MPA Program Overview
Create Your Own Path to a More Rewarding Career
Ready to move into or advance within a public or nonprofit sector career? UT Permian Basin’s online Master of Public Administration program offers great flexibility: Select 15 credits of electives (including up to two clinical courses) to align your studies with your professional aspirations and personal interests. Choose from elective MPA courses and from other UTPB courses in areas such as marketing, organizational behavior, public relations, law, education, health care, and criminal justice. The MPA core plus the electives aim to promote excellence in public and nonprofit service.
Our MPA program’s core courses will show you how to tackle organizational issues and policy questions in a practical, proficient, ethical, legal, and politically savvy manner while furthering your underlying goal of supporting the public interest. Graduates of our MPA program go on to apply their newly acquired expertise in a broad range of fields including criminal justice, economic development, fine arts, healthcare, human services, parks and recreation, public safety, and transportation.
Our online MPA program empowers you to:
- Cultivate a variety of in-demand career skills.
- Identify and address ongoing public administration challenges.
- Add a recognized leadership credential to your resume.
- Compete for rewarding leadership roles.
- Move into or between the public and nonprofit sectors.
Unequalled MPA Program Advantages
- Gear your studies toward your specific areas of interest.
- Finish your degree in as little as 12 months.
- Complete coursework anywhere, 24/7.
- Save with our competitive tuition rates.
- Receive a top-quality education 100% online.
- Learn from supportive faculty members with extensive practical experience in public and/or nonprofit service.
- Earn a graduate degree with no thesis or internship requirement.
- Choose from six start dates throughout the year.
- Finish fall and spring courses in eight weeks and summer courses in seven.
21 Credits. The online MPAL courses explicitly listed in the plan immediately below are all required core courses that are part of the current standard schedule or “carousel” as shown. In addition to the current standard schedule, a few of the MPAL core courses (MPAL 6301, MPAL 6302, and MPAL6320) are presently offered twice per year.
15 Credits. Regarding electives, students may choose from a variety of courses offered by MPAL and other programs at UTPB (e.g., the MBA program, the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership program, and others). Selection of electives is subject to review by the MPAL coordinator to ensure appropriateness. See example courses below. Other UTPB courses from the catalog may be acceptable as electives. A few of the elective courses listed below indicate a prerequisite. This does not apply to Master of Public Administration students.
MPA Program Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
- Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Two years of full-time professional work experience in public, non-proft, or for-profit organizations
- Two letters of recommendation
- These letters should be from persons who have knowledge of the applicant's academic preparation and potential in the areas of public and community service
Conditional Admission Requirements
In addition to the requirements below, factors such as extensive professional work experience, completion of graduate courses, and relevant volunteer work will also be considered.
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
- Cumulative GPA of 2.50-2.99
- Two letters of recommendation
- Minimum GRE score of 280 may be considered, but is not mandatory
- Other evidence (at least one of the following):
- Completion of graduate courses
- Current or previous professional service in governmental, public service, nonprofit, or for-profit organizations
Official Transcripts
Official hard copies of transcripts must come directly from the school in a sealed envelope to this address:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies Office
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762
Official transcripts in electronic format can be sent to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Supporting Documents
All supporting documents related to a graduate program, such as letters of recommendation, essays, statements of interest, resumes, professional work experience, and awards should be sent to the Graduate Studies Office:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762-0001
Electronic versions of supporting documents may be emailed to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Application Fee
The application fee is $40.
We’re pleased to offer program admission on a rolling basis.
Rolling admission refers to our process of accepting and evaluating applications as we receive them and moving any applications that miss the deadline to the next semester. However, if you want to enroll in courses for a specific semester, you will need to make note of the application deadlines found below. If you don’t complete your application and submit the required materials by the deadline, your application will be rolled over to the next semester.