April 20, 2001 UNT Inhouse publication: UNT's public administration program ranked 12th in the nation

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UNT's public administration program ranked 12th in the nation

U.S. News and World Report has ranked UNT's master of public administration degree program 12th in the nation in the city management and urban policy specialty area.

UNT's M.P.A. program is included on U.S. News' web site (www.usnews.com), a companion to the magazine's annual guide to best graduate schools. The program tied with the New School for Social Research in New York for 12th place and ranked higher than any other program in this field at a Texas college or university. The only other Texas institution ranking in the top 25 in city management and urban policy was the University of Texas at Austin, which tied with the University of California at Los Angeles for 14th place.

UNT's ranking is based on a survey of public administration program directors and senior public administration faculty conducted every three years by U.S. News. The directors and faculty members ranked all 259 M.P.A. and master of public policy degree programs in the nation, rating each program's reputation for scholarship, curriculum and the quality of faculty and students on a five-point scale. They also selected the top programs in 10 specialty areas, including city management/urban policy.

"The ranking confirms what we have known for years — that we are seen by our peers as having a very fine city management program, that we have established a reputation for excellence and that our alumni have excelled," says Bob Bland, professor and chair of the Department of Public Administration. "In Texas, we are the premier M.P.A. program when it comes to local government."

The program, which began in 1961, has more alumni in Texas city executive positions than any other university in the state, Bland says.

Approximately 53 percent of the more than 600 graduates work in local government positions. Thirteen percent are employed in federal civil service, 6 percent in state government and the remainder in private business, foreign government or higher education.

UNT's M.P.A. program was one of the first in Texas to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. Students consistently receive recognition from professional organizations, Bland says.

"For example, the Texas City Management Association annually recognizes an outstanding graduate student with the Clarence Ridley Scholarship, which has been awarded to 20 UNT students — more than from any other university in the state," he says. "Similarly, the Government Finance Officers Association of Texas annually awards the Lynn Anderson fellowship to a graduate student in the state. Again, more students in our program have received this award than students from any other institution in Texas."

Ninety students were enrolled in the M.P.A. program last semester. Twenty-six students received their M.P.A. degrees in 2000.