Public Administration Major, MPA

Concentrations and Options Available

• Economic and Community Development Concentration - Coursework only without Comprehensive Exam Option
• Emergency Management Concentration - Coursework only without Comprehensive Exam Option
• Non-Profit Management Concentration - Coursework only without Comprehensive Exam Option
• Policy Analytics Concentration - Coursework only without Comprehensive Exam Option

Campus Code

• Knoxville Campus
• Distance Education

Admissions Standards/Procedures

• Applicants for admission to the program must have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.
• An overall average GPA of 3.00 for undergraduate courses is desirable.
• Students must submit a personal statement and a resume or curriculum vitae.
• Distance Education students must also provide evidence of at least two years of professional experience.

Submit the online application to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

The program seeks to admit a diverse group of students with strong ability and career potential who are committed to public service. Applicants who do not have a degree from an accredited U.S. institution must supply a GRE score. A composite score of 302 on the verbal and quantitative parts of the GRE is desired but not required.

Academic Standards

Grade Point Average: To qualify for graduation, students must have at least a 3.00 grade point average in all courses attempted for graduate credit. Students who do not maintain a 3.00 grade point average are subject to denial of enrollment privileges. Student files are evaluated each semester to determine eligibility for continued enrollment.

Credit Hours Required

36 graduate credit hours.

Required Courses

Students must take all seven of the following courses (21 credit hours):

• HBS 501 - Perspectives on the Policy Process
• HBS 504 - Public Administration
• HBS 511 - Working with Data
• HBS 531 - Public Management
• HBS 532 - Public Financial Administration
• HBS 533 - HR Management in Public Organizations
• IAC 501 - Ethical Leadership in Public Affairs

Additional Course Requirements

A 9 credit (3 courses) concentration is required to complete the MPA degree. *Indicates that other courses for the concentration may be accepted upon approval by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Knoxville Campus Additional Requirements:

• Internship. A 3 credit hour internship (HBS 591) is required for all students who lack significant administrative experience. Students who have had such experience in the past or who are currently employed in administrative positions may have the requirement waved, as long as they have more than one year of continuous professional, managerial experience. Students wishing to waive the internship must take an additional elective to obtain the 36 required credit hours.
• Capstone. A 3 credit hour capstone course (HBS 596) is required. All non-distance education MPA candidates are required to take this course, preferably during the last semester in the program. The Capstone serves in lieu of a comprehensive exam for the MPA degree.

Distance Education Additional Requirements:

• Executive Practicum. A 6 credit hour executive practicum (HBS 595) is required for all students admitted into the online executive degree program. For the practicum, students must design and implement a project for their current employer or identified organization. The Executive Practicum serves in lieu of a comprehensive exam or internship/capstone for the distance education MPA degree for executive students.

Five-Year BS/MPA Program - Public Administration Major, MPA

The MPA accelerated program is designed for UTK undergraduates who wish to earn both the bachelor’s degree and the MPA degrees within approximately 5 years. A qualified student may take up to 9 credit hours of approved graduate courses for their senior undergraduate electives and have them count toward both the bachelor’s degree and the MPA degree. Students are typically considered for conditional admission to the program, during, or immediately after, their third year of undergraduate study at UTK.

To be considered for conditional admission to the MPA program: A student must have a minimum GPA of 3.4 and must have completed at least 90 credit hours of undergraduate coursework for the bachelor’s degree. Any graduate course that is to be counted towards both the bachelor’s degree and the MPA degree must be approved by the Baker School’s Director of Graduate Studies and by the Graduate School. The form “Baker School Admission for MPA Accelerated Program” is available from the Baker School’s Undergraduate and Graduate Advisors and on the School’s website. The form must be completed, signed by the student, the student’s undergraduate advisor, and the Baker School’s Director of Graduate Studies before submitting to the Graduate School for approval and processing. Conditional admission of a student into the MPA accelerated program must be obtained before taking a graduate course that is to be used to satisfy the requirements of both the bachelor’s degree and the MPA degree. Students will be informed of the outcome of their application for conditional admission prior to the beginning of their fourth year of undergraduate study. 

Students who are conditionally admitted to the MPA accelerated program may, during the fourth year of undergraduate study, complete up to 9 credit hours of graduate credit that count towards the bachelor’s degree and towards the MPA requirements, provided that these graduate credit hours were approved both by the Department Head (or designee) and by the Graduate School prior to satisfying all requirements for the bachelor’s degree. Conditional admission into the MPA accelerated program does not guarantee acceptance into either the Graduate School or the MPA program. 

Students who have been conditionally admitted to the MPA accelerated program must apply for admission to the Graduate School and to the MPA program during their fourth year of undergraduate study, following the standard application procedure. Students will be fully admitted to the MPA accelerated program after they have been accepted both by the Graduate School and by the MPA program. Once fully admitted to the MPA program, accelerated students are required to complete the standard curriculum for the MPA program.