University of Southern Indiana

USI Alumni Association

Issue 3: September 2002
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New graduate degree earns approval

USI's proposed Master of Public Administration was approved in September by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for implementation in the 2003 spring semester.

The MPA degree will develop skills in policy development, personnel management, and public finance and budgeting. Its target audience includes professionals working or wanting to work in local and state government, regional agencies, or nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Paul Raymond, chair of the Department of Philosophy and Political Science and director of the MPA program, said Indiana State University faculty - who for years have offered MPA courses in an off-campus program at USI - asked the University's political science faculty to consider assuming responsibility for the program in Evansville.

Discussions and surveys with area corporations and organizations confirmed the demand for the MPA, which primarily will be an evening program to accommodate the work schedules of students. Some classes will be scheduled during the midday hours in downtown Evansville, and some will be offered through distance education.

One of the benefits of an MPA degree at USI is its affordability, Raymond observed. Students can complete the program in two years at graduate tuition rates that are among the lowest in the country.

USI's MPA program will offer a component for students who are already employed and a component for students who want to enter graduate school immediately upon completion of an undergraduate degree.

Students who have professional positions will be required to take 12 courses for 36 hours of credit.

Pre-service students will be assigned a semester-long internship to apply coursework to actual administrative situations. They will take 12 courses in addition to the internship for a total of 39 hours of credit.

The MPA program is designed to ensure that students develop competence in budgeting, public finance, the legal environment, management information systems, organizational behavior, personnel, and research methods. In specialization track options, students will be able to focus on local, regional, and state government planning and economic development, or nonprofit sector administration.

Persons interested in enrolling in the program may apply online at www.usi.edu/gradstud/admit.asp, or they may contact the Office of Graduate Studies and Sponsored Research by e-mail to gssr@usi.edu or by phone at extension 7015. Questions about the program may be directed to Dr. Raymond, extension 7142.

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