Master in Public Policy
and Administration
The Department of Political Science and Public Administration offers the Master of Public Policy and Administration degree with a diverse faculty maintaining a broad research agenda. In addition, several faculty members possess governm
ental service experience. The degree program has a favorable faculty-to-student ratio which permits students to have close contact with faculty.
We enroll students from all regions of Mississippi as well as from many other states. The MPPA program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. It strives to professionalize and diversify state and
local government in Mississippi and the region. The MPPA program educates persons capable of functioning as public administrators in state agencies and in small and medium size local governments. In addition our graduates enter federal service, particu
larly through the prestigious Presidential Management Intern program.
Recent Master of Public Policy and Administration graduates have achieved:
- Presidential Management Internships with the Departments of the Army and the Navy; National Institutes of Health; and the Social Security Administration.
- Placement with Mississippi State agencies such as the Departments of Economic Development and Community Development, Health, Mental Health, and Rehabilitation Services, the Office of the Secretary of State, and the Performance Evalu
ation Expenditure Review Committee.
- Placement with state agencies in other states including the Florida Office of Policy Analysis and Accountability, the Kansas Budget Office, and the Medical College of South Carolina Division of Human Resources.
- Placement with local governments such as Dallas, TX; Germantown, TN; and Meridian, MS.
- Placement with applied research and governmental service units such as Mississippi's Center for Governmental Technology, the Mississippi Municipal Association, and the Stennis Institute of Government.
Jobs and Internships
For information about state government jobs, visit the recruiter site for the state personnel board by clicking here.
For information about federal internships and
job opportunities, click here. Web link addresses are provided, and to visit these sites you should enter their addresses manually into the internet l
ocation box at the top of your computer screen.
Admission Requirements
Competitive applicants for the Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) program must have completed the last two years of undergraduate work with a grade point average of 3.0: applicants with previous graduate work must have a
grade point average of 3.0 on such course work. Moreover, all applicants must submit three letters of recommendation. Applicants with lower grade point averages may be admitted provisionally. Those admitted on a Provisional basis must receive no grade lo
wer than B during the initial nine hours of graduate work.
Application Forms
You may obtain application forms over the Web by clicking here. Please complete the application and purpose statement and send to:
Office of Graduate Studies
Box G
Mississippi State, MS 39762-5507
You need to ask three persons to submit the references for you to the above address. Please give reference forms on the web to three persons who can recommend you as a student in our program. You need to have official transcripts of al
l your undergraduate and graduate work sent directly to Office of Graduate Studies as well.
Financial Assistance
Graduate Assistantships are available for full-time study only. Currently, a substantial number of graduate students are funded through the Department or other units on campus. All accepted students are considered for departmental assi
stantships. Currently, master level students receive a stipend of $6,600 for nine months. In addition, for graduate assistants, tuition Fall and Spring is waived.
Cost of Living
The cost of living in the Mississippi State/ Starkville area is low to moderate when compared with most of the United States. Living accommodations within a wide price range are available for single and married students. Moderately pri
ced apartments can be found within walking distance of campus. For more information about Starkville, Mississippi by clicking here.
The MPPA Curriculum includes:
Core Courses
PPA 8703- Government Organization and Administrative Theory
PPA 8713- Public Personnel Management
PPA 8723- Public Budgeting and Financial Management
PPA 8733- Public Program Evaluation
PPA 8743- Administrative Law
PPA 8803- Research Methods for Public Affairs
PPA 8833- Systems in Public Administration
PPA 8903- Public Policy
PPA 8993- Capstone Field Project
PPA 8403 - Public Administration Internship
This internship is required of all students with less than one year of public or non-profit sector professional work experience.
Elective Courses
Each student must complete a 12-hour elective concentration to augment knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired in required courses. Concentrations improve prospects for a rewarding career in a particular aspect of the public service.
Public Finance Concentration
The public finance concentration builds on the required public budgeting and financial management class and provides students with the knowledge, skills and competencies to function as a professional in public service budgeting and fin
ancial administration.
Complete 12 Hours from the Following Classes.
- ACC 6043--Municipal and Governmental Accounting
- EC 6313--Introduction to Regional Economics
- EC 6333--Applied Regional Economics
- EC 6423--Introduction to Public Finance
- EC 6433--Problems in State and Local Government
- EC 6643--Economic Forecasting and Analysis
Human Resources Management Concentration
The Human Resource Management concentration builds on the required public personal management class and provides students with the broad multidisciplinary skills and competencies needed to function as a professional in this area
of the public service.
Complete 12 Hours from the Following Classes.
- CO 6203--Nonverbal Communication
- CO 6273--Intercultural Communications
- EC 6213--Personnel Economics
- EC 6223--Labor Law and Employment Policy
- MGT 8111--Human Resource Issues (1 credit hour)
- MGT 8112--Leadership Skills for Managerial Behavior (2 credit hours)
- PPA 8143--Civil Rights and Affirmative Action
- PSY 6523--Industrial Psychology
Environmental Policy Concentration
The Environmental Policy Concentration builds on the required public policy class and provides students with broad interdisciplinary knowledge concerning the complexities needed by professionals work shape and enforced environmen
tal regulations.
Complete 12 Hours from the Following Classes.
- PS 6743--National Environmental Policy
- PS 6990--Global Environmental Politics
- PPA 8990--Local Government Planning
- BL 6273--Environmental Law
- FO 6413--Forest Resources Policy
- FP 6313--Environmental Principles
- SO 6173--Environment and Society
Open-Ended Elective Concentration
Students may complete an open-ended concentration composed of various classes from the above concentrations as well as other classes that improve the knowledge and skills needed to enhance a pubic service career. The MPPA Coordinator m
ust approve all classes taken as part of an open-ended concentration.
Writing Style
To obtain our department's Writing Style Guide for Graduate Programs, click here.
Research Facilities
Working closely with the Public Administration program are the Stennis Institute of Government, which is an applied research unit providing technology transfer and technical assistance to local governments, and the Social Science Resea
rch Center, which conducts policy research. Library and computer facilities at MSU provide excellent support for the graduate programs. The University library maintains a collection of over 1.1 million volumes and currently subscribes to nearly 7,500 peri
odicals. Various retrieval search services are available. Computer resources available for graduate students include the MSU mainframe and several microcomputer labs, including a newly renovated lab in the Department. The Department of Political Science a
lso operates a Novell Network.
Intensive Semester Format
The MPPA program is offered in a weekend format to enable a student to complete the degree in three years, while maintaining regular job responsibilities. The Intensive Semester format is ideal for working students. Classes run for thr
ee months, with each class meeting on campus two weekends. Classes begin on Thursday and run through noon on Saturday. Students are expected to prepare individual assignments before attending the intensive sessions. Four (4) courses are offered each year.
Students may begin the program at the start of any enrollment period. To
view the schedule and dates of upcoming Intensive Semester classes, click
here.
MPPA Newsletter
We have started a newsletter about our MPPA program. This first issue is the Summer 2004, which is available on-line.
For additional information, contact:
Dr. Doug Goodman, Graduate Coordinator
Department of Political Science and Public Administration
P.O. Box PC
Mississippi State, MS 39762-6003
(662) 325-2711 Office
(662) 325-2716 Fax
e-mail: Dr. Doug Goodman
