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MPA Curriculum

Master of Public Affairs

Hauptmann School for Public Affairs
911 Main, Suite 900
Kansas City, MO 64105
Tel. (816) 559-5616
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Students are required to take a series of core Public Affairs courses for the MPA program. In addition, from the four program areas, they will select one as a concentration area.

The concentration area consists of 15 credit hours of study. Students select three credit hours in the MPA program that comprise the cross-sector courses portion of their degree plan. The cross-sector hours may be taken from any area of concentration in the MPA program (aside from the student's elected area of concentration) and from any graduate program of study at Park University.

MPA Curriculum (2009-2010 Catalog)			Hours
Core Courses			18
PA	501*	Public Affairs Concepts and Theory	3
PA	502*	Public Affairs Methodology	3
PA	508	Research and Analysis	3
PA	509	Leadership Development and Organizations	3
PA	600	Ethical Foundations of Authority and Responsibility	3
PA	602*	Seminar in Public Affairs	3
Concentration Courses			15
Cross-Sector Courses			3
Total			36

* Course is offered in the 16-week format only

Concentration Area Courses

MPA students select one of six program concentration areas as their area of concentration, which consists of 15 credit hours of study:

Cross-Sector Courses

Cross-sector courses include courses taken outside of the MPA core courses (18 hours). The cross-sector hours may be taken from any area of concentration in the MPA program (aside from the student's selected area of concentration), or from any graduate program of study at Park University. Students may select courses that complement their degree program and their career aspirations. Students who elect to also earn an additional professional credential of a graduate certificate may also apply appropriate cross-sector hours to a certificate.

Comprehensive Examinations

During the enrollment in PA 602, or as soon afterwards as possible, each student will have to pass both a written and an oral comprehensive examination.

MPA Student Competencies and Responsibilities

Graduates of the MPA degree program are expected to have developed these Hauptmann School competencies during the course of their studies.

Students are not only encouraged to familiarize themselves with the academic policies and procedures contained in the Graduate Catalog under which they are admitted, it is their responsibility. The Graduate Catalog is available here.

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