Explore the MPA and DPA program descriptions and requirements to get a feel for the coursework. Recipients of these degrees will be ready to face the world and make an impact!

MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DEGREE

 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Online Graduate Application
  • Application Fee (credit or debit card and e-checks accepted)
  • Apply Online

Official transcript from your bachelor’s degree-granting school and from any graduate coursework

(Transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at VSU will be obtained by the Graduate School)
  • Must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally- accredited institution.
  • Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
  • Evaluation of International Transcripts - Applicants who have completed coursework at an institution outside of the United States must submit a course-by-course evaluation of the coursework.  This transcript evaluation must be completed by an international education credentials evaluation service. We consider evaluations from any services on the NACES Membership list.

MPA Personal/Goal Statement

 A one to two-page written statement by the applicant stating why they are interested in enrolling in the Master of Public Administration program, what goals they have for advancing their intellectual abilities in the program, and how study in the program will advance their professional goals.
Resume
  • A comprehensive resume or curriculum vitae.

Three Recommendations

(General Recommendation Form Required)
  • Recommendation letters from professionals familiar with your professional and/or academic work. 

  • The form must be completed and signed by the student/applicant.
  • This form must be received prior to enrollment, NOT prior to admission.
  • Applicants who are currently enrolled, and those who attended VSU in the past, are not required to resubmit the Medical Form

Unless otherwise indicated above, all required documents must be received on or before the admission deadline for your file to be reviewed. It is the applicant's responsibility to allow adequate time for document delivery and to ensure receipt of documents. Please allow at least 7-10 days for delivery by mail.

Learn More on the Graduate School's admission page.

Total Credit Hours: 36   Degree Format: Online

The Master of Public Administration Degree is designed to prepare students for productive and rewarding careers in public service. The format of the program accommodates students currently employed in the public sector as well as students seeking entry-level positions. The MPA Program is designed to complement any undergraduate degree. 

Students pursuing the MPA degree online must complete 36 hours of coursework. The program includes 24 hours of required core courses and 12 hours in a concentration area. Students who take a full course load each semester can finish the program in as few as four semesters.

The MPA is offered in three concentrations: Public Sector Management, Public Sector Human Resource Management, and Public Policy. Students may take concentration courses from different areas as approved by the PA Coordinator.

The 24-hour core includes PADM 7300: Foundations Seminar in Public Administration which must be taken in the first semester. Your final semester will require you to take PADM 7210: Internship in Public Administration and PADM 7900: Capstone Seminar in Public Administration. These courses serve as the exit requirement for the MPA program.

Learn about the program's Mission and Goals by clicking here.

MPA Core (Required) Courses

Dept. / #

Course Name

Hours

PADM 7000

Human Resource Management

3

PADM 7060

Quantitative Methods for PA

3

PADM 7410

Performance Analysis

3

PADM 7110

Information Management

3

PADM 7140

Governmental Budgeting & Finance

3

PADM 7170

Organizational Theory & Behavior

3

PADM 7300 *

Foundation Seminar in PA

3

PADM 7900**

Capstone Seminar in PA

3

 

 

 

Core Total

  

24 Hours

* Must be taken in first semester.

** Must be taken during final semester

Concentration Area (all courses for a concentration must be approved by advisor)

12 Hours

MPA Program Total

36 Hours

DOCTOR OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION DEGREE

 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Online Graduate Application
  • Application Fee (credit or debit card and e-checks accepted)

Official transcript from your master's degree-granting school and from any graduate coursework

(Transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at VSU will be obtained by the Graduate School)
  • Must hold a minimum of a master’s degree from a regionally-accredited institution.
  • Minimum graduate GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.
  • Evaluation of International Transcripts - Applicants who have completed coursework at an institution outside of the United States must submit a course-by-course evaluation of the coursework.  This transcript evaluation must be completed by an international education credentials evaluation service.  We consider evaluations from any services on the NACES Membership list.

Personal Statement/Goal Statement

 A two-page written statement by the applicant stating why they are interested in enrolling in the Doctor of Public Administration program, what goals they have for advancing their intellectual abilities in the program, and how study in the program will advance their professional goals.

Three Recommendations

(General Recommendation Form Required)
  • For applicants who completed coursework in the last three years, two recommendations from former professors are encouraged. The third recommendation source should be from a supervisor with whom the applicant is/was employed for more than 6 months.
  • Applicants who have not enrolled in coursework in the last three years should seek professional recommendations.
  • Personal recommendation sources (friends, family) are discouraged.

Resume

 A comprehensive resume or curriculum vitae.

  • The form must be completed and signed by the student/applicant.
  • This form must be received prior to enrollment, NOT prior to admission.
  • Applicants who are currently enrolled, and those who attended VSU in the past, are not required to resubmit the Medical Form

Verification of Lawful Presence

(Effective Fall 2011 for applicants who believe they qualify for in-state tuition or a residency waiver.)
  • This is not required for individuals who do not qualify for in-state tuition or a residency waiver.
  • This must be received prior to enrollment (if applicable), NOT prior to admission.
  • Citizenship documentation is needed for any applicant who wishes to be considered for in-state tuition.
  • Complete list of accepted documents and information on residency.

Unless otherwise indicated above, all required documents must be received on or before the admission deadline for your file to be reviewed. It is the applicant's responsibility to allow adequate time for document delivery and to ensure receipt of documents. Please allow at least 7-10 days for delivery by mail.

Learn More on the Graduate School's admission page.

Total Credit Hours: 54   Degree Format: Online

The Doctor of Public Administration Degree is a practitioner-oriented degree that helps students to develop the essential leadership, management, communication, and problem solving abilities necessary to succeed in today’s professional environment.  The courses in the program are designed to suit the information and skill needs of professionals currently in the field. The DPA degree is designed to provide students with the analytical and research skills that may be used in a variety of professional careers.  While the public and the not-for-profit sectors have traditionally offered the greatest employment opportunities for DPA graduates, the degree is also highly marketable in the private sector given its analytical and research-oriented focus.

Students pursuing the DPA degree online at Valdosta State University must complete 54 hours of course work to include 15 hours of required core courses, 9 hours of methods, 15 hours in a concentration area approved by the DPA Coordinator, and 6 hours of guided electives approved by the DPA Coordinator. The 15 hour core includes PADM 9030: Logic of Inquiry which must be taken in the first semester. Your final semester of coursework will require you to take PADM 9990: Capstone Seminar and PADM 9999: Final Project. These courses serve as the exit requirement for the DPA program. 

The majority of the DPA program is designed around the use of web technology, residency orientations on VSU main campus each fall and spring semester, seminars and meetings, and intensive individual study of a research topic and writing of a capstone project which is supervised by DPA faculty members.  

 

DPA Core (Required) Courses

Dept. / #

Course Name

Hours

PADM 9000

Administration and Government

3

PADM 9010

Financial Management for Public & Non-Government Orgs.

3

PADM 9020

Managing HR in Public & Non-Government Orgs.

3

PADM 9060

Information & Data Management

3

PADM 9070

Culture of Formal Work Organizations

3

Core Total

  

15

DPA Methods (Required) Courses

Dept. / #

Course Name

Hours

PADM 9030

Logic of Inquiry in Public Administration

3

PADM 9040

Research Methods in Public Administration

3

PADM 9050

Program Evaluation

3

Methods Total

  

9

Concentration Area - Must identify upon completion of 18 hours of coursework

15

(all courses for a concentration area must be approved by a DPA Coordinator)

  

Guided Electives

6

(all courses for guided electives must be approved by advisor)

  

Capstone Seminar & Project (required)

Dept. / #

Course Name

Hours

PADM 9990**

Capstone Seminar

3

PADM 9999**

Final Project / Organization Analysis

3

PADM 9999**

Final Project / Organization Analysis

1-3

Core Total

  

9

** Co-requisite courses, must be taken during final semester

DPA Program Total

54

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Online Graduate Application
  • Application Fee  (credit or debit card and e-checks accepted)
  • Apply Online

Proof of Bachelor's Degree

(Transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at VSU will be obtained by the Graduate School
  • Must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally- accredited institution before applying to the program
  • Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 Scale. GPA will be calculated on all attempted undergraduate coursework in which a letter grade was awarded
  • Evaluation of International Transcripts - Applicants who have completed coursework at an institution outside of the United States must submit a course-by-course evaluation of the coursework.  This transcript evaluation must be completed by an international education credentials evaluation service such as Josef Silny, ECE, etc.

VSU Medical Form
  • The form must be completed and signed by the student/applicant.
  • This form must be received prior to enrollment, NOT prior to admission.
  • Applicants who are currently enrolled, and those who attended VSU in the past, are not required to resubmit the Medical Form

Unless otherwise indicated above, all required documents must be received on or before the admission deadline for your file to be reviewed. It is the applicant's responsibility to allow adequate time for document delivery and to en-sure receipt of documents. Please allow at least 7-10 days for delivery by mail.

Learn More on the Graduate School's admissions page.

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Total Credit Hours: 12   Degree Format: Online

Non-Profit Management certificates provide preparation for persons working in the non-profit sector and those who desire to expand their knowledge about non-profit work. Two required courses lay the foundation for the certificate, and two electives from available course offerings allow the student to focus on specific areas of need or interest.

Dept. / #

Core Courses (Required)

Hours

PADM 7040

Non-Profit Management

3

PADM 7240

Public Administration & Community-Based Organizations

3

Core Total

6

 

Dept. / #

Elective Courses (Choose two)

Hours

PADM 7400

Ethics & Public Administration

3

PADM 7860

Grant Writing & Management 

3

PADM 7410

Performance Analysis for Government & Non-Governmental Organizations

3
PADM 7670 Quality Management in Public Admin 3
PADM 7270 Innovation & Creative Problem Solving in the Public Sector 3
PADM 7170 Organizational Theory & Behavior 3
PADM 7120 Accounting for the Public Sector 3
PADM 7020 Public Sector Planning 3

Required Elective Total

  

6
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Total Credit Hours: 12   Degree Format: Online

For persons working in the public sector or those who have a desire to work in the public sector, the Public Management concentration provides a good overview to the field. Two required courses provide theoretical and practical underpinnings for public management, and participants may choose two other courses from available course offerings as electives to tailor the program to their own interests or need for additional education.

Dept. / #

Core Courses (Required)

Hours

PADM 7140

Governmental Budgeting & Finance

3

PADM 7350

Intergovernmental Management

3

Core Total

  

6

 

Dept. / #

Elective Courses (Choose Two)

Hours

PADM 7020

Public Sector Planning

3

PADM 7260

Democracy & Public Administration

3

PADM 7410

Performance Analysis for Government & Non-Profit Organizations

3

PADM 7120

Accounting for the Public Sector

3
PADM 7110 Information Management 3
PADM 7400 Ethics & Public Administration 3
PADM 7250 Managing Small Cities & Counties 3
PADM 7860 Grant Writing & Management 3
PADM 7270 Innovation & Creative Problem Solving in the Public Sector 3
PADM 7380 Politics of Managing Urban Areas 3
PADM 7670 Quality Management in Public Admin 3
Required Elective Total 6
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Total Credit Hours: 12   Degree Format: Traditional

Certificates in Public Sector Human Resource Management are available to those who want to expand their theortical and practical knowledge of managing human resources in the public sector. Certificate programs can enhance knowledge for current managers who are in need of greater expertise in this area, as well as a good foundation for those who want a career focus in human resource management. Two required courses lay the foundation for the certificate, and two electives from available course offerings allow the student to focus on specific areas of need or interest for additional education.

Dept. / #

Core Courses (Required)

Hours

PADM 7000

Human Resource Management

3

PADM 7010

Public Sector Labor Relations

3

Core Total

  

6

 

Dept. / #

Elective Courses (Choose Two)

Hours

PADM 7170

Organizational Theory & Behavior

3

PADM 7180

Labor Law

3

PADM 7220

Managing Diversity in the Public Workforce

3

PADM 7410

Performance Analysis for Government & Non-Governmental Organizations

3
Required Elective Total 6

 

 
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