Master of Public Administration (MPA)

The Hamline University Master of Public Administration (MPA) gives working professionals the practical knowledge, tools, and skills they need to manage effectively and to meet the complex fiscal and economic challenges of the government and public service sectors.

The MPA is available at the Hamline University Saint Paul campus and West Metro location. The flexible model is offered in St. Paul and the online hybrid model is offered in Minneapolis.

All students in the MPA program are required to complete 48 academic credits. This includes eight required core courses, three elective courses, and the Capstone.

NOTE: Requirements for the online hybrid MPA programs are slightly different. Students are required to take 12 set courses.

The MPA program begins with a leadership course and then a foundations course, which provides students with a sound foundation in the history, theory, and management standards of the government and nonprofit sectors. Other courses (required and elective) provide working professionals with a base of knowledge in a variety of subjects, each necessary to build effective management skills. Ethics is incorporated across the curriculum. Students completing the MPA program should expect to meet the following learning objectives:

Students will demonstrate effective critical reasoning and analytic skills.
Students will demonstrate effective written and oral communication strategies.
Students will demonstrate successful leadership strategies.
Students will apply public administration concepts to analysis of problems/issues

MPA Degree Requirements (48 credits and 2.8 GPA)

Core Courses (36 credits):

Elective courses (12 credits):

Three elective courses must be chosen from among the School of Business master’s level courses. Optionally, students may fulfill the elective requirement by completing a concentration. Concentration options and requirements are listed below.

School of Business Concentrations

There are four concentrations available to students in the MBA, MPA and MNM programs. Students earn concentrations by completing 12 credits of elective coursework within the same subject area. Each allows a student to focus more deeply on one area of interest. Concentrations include business analytics, leadership and change management, nonprofit management, and a customized concentration.

Business Analytics Concentration

Choose any three courses from the MSBA program. Note: some courses have prerequisites which may impact options students can select.

Leadership and Change Management

Choose any three of the following courses.

MBA 8010 - Negotiation
MBA 8011 - Leading Through Change
MBA 8012 - Perspectives on Conflict and Change
MBA 8060 - Project Management
MBA 8098 - Special Topics, when the topic is leadership-focused
MNM 8110 - Governance and Planning in Nonprofit Organizations

Nonprofit Management (for MBA and MPA students only)

Choose any three of the following courses.

MNM 8030 - Financial Management of Nonprofit Organizations
MNM 8035 - Fundraising for Nonprofits
MNM 8110 - Governance and Planning in Nonprofit Organizations
MNM 8098 - Special Topics

Customized Concentration

This option is for students who are motivated to study a topic relevant to their degree program in-depth. Customized concentrations require 12 credits of graduate elective coursework and may be comprised of graduate courses at Hamline University and approved transfer courses. Customized Concentration applications must be approved by the Graduate Curriculum and Assessment Committee.

Sample concentration options might include Marketing, Finance, Business Communications, and so forth. Students who want to pursue this option should contact the Graduate Programs Director for an application form.

Course Substitution or Waiver

Student requests for substitution of a required course or courses shall be forwarded to the Program Director whose decision on the request shall be final. No more than two required courses may be substituted.

If the basis for the substitution request is having already successfully completed coursework in a different program at Hamline University or another institution, the student must provide the syllabus or syllabi from the course(s) taken and an official transcript showing successful completion, unless that transcript is already a part of the student’s application file. Under no condition may the course(s) used as the basis of the substitution have been completed more than seven years prior to admission to the MPA.

Waiver of a required course for reasons of extensive professional experience and expertise, documented to have occurred within the last seven years, is at the sole discretion of the Program Director. No more than two required courses may be waived.

In all instances of substitution or waiver of required courses, the student is required to register and successfully complete another course or courses whose total credits equal the number of credits represented by the substituted or waived required course(s).

Time Limit

Generally, students take two to three years to complete the MPA program; however, seven years is the allowed maximum.