Program revised to offer dual-track
The Masters of Public Administration has been revamped, allowing graduate students to study one of two paths, administrative or policy.
MPA coordinator Toshiyama Yuasa said having a policy track is unique because most programs have only an administrative track. The policy path, which begins this fall, gives students more options in terms of what they will do with their degree.
‘It’s basically a professional degree for people wanting the MPA so they can go into the public service field,’ assistant professor James Thurmond said.
The program enables students to have careers as appointed officials, such as city managers and chief executive officers. Thurmond said people with this degree can also go into politics, but that is not its sole purpose.
The program originated in the Political Science Department in 1967. Through the years, curriculum fell by the wayside.
Last year, former Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences John Antel evaluated the course work and decided that the program should take another route.
The degree plan was rewritten with more focus on metropolitan areas, and the reconfiguration has been a success. The MPA saw high demand, as only 30 of 50 fall applicants could be selected.
Thurmond said Texas is the perfect state to institute this dual-track program, because of its many counties and cities.
‘It is a heck of a way to address the public service need in this metropolitan area. We need people to be looking at policies to help people and to be answerable to the public,’ Thurmond said.
Thurmond said the curriculum includes a ‘team approach’ that includes faculty with decades of experience in local government and finance.
‘A good example of how we are bringing the real world into the classroom and at the same time demonstrating the importance of theory is our new public finance course,’ Thurmond said.
Students should not get into these fields for the purpose of receiving a large paycheck. Thurmond said a career in public service offers a lot of hard work and little material reward.
Public officials do not receive the same perks as private officials, such as high-dollar bonuses and exclusive retreats. Public officials must also be more receptive to teamwork and helping their community.
Unlike many other master’s programs, this one does not require a thesis. Instead, students must complete a capstone problem project to earn a degree in either track.
The capstone project pushes students to use everything they have learned to formulate and analyze an issue that professionals must confront. Students must find alternative solutions and procedures, or create independent ideas about the problem.
‘For this project, not only do we want them to do it, we want to reach out to the community,’ Thurmond said.
‘We are going to teach theory, and we want to apply the theory to the problem. We also want to see their thought process as they come up with solutions.’
Thurmond said if this program continues to have a high demand, it will expand. That’s not a bad deal for UH and its Political Science Department.
