Master of Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration program is designed for deaf, hard of hearing professionals, and hearing professionals working in public sector and non-profit organizations; for example, local, state, and federal government agencies, non-profit human service organizations, and non-profit professional associations. The program is designed for professionals with at least one year of paid employment in a public sector organization. This is not a Master of Business Administration program for professionals working in for-profit businesses. The program may also be taken as a simultaneous degree by students enrolled in other graduate programs on campus.

Admissions Procedures and Requirements

Applicants for the Master of Public Administration must complete the application procedures and meet the requirements for graduate study at Gallaudet University. Visit the Graduate Admissions web site for more information and a checklist of application requirements. Detailed program information and course descriptions are also available in the Graduate Catalog.

DEADLINE	DATE
Due Date for Completed Application:	No set date
First Date for Consideration of Application:	No set date

Program Specific Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college with a graduating GPA of 3.0 on a 4 point scale.
A 500 word essay describing career goals and how this program will help achieve those goals.
At least 1 year of paid professional experience in a public sector or non-profit organization.
A minimum ASL-PI rating of "2." Applicants scoring less than 2.0 on the ASL-PI will not be admitted to the program. They will be advised to enroll in ASL courses and engage in other ASL learning opportunities to improve their ASL-PI scores and then re-apply.

Career Opportunities for Graduates

Professionals enrolling in and graduating from the new MPA program will be able to use their degree for professional development opportunities within their current organizations or agencies. The MPA degree will also be helpful for graduates who are seeking new leadership opportunities in governmental and non-profit agencies.

Program of Study

Total Program is 40 credits long

Required Courses: 31 credits

ADM 710 Introduction to Public Administration (3 credits)
ADM 712 Decision Support Systems for Managers (3 credits)
ADM 713 Budgeting in Public Sector and Non-Profit Organizations (3 credits)
ADM 714 Strategic Leadership and Management (3 credits)
ADM 715 Economics for Managers (3 credits)
ADM 716 Quality Management in the Public Sector and Non-Profit Organizations (3 credits)
ADM 796 Executive Communication Skills (3 credits)
ADM 837 Interpersonal and Group Behavior in Organizations (3 credits)
ADM 860 Ethics in Management (3 credits)
ADM 717 Capstone Experience (3 credits)
GPS 700 Culture and Language Colloquium (1 credit)

Elective Courses (9 credits)

Students have three options for taking electives

Existing courses within Gallaudet University.
Courses in the Washington, DC Consortium of Colleges and Universities.
The Federal Office of Personnel Management's Eastern Management Development Center (for students employed by the Federal Government).

The Simultaneous Degree Option

Students enrolled in other graduate programs at Gallaudet University may enroll in the MPA program as a "simultaneous degree." This policy allows the MPA program faculty to review a student's program of study in his or her other program to identify a maximum of 9 credits (3 courses) that can be applied to meet the MPA degree requirements. This application of credit hours from the other program reduces the student's MPA program of study to 31 credits.