7 + GRE Analytical Writing > 3.5 + GRE Verbal and Quantitative > 20th percentile + > 2 years of public service management or analytic professional experience

Applicants who meet all admissions requirements except the minimum 3.5 on the GRE Analytical Writing exam will be given the option to take an alternative writing exam during the application process.   

The MPA faculty’s decision is communicated to the Graduate School, who then notifies the applicant of the final decision and provides information about advising and course registration to admitted students.

While not a condition for admission, applicants should be aware that an undergraduate statistics course is a prerequisite for a core MPA course typically taken during the first fall semester. Applicants without this prerequisite are encouraged to take an undergraduate statistics course before enrolling to ensure timely progress in the program.

Head start options for UTC undergraduate students

UTC undergraduate students within 30 hours of completion of their bachelor's degree and with an overall GPA of at least 3.25 are eligible to get a head start on the MPA program. These options give students the opportunity to complete up to 9 credits of graduate coursework while still undergraduates, potentially saving time and money in earning the MPA degree. PSPS undergraduate majors are eligible to apply to the PS/MPA JUMP (Joint Undergraduate to Masters Program) option. This program allows PSPS majors to count up to 9 credits toward both the undergraduate degree and the MPA. Non-PSPS majors may take up to 9 credits of MPA credit while enrolled as undergraduates, which would then count toward the MPA degree. For more information about either option, contact the MPA Program Coordinator at [email protected]. 

Credit for UT IPS certificates

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Master of Public Administration program partners with the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service to provide an avenue for students to apply the Certified Public Manager or Tennessee Certified Economic Developer credentials toward the MPA degree. 

Prospective and current UTC MPA students who have completed the CPM or TCED program may apply for 6 academic credits to count toward the generalist track’s 12-credit elective requirement. Read the full policy here. Request more information by emailing [email protected]. 
 

Fact sheet

The UTC MPA fact sheet is updated annually and has details about the program's enrollment, learning outcomes, alumni employment, and more, all in one place.