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Graduate Catalog

Master of Public and Nonprofit Administration (MPNA)

[Program Overview] [Program Outcomes] [Curriculum] [Admission Requirements] [Transfer Credits] [Application Deadlines] [Academic Standing] [Time to Completion] [Accreditation] [Faculty] [Contact Information]

Program Overview

The Master of Public and Nonprofit Administration (MPNA) is designed to prepare leaders of government and nonprofit agencies who are committed to the public good and skilled in managing human and financial resources to serve the public interest and build and improve our communities.

The MPNA program is available in three formats: regular classroom-based courses, Web-enhanced courses in which students meet every other week in the classroom and do online work in between classes, and in a totally online format. You can choose the format you prefer, depending on your individual preferences or circumstances, including a mix of all three formats.

There are four sets of courses required to complete the MPNA degree.

  • Five core courses in the MPNA program provide a solid grounding in the essential theories, processes and skills needed by managers in today's rapidly-changing environment. These courses total 18 credits and are required for all students in the program.
  • Three track courses provide focused study in either public administration or nonprofit management, for a total of 12 credits.
  • Six elective credits allow students to pursue their particular interests. Students may take advantage of 2-credit elective courses that are offered regularly in the MPNA program or take track courses from outside their selected track; they can also select graduate level courses from any program in the College of Management.
  • The MPNA capstone course provides an opportunity for students to complete their degree program with a significant study or project that integrates learning from previous courses and life experience, creating a coherent picture of leadership and management in the public and nonprofit sectors at the community level. .

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the MPNA Program should be able to:

  • Conduct critical analysis of complex issues faced by public and nonprofit professionals
  • Develop and apply a set of ethical principles to guide professional and accountable performance.
  • Lead and manage organizations, programs and projects more effectively
  • Manage information and technology to support high quality decisions and evaluation
  • Work effectively across sector, jurisdictional, organizational and professional boundaries
  • Communicate effectively with a wide range of citizens, clients and consumers
  • Understand and apply best practices in financial management
  • Effectively and respectfully engage with a broad range of stakeholders in community environments

Curriculum

Prerequisites

Because this program does not require a GMAT, GRE or equivalent test, a special assessment process has been developed for evaluating your application. This process may generate requirements for admission that include preparatory work in a required discipline that may not count toward graduation. This preparatory work assures that high-quality instruction is maintained throughout the program. Students studying on an F-1 student visa and distance learners in the online MPNA program may submit GMAT scores in lieu of assessment. Assessments must be completed before an admission decision is made and before any graduate classes can be taken.

The MPNA offers a special assessment for students who have not completed the GMAT or GRE (one of these three is required to evaluate your application). The assessment is offered free of charge and can be taken on-site at the College of Management or - for distance learners - proctored at a remote location. The assessment may generate requirements for admission that include preparatory work in a writing or math. This preparatory work does not earn credits toward graduation but instead ensures that all students are capable of high-quality Masters-level instruction.

All MPNA students must complete the following:

Core Courses (18 credits)

Tracks (12 credits)

Choose one of the following tracks:

Public Administration Track

Nonprofit Track

It is possible to take courses in both tracks, as long as students take at least one course from each of the following pairs of courses: PADM 600 or NPM 600, PADM 650 or NPM 672 and PADM 672 or NPM 671. However, students should consult with their advisor before doing so.

Electives (6 credits)

  • Choose from any MPNA or College of Management graduate level course.

Capstone (4 credits)

Admission Requirements

Applicants should allow 7-10 business days for review once all required application materials are received and sent to the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee.

To be considered for admission you must submit:

Application - complete the Metropolitan State University Graduate Programs Application, including a $20 non refundable application fee (waived for baccalaureate graduates of Metropolitan State);

Official Transcripts - showing a baccalaureate degree or equivalent earned from an accredited institution with grade-point average or narrative description describing courses completed from all schools attended after high school and transcripts from any graduate or professional programs;

Test Scores - Applicants should submit recent assessment scores. If you already possess an earned PhD, DDS, MD, or JD degree from an accredited U.S. institution or are participants in a College of Management special program, the requirement may be waived.

Current resume - two years of professional work experience is recommended for the MPNA.

Goals Essay - a word-processed paper (double-spaced and approximately two pages) explaining "Why the Master's Degree Would Help Me Achieve My Professional Goals," with specific reference to the program. Describe significant achievements; planned career, and community or personal activities, including what you can contribute to the program;

Two References - (using the required reference form) from employers or others who can attest to the importance of the Master's degree in enhancing your professional development and commenting on your ability to pursue and successfully complete a graduate program. Faxed or electronic references are not accepted.

Materials submitted to the College of Management Graduate Program Office become the property of Metropolitan State University and are not returned.

Admission Requirements - International Student Applications

In addition to the above admission documents required of all College of Management graduate students, international students are required to submit the following documents:

  • Official TOEFL score if you received your undergraduate degree outside the United States. Permanent residents, political refugees, resident aliens and international students on a non student visa who received an undergraduate degree outside the U.S. must also submit official TOEFL scores. Official TOEFL scores must be sent directly to the College of Management Graduate Program Office at Metropolitan State University. Examinee copies are not accepted.
  • Official copy of a course-by-course transcript evaluation if your undergraduate degree was received outside the United States. The international course-by-course transcript evaluation conducted by an independent agency, such as Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Evaluation Services (WES), must be sent directly to the Graduate Program Office. Examinee copies are not accepted.
  • Financial support documents, verifying funds for two years of study.
  • Photocopy of the information page in your passport.

Additional documents required for F-1 international students currently in the United States on an I-20 from another college or university who wish to transfer to Metropolitan State include the following items:

  • Official transcripts from all U.S. colleges attended
  • Transfer verification form
  • Photocopy of current I-20, visa and entry stamp, I-94

Note: International students may apply for the classroom-based or web-enhanced degree program only.

Admission Decisions/Categories

The College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee evaluates your application for evidence of undergraduate scholarship, professional experience and demonstrated aptitude for successful graduate business study. If you meet all application requirements, you are given full admission to the program for which you applied. If your application otherwise supports the conclusion that you can successfully undertake graduate study, you may be granted conditional admission to a program. As a conditionally-admitted student, you must complete selected prerequisite courses prior to completing any graduate course work. Applicants denied admission may not take graduate level courses in the College of Management graduate programs.

Reapplication for Denied Applicants

If your application for admission to the program is denied, you may reapply for admission only after a minimum of six months has passed after the denial. You will need to demonstrate a substantive difference in the reapplication to be considered for admission.

If your application to the program is denied, you may apply for another College of Management graduate program. A new application form must be accompanied by a $20 application fee, a new goals essay, updated resume, two new references and test scores and/or assessment test scores appropriate to the degree for which you are applying.

English and Quantitative Competence Assessment

All College of Management students, except those in special international cohort programs, are expected to demonstrate English and quantitative competence at a level to ensure success in graduate studies. If your abilities are assessed to be inadequate for graduate study, you may be required to enroll in appropriate undergraduate courses until your skills have been brought to a satisfactory level. These undergraduate courses must be successfully completed prior to taking any graduate level courses.

Orientation

Once you are fully admitted to a College of Management graduate program you will be required to attend a graduate student orientation session before or during your first semester of course work. If you do not attend an orientation session, a hold will be placed on your records preventing you from registering for further graduate classes until you attend orientation.

Transfer Credits

Once fully admitted, you may transfer up to 16 credits into the program. A course is accepted in transfer only if it has been completed within the last five years from an accredited institution, no degree was granted, and a letter grade of B or better was earned in the course. Courses are accepted in transfer upon the approval of the Graduate Programs Director in consultation with discipline coordinators.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester, August 1
  • Spring Semester, December 1
  • Summer Term, April 1

International Student Applicants

  • Fall Semester, May 1
  • Spring Semester, September 1
  • Summer Term, No summer admissions

Application deadlines will not be waived. Applications for admission are not considered until all requirements are met and fees received. International student applications are not processed until official course-by-course transcript evaluations, TOEFL, or assessment scores are submitted. If you are unable to complete the assessments prior to admission, a or GRE score can be substituted. Admission is not granted, nor is an I-20 issued, without fulfilling all of the requirements for international student admission. Note: I-20s are not issued for certificate programs.

Academic Standing

You must maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain in a College of Management graduate or certificate program.

Only courses for which you receive a letter grade of C (2.0) or better count toward degree requirements; and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 is required for graduation.
If you receive a letter grade of C+ or below in any graduate course, you will be placed on academic probation. If you receive a letter grade of C+ or below in two courses, or if your cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for two consecutive semesters, you will be dismissed from the graduate program.

If you have been dismissed from the program for unsatisfactory academic progress, you may apply for readmission after one calendar year has passed. To reapply, submit an updated resume and a letter to the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee indicating what circumstances have changed and how you plan to successfully complete the program. The admissions committee reviews your request and responds in writing.

Only courses in which you receive a letter grade are applied toward your degree. The option of a competence/no competence with a narrative transcript is not available to College of Management graduate students. Only internships are graded using pass/fail criteria.

Appeal of Unsatisfactory Academic Progress Removals from the Program

If you are removed from the program for unsatisfactory academic progress, you may appeal the removal to the College of Management dean. The appeal must be in writing, and it must provide specific grounds for the appeal. The appeal is due to the dean within 30 days of the date of the letter notifying you of the decision to remove you from the program. The dean has 30 days to respond, in writing, to the appeal. Appeals received after 30 days will not be considered.

Time to Completion

You have five years from your first semester of graduate study to complete your degree program requirements. You may request an extension of the time limit by writing to the College of Management Graduate Programs Office. Such requests must be received prior to the expiration of the time limit. Requests for extensions should include your reason(s) for requesting the extension, a summary of your plan to finish graduation requirements, and a specific date for the extension to expire. Extension decisions are made by the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee and are not automatic.

Reactivating into the Program

If you are a student in good academic standing who has not registered for courses for three or more consecutive semesters, you must apply to reactivate into the degree program. To reactivate, submit an updated resume and a letter to the College of Management Graduate Admissions Committee expressing a desire to reactivate into the program. The Admissions Committee reviews your request and responds in writing, specifying degree completion requirements and deadline for completion. You may be required to satisfy degree requirements in force at the time of reactivation, even if those requirements differ from those in force at the time of original admission to the degree program.

College of Management Outstanding Student Award

During your final semester of coursework, you may be nominated by the faculty for the College of Management Outstanding Student Award. Nominees are evaluated on the basis of their academic performance in their graduate degree program as well as achievements in their community and professional contributions. All finalists are recognized in the commencement program, and the outstanding student receives special recognition during commencement.


Accreditation

Metropolitan State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Higher Learning Commission
30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400
Chicago, IL 60602-2504
(312) 263-0456
The MPNA program curriculum is consistent with the guidelines of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC).

Faculty

All faculty members are:

  • Holders of doctorates in their fields
  • Authors of applied and refereed publications
  • Professionally trained as advisors for applied research projects.
  • Experienced in their employment fields.

David Bahn, Allen Bellas, David Bouchard, Steven Creason, Timothy Delmont, James Fatzinger, Ken Hess, Roger Israel, Katryna Johnson, Nancy Nentl, Hameed Nezhad, David O'Hara, Narasimha Paravastu, Roger Prestwich, Jayant Saraph, Jennifer Schultz, Francis Schweigert, Michael Sher, Adrianne Slaymaker, Joel Wilson, Michael Wilson, Minh Vo, Carol Bormann Young, Kenneth Zapp.

Contact Information

Office Location
1300 Harmon Place
Minneapolis, MN 55403
 Mailing Address
1501 Hennepin Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone: 612-659-7290
Email: com.graduateprograms@metrostate.edu
Website: choose.metrostate.edu/comgradprograms