Requirements
Substantive Core (30)
| PA 511 | Public Administration | 3 |
| PA 513 | Administrative Ethics and Values | 3 |
| PA 533 | Public Policy: Origins and Process | 3 |
| PA 534 | Administrative Law | 3 |
| PA 540 | Administrative Theory and Behavior | 3 |
| PA 551 | Analytic Methods in Public Administration I | 3 |
| PA 552 | Analytic Methods in Public Administration II | 3 |
| PA 582 | Public Budgeting | 3 |
| PA 585 | Financial Management in the Public Sector | 3 |
| PA 590 | Human Resource Management in the Public Sector | 3 |
PA 585: (or economics course approved by adviser)
Skill Development (9)
Three of the following
| PA 525 | Grantwriting for Nonprofit Organizations | 3 |
| PA 536 | Strategic Planning | 3 |
| PA 545 | Organizational Development | 3 |
PA 548
| Advocacy in the Public Sector | 3 |
| PA 549 | Cross-cultural Communication in the Public Sector | 3 |
| PA 555 | Program Evaluation and Management | 3 |
| PA 556 | Public Contract Management | 3 |
| PA 557 | Operations Research in Public Administration | 3 |
Other courses not listed but appropriate to the educational goals of the student may be selected with consent of adviser.
Integrative Experience (6)
The integrative experience is offered under two options and is available to students only after they have completed at least 42 credits in their master’s program.
Option 1
Intended for students who have had limited or no administrative experience.
| PA 509 | Organizational Experience | 1-6 |
Option 2
For those students who have had at least three years of full-time administrative or management experience in public or nonprofit organizations.
Field of Specialization (15)
The MPA program offers fields of specialization in nonprofit management, natural resources policy and administration, local government, global leadership and management, and human resource management. Students declare an intended field of specialization upon admission, identify 5 courses (15 credits) to make up the field, and are required to complete a “field of specialization” form with a proposed program of study by the time they complete 30 credits of the MPA program. The field and program of study may be changed based upon consultation with the faculty advisor.
Students select skill development courses (9 credits) to complement their specialization. Requirements for each specialization are:
Nonprofit management: Three required and two elective courses, as well as one substitution for a substantive core course.
Natural resources policy and administration: One required and four elective courses.
Local government: Two required and three elective courses.
Global leadership and management: Two required and three elective courses.
Human resource management: Two required and three elective courses.
On occasion, a student may create a unique field of specialization with advisor approval, which must be documented in the student’s graduate file. Additional suggested preparation and/or courses in other academic units, as well as other professional experiences, may be recommended by faculty advisors. Detailed information on specializations can be found at www.pdx.edu/hatfieldschool/division-of-public-administration.