MPA Degree Requirements
How long will it take me to complete the MPA degree?
The 36-credit graduate program can be completed in two years (four semesters) with continuous full-time enrollment (9 credits/3 courses per semester, no summer courses). If a student elects to enroll part-time (6 credits/2 courses per semester), the program can be completed in three years or less (six semesters), depending upon whether the student also completes summer courses.
Overview
- 36 total credit hours needed to complete the degree, including:
- 24 credit hours of required courses
- 9 credit hours of electives of your choice (must be 5000-level or above), forming a specialization
- 3 credit hours of PADM 6901 (Capstone) to complete an applied project.
- All masters students must include at least 15 hours of courses numbered 6000 or above in their programs of study.
Required Courses
| MURP 6020 | Analytic Methods for Planners |
| PADM 6010 | The Profession of Public Administration |
| URBN 5140 | Citizen Participation |
| PADM 6110 | Public Budgeting |
| PADM 6160 | Law and Ethics in Public Administration |
| PADM 6401 | Administrative Behavior |
| AADM 6621 | Grant Writing |
| PADM 6201 | Program Evaluation |
Specializations
The MPA program offers ready-made specializations in Nonprofit Leadership and Hazard Policy that satisfy the 9 credit (3 course) elective requirement.
The Nonprofit Leadership specialization's coursework includes PADM 5220 (Nonprofit Sector), PADM 5221 (Collaboration, Partnership, and Coalition-Building), and PADM 5224 (Leadership in Nonprofit Organizations), all taught asynchronously online.
The Hazard Policy specialization's coursework includes PADM 6130 (US Disaster Policy & Administration) and two other courses towards LSU New Orleans's Certificate in Disaster Management & Community Resilience. Students in this specialization can earn the Certificate as part of the 36-credit MPA degree if they complete a total of four eligible courses (12 credits), which includes URBN 5140 required for all MPA students.
Courses within each specialization can be mixed, or students can design a tailored specialization from any three graduate courses of their choice offered at LSU New Orleans (5000-level and above). All tailored specializations must be planned in consultation with the Program Director as part of each student's plan of study.
Final Capstone Project
This is a required applied project completed while enrolled in PADM 6901 (Capstone), typically in the final semester. Students prepare a roughly 30-page report and presentation on the topic of their choice, ideally in partnership with a community-based organization, which may be the student's employer. A committee of faculty and community representatives assess the Capstone as pass/fail.