Public Administration

Opportunities for graduate studies

The mission of the graduate public administration program is to prepare you for a leadership role in a public and/or nonprofit organization or for a career in academia. Our graduate degree programs in public administration, granted by the Department of Public Administration at the University of North Texas, offer several unique advantages such as:

• the state’s best public administration (city management/urban policy) master’s program, according the U.S. News & World Report (It ranks 9th nationally.)
• flexible class schedules that allow you to combine course work with full or part-time employment
• flexible class schedules that allow you to combine course work with full or part-time employment
• innovative curriculum that focuses on timely and critical topics such as city and county management, economic development and growth management, and emergency and disaster planning, among others
• faculty members who have professional, relevant work experience and are involved in a number of professional associations
• many opportunities for meaningful, hands-on research

Our Master of Public Administration program is in its 49th year and has more than 1,000 alumni.We were one of the first in Texas to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (1029 Vermont Avenue,NW, Suite 1100,Washington, D.C. 20005, telephone 202-628-8965).

Approximately 56 percent of our graduates work for a city government, 17 percent work in other levels of government, 16 percent work in private or nonprofit organizations, and the remainder are in higher education and foreign governments.

Our doctoral program in Public Administration and Management prepares you for a scholarly career as a researcher and university-level teaching or a career as a policy analyst or senior-level manager. The curriculum emphasizes analytic tools and theoretical issues confronting the study and practice of public administration. It also has an emerging national reputation propelled by faculty members who are engaged in cutting-edge research.

We are an academically rigorous and rewarding university with a high-quality faculty and a modest price tag.

Admission requirements

M.P.A. program

You must meet the admission requirements of the Toulouse Graduate School as well as those of our program, which include:

• a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university, with at least 15 semester hours in fields related to public administration
• a minimum 3.0 GPA on the last 60 hours of college work
• satisfactory scores on all three parts of the GRE

Admission is determined using multiple criteria, including your academic performance and potential, as well as other materials that we may request. You may have to submit letters of recommendation attesting to intellectual and leadership abilities, a written essay describing career objectives and explaining how an M.P.A. degree will help you meet those objectives, and/or a current resume showing all work experience if you do not meet the noted requirements.

Ph.D. program

You must be admitted to the Toulouse Graduate School as well as fulfill the following program requirements:

• demonstrate competency in core public administration course work
• earn satisfactory scores on all three parts of the GRE
• complete the departmental application at www.padm.unt.edu

More information about graduate school admission requirements is available at tsgs.unt.edu/admissions or catalog.unt.edu.

Degree requirements

M.P.A. degree

The program provides a core foundation of knowledge and an opportunity to specialize in a particular field. The requirements include:

• 24 semester hours of required course work in public administration
• 12 to 15 hours of electives or in an area of specialization (see below)
• 3-hour internship (for pre-career students, see below)
• final written comprehensive examination

Course descriptions and more information about degree requirements are at catalog.unt.edu.

Areas of specialization

A custom specialization may be designed to fit your career objectives from courses offered at UNT, subject to departmental approval. The areas are:

• Emergency management
• Financial management
• Human resources management
• Local government management
• Nonprofit management

Internships for pre-career students

If you do not have government work experience, a paid internship provides you the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge and develop professional skills that are essential for a successful career. You can receive 3 credit hours after completing an internship. Our internship coordinator will help you find an internship; you are responsible for developing the qualifications and interpersonal skills necessary for employment.

Ph.D. degree

The doctoral degree requires a minimum of 60 hours beyond an M.P.A and is designed to be completed in four years. You must complete the following requirements:

• Core requirements in public administration and management (12 credit hours)
• Research methods (12 credit hours and departmental exam)
• Minor field (15 credit hours)
• Non-dissertation research (9 hours)
• Non-dissertation research (6 hours)
• Dissertation hours (12 hours minimum)

You can find additional information at www.padm.unt.edu or in the Ph.D. Degree Program Handbook available from the Ph.D. program coordinator.

Financial assistance

Several financial assistance options are available to you, and we recommend investigating them when you apply to the program. Students who are not Texas residents and receive at least $1,000 a year in scholarship funds may also be eligible for in-state tuition rates. Scholarships and additional resources

Scholarships and additional resources

• HattonW. Summers Fellowships ($20,000 each; five available)
• Alumni scholarships (up to $2,000 each)
• The E. Ray Griffin Alumni scholarship (for tuition and fees)
• Competitive awards from the Texas City Management Association
• Competitive awards from the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas

You may request information about financial support from outside sources by contacting the department.