Master of Public Administration

Program Overview

Our MPA Program is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), a global standard for excellence. Learn more about the NASPAA organization here. TSU Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs (BJMLSOPA) MPA Program’s mission is to educate students about public administration's history, competencies, quantitative, and other relevant skills needed by public administrators to become skilled and productive public and nonprofit employees or doctoral candidates. The MPA program uses its curriculum to prepare students to compete ethically, and with integrity in a diverse society. In addition, students acquire practical skills through internships. MPA student interns have completed their internship with various affiliated government and nonprofit agencies in the Houston area. In most or all cases partnership and MOU has been created with these institutions and they are listed below: 

• The American Red Cross
• Black United Funds of Texas (BUFTX)
• Barbara Jordan Leadership Institute
• Houston Police Department
• Harris County Public Works
• Texas Metropolitan Organization (TMO)

The MPA Program is in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, where it offers students a balanced inventory of conceptual, analytical, problem-solving, and other competence skills. The MPA Program uses its curriculum to prepare students to compete nationally and internationally for professional careers in the public sector, nonprofit organizations, or for graduate study where the nature of the profession requires the master’s degree as the entry criterion.

MPA Mission Statement: The MPA program's mission is to educate students about public administration's history, competencies, quantitative, and other relevant skills needed by public administrators to become skilled and productive public and nonprofit employees or doctoral candidates. The MPA program uses its curriculum to prepare students to compete ethically and with integrity in a diverse society. In addition, students acquire practical skills through internships.

The MPA Faculty's purpose is to prepare students competently for immediate upward mobility in their professional careers in public sectors, nonprofit organizations, or for graduate study where the nature of the profession requires the master’s degree as the entry criterion. The MPA Program is a 36-hour credit curriculum that is completed within two academic calendar year (summer session excluded). The MPA Program offers several MPA Course Concentrations and a Dual MPA/JD Program. There is no GRE Score requirement for admission to the MPA Program. The MPA Course Concentrations are:

• Public Policy
• Human Resources
• Health Administration
• Urban Planning and Environmental Policy

The Dual MPA/JD Program is a combined degree program with Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law. This program enables students to acquire both a JD and an MPA degree with a reduction in the total credit hours. Students complete course requirements for two degrees in four (4) years instead of five (5) years if pursued separately.

In addition, the MPA program offers several MPA 4+1 programs for those undergraduate students who know, that upon entering their freshman or sophomore year, they plan to get a Master of Public Administration Degree, the MPA 4+1 is designed for you. The MPA 4+1 allows you to earn a BS (in select fields listed below) and an MPA in five years. That is right with the addition of one year you earn a BS and an MPA. The 4+1 degree-seek areas are:

• Public Affairs
• Political Science
• Emergency Management