Selection of courses is to be made in consultation with the student’s academic advisor.
Each MPA student is required to complete 12 credit hours of MPA core courses, 6 credit hours of methods courses, 3 credit hours related to a culminating project (capstone), 3 credit hours of an internship, and 12 credit hours
of electives.
Core Requirements
These core courses emphasize the knowledge and skills necessary to be effective in public service management and leadership. Each class includes an exploration of student values and public service ethics.
- PUBADM 500: Administration in the Public Sector
- PUBADM 501: Public Policy Process
- PUBADM 504: Public Budgeting and Financial Administration
- PUBADM 505: Public Personnel Administration
- PUBADM 692: Capstone
Methods Sequence
All students must take:
SPS 501 Social Science Research Design
And students may also select one (1) of the following:
- SPS 502 Quantitative Methods for the Social Sciences
- SPS 503 Qualitative Methods for the Social Sciences
- SPS 505 Public Policy Analysis
- SPS 506 Program Evaluation
Public Service Internship
MPA students who do not have significant administrative experience in a public sector or other public affairs agency must complete a public service internship. This internship occurs in a government office at the local, state, or national level or in an appropriate public affairs organization, such as a nonprofit organization.
The three-credit internship is in addition to the required 33 semester credit hours from the core area and emphasis. For each 45 hours spent working with an organization, a student may earn one-credit.
In order to receive graduate credit for any of the internship
opportunities, you must contact the Internship Coordinator
before applying for any internship position, either within or
outside of the State of Idaho.
The internship is meant to be a meaningful experience for both the MPA student and the organization in which the internship is served. Through the internship, students can further enhance their preparation for administrative work. At the same time, they are expected to make a valuable contribution to their assigned organizations. Therefore, the internship is usually served when the student is near completion of the MPA program.
Registration for internships is subject to approval. Prior to applying for any of the internship opportunities, you must first consult with Stephanie Witt, PhD (switt@boisestate.edu).
To apply, you must complete the online Internship Application for Academic Credit process.
Students who have at least one year of substantive administrative, management, or professional experience in or with the public or nonprofit sector may petition the graduate director to waive the internship requirement. Students must submit an internship waiver form after a student has been admitted to the MPA program and should include a 500-word letter detailing the basis for the petition, along with a recent copy of the student’s résumé.Â