Professional Studies/Master of Public Administration, B.A./B.S.

TONY CARIZALES, Ph.D., Chairperson

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

In addition to its undergraduate major in Professional Studies, Marist College also offers a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program which currently includes five concentrations: Public Management, Ethical Leadership, Healthcare Administration, Analytics, and Nonprofit Management.

Marist College recognizes that for some outstanding undergraduate Professional Studies students, certain courses within their undergraduate work might well be reflective of both the content and quality of that is typically expected at the graduate level. The College further recognizes that certain outstanding undergraduate students could participate successfully in graduate classes. For these reasons the Marist College offers a dual-degree program, or pathway, in which the student will earn both a B.A./B.S. undergraduate degree and an MPA degree.

This dual-degree program offers Professional Studies undergraduate students an accelerated way of obtaining an MPA graduate degree. Instead of having to complete as many as 42 additional credits to complete an MPA degree after completing a 120-credit undergraduate degree (i.e., 162 credits total), those undergraduate Professional Studies students who are admitted to this dual-degree program will be able to earn both degrees by completing approximately 150 credits. This is accomplished by including as many as 12 graduate-level credits in the Professional Studies undergraduate study plan.

Students interested in pursuing their MPA can apply to the dual-degree program after completing 75 credits toward their undergraduate degrees. Upon admission, dual-degree students take four MPA courses during their senior year (two courses each semester) and two MPA courses during the summer after completing their undergraduate degrees. MPA courses are offered in two 8-week sessions during the fall and spring semesters, and one 8-week session in the summer.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

3.0 GPA;
A brief essay discussing why the applicant wishes to pursue the MPA and its relation to the applicant’s career goals;
Current resume;
Optionally, at the Graduate Director’s discretion, two letters of recommendation may be required;
Completed MPA application.

Requirements for a Dual-degree B.A./B.S. In Professional Studies and Masters in Public Administration

1.0 Professional Studies Major Credit Component: 45 cr

A minimum of forty-five (45) credits must be selected from a minimum of two different academic concentrations/areas of study. If a student chooses 3 concentrations/areas of study, each must have a minimum of 12 credits. If a student chooses 2 concentrations/areas of study, then each must have a minimum of 21 credits. Of the total 45 credits, at least 21 of those credits must be upper-level courses, usually designated as 300-400 level courses, 12 of which must be taken at Marist.

Professional Studies Capping: 3 cr

Total Credit requirement in Professional Studies: 48 cr

3.0 Core/Liberal Studies Requirements

3.1 Foundation: 7 cr

FYS 101L - First Year Seminar 4 Credit(s) **
ENG 120L - Writing for College 3 Credit(s)

3.2 Distribution

Breadth: 24 cr

PHIL 101L - Philosophical Perspectives 3 Credit(s)
Ethics, Applied Ethics, or Religious Studies 3 Credit(s)
Fine Arts 3 Credit(s)
History 3 Credit(s)
Literature 3 Credit(s)
Mathematics 3 Credit(s)
Natural Science 3 Credit(s)
Social Science 3 Credit(s)

Pathway: 12 cr

Students who transfer in 36 or more earned credits are exempt from the Pathway requirement.

Courses addressing an interdisciplinary topic.

Total Credit Requirements for Core/Liberal Studies: 43 cr

** Students who transfer in 24 or more earned credits are exempt from the First Year Seminar.

4.0 Additional undergraduate electives for graduation: 17 cr

4.1 MPA courses count towards the B.A./B.S. in Professional Studies requirements, but credits/grades only apply to the graduate program.

Students cannot be awarded an undergraduate degree until the graduate courses are completed.

MPA 500 - Introduction to Public Management 0 Credit(s)
MPA 505 - Human Resource Management in Pub Org 0 Credit(s)
MPA 506 - Administrative Law 0 Credit(s)
MPA 508 - Statistics for Public Managers 0 Credit(s)