Admission Requirements

• Master of Public Administration
• Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Requirements

• Master of Public Administration
• Doctor of Philosophy

Mailing Address:
Department of Public Administration (MC 278)
412 South Peoria Street, Room 130
Chicago, IL 60607-7064

Campus Location: 130 CUPPAH
Program Codes: 20FS0339MPA (MPA); 20FS0339PHD (PhD)
Telephone: (312) 996-3109
E-mail:painfo@helpdesk.uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.uic.edu/cuppa/pa/
Head of the Department: James Thompson
MPA Director of Graduate Studies: George Beam
PhD Director of Graduate Studies:  Rebecca Hendrick

The graduate program in Public Administration is part of the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. The unit offers course work leading to the Master of Public Administration (MPA) and the Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration

The MPA is a professional program fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. Its broad goal is to train both preservice and working professionals for productive careers in the public service.

The doctoral program is designed to produce graduates with demonstrated analytic abilities, and the creativity and potential for making significant, original contributions to the profession, whether as scholars, practitioners, or both. The program builds on a core of ideas and issues, with strong emphasis on theory construction and empirical research in the areas of Public Management; Financial Management; Science, Technology, and Information Policy; and Survey Methods.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Public Administration

• Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study.
• Tests Required GRE or GMAT scores are required from applicants who are requesting program-administered financial assistance. GRE or GMAT scores are recommended but not required from applicants who are not requesting program-administered financial assistance.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
• TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 213 (computer-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
• IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required from instructors familiar with the applicant’s academic training or supervisors familiar with the applicant’s professional experiences.
• Personal Statement Required. Applicants must submit a brief statement of their professional goals and academic interests.
• Additional Materials Applicants must submit a resume and a 5–10 page writing sample.
• Nondegree Applicants Nondegree applicants must submit an official transcript from their baccalaureate institution, resume, writing sample, three letters of recommendation, and a letter stating which courses they would like to take and why they feel nondegree admission would be beneficial.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Prior Degrees Master’s degree required. Applicants must present evidence of having completed a graduate-level statistics course. Students with a deficiency in this area will be required to take additional course work as prescribed by the program director. Such course work will not apply to the degree requirements.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.50/4.00 for all undergraduate and postbaccalaureate course work.
• Tests Required GRE General. All applicants should have a combined score of at least 1100 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE. If an applicant fails to present a minimum GRE score of 1100 and a GPA of 3.50, the applicant may still be considered by the PhD Committee. The committee will review all evidence of high promise, including, but not limited to, trend of graduate grade, type of graduate program, and mature work experience.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
• TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 213 (computer-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
• IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic achievements or professional experience.
• Personal Statement Required. Applicants must submit a brief statement of their professional goals and academic interests.
• Other Requirements Applicants must submit a 3–5 page written essay, a resume, and may be asked to interview with one or more members of the faculty.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Public Administration

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 52.
• Course Work Required Core Courses: PA 400, 407, 410, 415, 502, 503, 504, 506, and 590. In addition to the core courses, students must select one of five areas of concentration: Public Management; Financial Management; Local Government Administration; Information and Performance Management; Nonprofit Management; or Survey Methods. At least 12 credit hours must be taken in the area of concentration. One additional course of the student’s choosing is to be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor. PA 490—Field Experience in Public Administration may be used to substitute for this additional course.
• The courses included in each area of concentration are as follows:
• Public Management— At least two among the following: PA 521, 522, 523, 524, 526, 529, 532, and 533; Additional courses that meet requirements for this concentration: PA 461 or 462.
• Financial Management—At least two among the following: PA 550, 551, 552, 553, and UPP 533; Additional courses that meet the requirements for this concentration: PA 521, 523, and 526.
• Local Government Administration— PA 523, 526, 537 (required), 550 or 552 or 553, UPP 530, UPP 533, POLS 551, and POLS 553.
• Information and Performance Management— PA 460, 461, 462, 463, 465, 521, 526, and 567.
• Nonprofit Management –At least two among the following: PA 530, 536, and 538; Additional courses that meet the requirements for this concentration: PA 462, 521, and 550.
• Survey Methods—BSTT 440; CHSC 447 (required), PA 575, 576, 577, 578, 579, 580, 581, 582, 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, and 588.
• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Course work only. No other options are available.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate. Students holding a master’s degree from UIC or an equivalent program will ordinarily receive a maximum of 32 semester hours toward the degree requirement.
• Course Work A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00/4.00 in all graduate courses taken at UIC is required for graduation. Credit is not given for any required course in which a grade of less than B is earned.
• Required Core Theory Courses: PA 510, 511, 515.
• Required Core Methods Courses: PA 540, 541; and either PA 528, PA 542, PA 544, or CHSC 447.
• Required Applied Research Seminars: PA 545, 546
• Students must select two of four areas of concentration: Public Management; Financial Management; Science, Technology, and Information Policy; or Survey Methods. At least 2 courses must be taken in each area of concentration. A total of 14 hours are required in the Survey Methods area of concentration, including PA 578 and one of the following: CHSC 447, CHSC 577, BSTT 440, PA 484, PA 486.
• The courses included in each concentration are as follows:
• Public Management—PA 521, 522, 523, 524, 526, 527 (required), 529, 534.
• Financial Management—PA 521, 523, 552, 553, and 554 (required); UPP 533.
• Science, Technology, and Information Policy—PA 461, 463, 464 (required), 466 (required).
• Survey Methods—BSTT 440; CHSC 447, PA 575, 576, 577, 578 (required), 579, 580, 581, 582, 583, 584, 585, 586, 587, 588.
• Preliminary Examination Required. After completion of course work students must pass a preliminary examination designed to test their scholarly competence and knowledge. The doctoral preliminary examination is designed to assess the degree of mastery which degree candidates have achieved over a body of knowledge, to measure their ability to integrate the knowledge, and to apply it creatively in the analysis of problems to which it is germane. The preliminary examination will consist of three parts: core PA theory and each area of concentration.
• Dissertation Required. The dissertation will make a contribution to knowledge in public administration and will be publicly defended before the scholarly community and a committee appointed by the dean of the Graduate College on the recommendation of the program director. At least 16 and no more than 28 semester hours may be awarded for dissertation research.
• It is expected that no later than the end of the semester following the completion of the preliminary examination the student will submit a written statement of the dissertation plans to his/her major advisor. Upon the recommendation of the program director and approval of the dean of the Graduate College, a five-person dissertation committee will be appointed. The committee will include at least one member from outside the Public Administration program.
• The dissertation prospectus will contain an analysis of the relevant literature, the theoretical issues to be pursued, the data to be used and the methods of analysis, and a statement of the anticipated significance of the research project. The prospectus will be defended before the committee. Until the prospectus is approved, the student will not be authorized to proceed with dissertation research. The final version of the dissertation will incorporate any changes recommended by the committee.

Interdepartmental Concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies

Students earning a master’s degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in a concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies after consulting with their graduate advisor. See Gender and Women’s Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section for more information.

Interdepartmental Graduate Concentration in Survey Research Methodology

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in a concentration in Survey Research Methodology. See Interdepartmental Graduate Concentration in Survey Research Methodology in the Graduate College section for more information.