Public Administration and Nonprofit Studies (PADM)

William Schreckhise
Department Chair, Political Science
428 Old Main
479-575-6434
Email: schreckw@uark.edu

Geoboo Song
Graduate Coordinator and Vice Chair
321 Old Main
479-575-6433
gbsong@uark.edu

Master of Public Administration Program Page

Degree Offered:
M.P.A. in Public Administration and Nonprofit Studies (PADM)

Program Description: The Master of Public Administration program is administered by the Department of Political Science. The major objectives of the program are as follows:

To provide a broad flexible program to prepare students for careers in public service and nonprofit management;
To afford opportunities to practicing administrators for improving their careers and services through advanced education and training; and
To prepare scholars for further graduate study in the field of public administration.

A dual degree program leading to a Master of Public Administration and a Juris Doctor is also available in collaboration with the School of Law.

M.P.A. in Public Administration and Nonprofit Studies

Admission to the M.P.A. Degree Program:

Admission to the Graduate School
3.20 minimum grade-point average in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework.
A written essay, submitted in accordance with standards set by the PLSC Admissions Committee.
Three letters of recommendation from persons competent to judge the applicant’s academic/work experience.
Academic prerequisites: the PLSC Admissions Committee may require appropriate coursework related to an understanding of governmental processes and activities to cover deficiencies in past education.
All requirements listed above must be completed and reported before the beginning of the student’s second semester or the student will not be admitted to courses that semester.

Requirements for the Master of Public Administration Degree: The M.P.A. requires a total of 36-39 semester hours of which 27 hours are to be 5000-level courses or above.

Required Courses (18 hours)
PLSC 51103	Seminar in Human Resource Management	3
PLSC 51203	Public Budgeting and Finance	3
PLSC 51603	Public Policy	3
PLSC 51903	Seminar in Public Administration	3
PADM 58003	Quantitative Methods Analysis	3
PADM 59103	Policy Analysis: Theory and Practice	3
Select one course from the following:		3-6
PADM 5890V	Independent Research (MPA Portfolio)
PLSC 6000V	Master's Thesis
Select two courses from the following:		6
PLSC 52803	Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
PLSC 51003	Human Behavior in Complex Organizations
PADM 51303	Nonprofit Management and Leadership
PLSC 51403	Administrative Law
PLSC 51703	Community Development
PADM 58203	Strategies of Fundraising in the Nonprofit Sector
PADM 59003	Risk and Public Policy

Special Interest Areas: A minimum of 9 or 12 graduate semester hours, depending on the student's career status when admitted to the program, may be chosen in PLSC/PADM and other disciplines with approval of the Graduate Coordinator. The Graduate Coordinator, in consultation with the student, will develop a set of relevant graduate courses that will help the student in meeting career objectives. Focused studies may be developed for students interested in fields such as community development, environmental policy and sustainability, health services administration, higher education administration, non-profit management, public policy analysis, and recreation and tourism. Other focused studies may be exercised with the consent, advice and approval of the Graduate Coordinator.

Professional Development/Internship: (1-6 semester hours). The professional development/internship is recommended but not required. The number of semester credit hours depends on the length and full/part-time nature of the internship. A maximum of six professional development/internship credit hours may be applied toward the credit hours required for special interest area coursework.

All students must either pass a portfolio exam (production and oral defense of a professional portfolio) or successfully complete six hours of thesis.

Portfolio Exam Option: Students must produce a complete portfolio comprised of at least 3 separate written artifacts for examination near the end of the M.P.A. program covering relevant content and acquired skills and knowledge unless they choose a thesis option. Students will develop their portfolio artifacts through a total of 3 credit-hours of graduate independent research (i.e., PADM 5890V) by taking a 1-hour independent research during their final 3 semesters of the program under the guidance of the appropriate faculty members. A comprehensive examination of the completed portfolio will be assessed by a faculty committee composed of no fewer than three members.

Thesis Option: Students wishing to exercise the thesis option should consult with the graduate coordinator of the Department of Political Science. The thesis committee must be composed of at least three faculty members. The chair and another faculty members must be Political Science faculty. Thesis credit is 6 hours and may be counted toward the credit hours required for special interest area coursework. Students may not apply both internship and thesis hours to the credit hours required for special interest area coursework.

J.D./M.P.A. Program

Degrees Conferred:
J.D./M.P.A. (Dual Degree)

fulbright.uark.edu/departments/political-science/graduate-studies/jdmpa-dual-degree-program/index.php

The Department of Political Science, the Graduate School, and the School of Law cooperate in offering a dual degree program that allows a student to pursue the M.P.A. and the J.D. degrees concurrently. Students must be admitted to the M.P.A. program and the School of Law. If a student seeks to enter the dual degree program after enrolling in either the law school or the M.P.A. program, he/she must obtain admission to the other degree program during the first year of study.

The School of Law accepts nine semester hours of M.P.A. courses to satisfy requirements for the J.D. degree. Fifteen hours of law school courses may be counted toward the M.P.A degree. To qualify for J.D. credit, the M.P.A. courses must come from a set of core courses and must be approved by the law school. Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in any M.P.A courses offered for credit toward the J.D. For purposes of the M.P.A. degree, fifteen hours of elective courses may be taken in the law school, provided they are not required for the J.D. degree and are in an area of concentration approved by the director of the M.P.A. program.

Students admitted to the dual degree program may commence their studies in either the law school or the M.P.A. program but must complete first year course requirements before taking courses in the other degree program. If they do not maintain the academic or ethical standards of either degree program, students can be terminated from the dual degree program. Students in good standing in one degree program but not in the other may be allowed to continue in the other program in which they have good standing and must meet the degree requirements of that program. If for any reason a student admitted to the dual degree program does not complete the M.P.A. degree, he/she cannot count nine hours of M.P.A. courses toward the J.D. degree. Likewise, M.P.A. students may not be able to count certain law courses if they decide to discontinue their studies in the law school. The J.D. will be awarded upon completion of all degree requirements; the M.P.A. will be awarded upon completion of the comprehensive examination and the internship (and internship report), or alternatively, six hours of additional coursework.

Mandatory Comprehensive Exam: All students will be required to take a written comprehensive examination covering their M.P.A. program. This exam will be graded by at least a three-person faculty committee selected by the M.P.A. Program Director. Students pursuing the thesis option are not required to take a written examination. Rather, successful defense of their thesis satisfies this requirement. In addition to the successful completion of all course requirements and a passing grade on the written comprehensive examination, each student must present a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00. Students enrolled in law classes that are counted towards their M.P.A. degree cannot make a grade lower than a “C.” However, these courses will not be counted against the Graduate School GPA.

Thesis Option: Students pursuing the thesis option should consult with the graduate coordinator of the Political Science Department. The thesis committee must be composed of faculty members from both the School of Law and the Department of Political Science. Thesis credit is six hours.

Internships: Students may pursue an internship. Internship credit is variable and depends on the number of hours worked. Students wanting internship credit must consult with the M.P.A. adviser who will develop an internship work plan and explain expected academic work products.

Bayram, A. Burcu, Ph.D. (Ohio State University), M.I.S. (North Carolina State University), B.A. (Middle East Technical University), Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 2016, 2021.
Conge, Patrick J., Ph.D. (University of Texas at Austin), M.A., B.S. (Arizona State University), Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 1995, 2002.
Diallo, Anne B., Ph.D., M.P.A., B.A. (University of Arkansas), Lecturer, Department of Political Science, 2012.
Dowdle, Andrew J., Ph.D. (Miami University), M.A. (University of Iowa), B.A. (University of Tennessee), Professor, Department of Political Science, 2003, 2015.
Ghadbian, Najib, Ph.D. (City University of New York), M.A. (City University of New York), M.A. (Rutgers University), B.Sc. (United Arab Emirates University), Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 1999, 2005.
Hunt, Valerie H., Ph.D., J.D., B.A. (University of Arkansas), Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 2005, 2014.
Kerr, Brinck, Ph.D. (Texas A&M University), B.A. (University of Texas at Austin), University Professor, Department of Political Science, 1994, 2021.
Maxwell, Angie, Ph.D., M.A. (University of Texas at Austin), B.A. (University of Arkansas), Professor, Department of Political Science, Diane D. Blair Professor of Southern Studies, 2008, 2022.
Mitchell, Joshua Lee, Ph.D. (Southern Illinois University), M.P.A., B.S. (Murray State University), Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 2010, 2019.
Parry, Janine A., Ph.D., M.A. (Washington State University), B.A. (Western Washington University), University Professor, Department of Political Science, 1998, 2021.
Ryan, Jeffrey J., Ph.D., M.A. (Rice University), B.A. (Colorado State University), Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 1990, 1996.
Schreckhise, William D., Ph.D., M.A., B.A. (Washington State University), Professor, Department of Political Science, 1998, 2020.
Sebold, Karen Denice, Ph.D., M.A. (University of Arkansas), B.S. (Campbell College), B.S. (Rogers State University), Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, 2011, 2020.
Song, Geoboo, Ph.D. (University of Oklahoma), B.A. (Korea University), B.A. (Hanyang University), Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 2012, 2019.
Stewart, Patrick A., Ph.D., (Northern Illinois University), M.A., B.A. (University of Central Florida), Professor, Department of Political Science, 2008, 2021.
Zeng, Ka, Ph.D. (University of Virginia), M.A. (Virginia Polytech Institute and State University), B.A. (Foreign Affairs College, Beijing), Distinguished Professor, Department of Political Science, 2000, 2022.

Courses

PADM 51303. Nonprofit Management and Leadership. 3 Hours.

Provides current and future nonprofit managers, leaders, and board members with an overview of the nonprofit sector. Topics may include legal and regulatory contexts, planning and evaluation, human resource management and volunteerism, communications, marketing, public relations, and social entrepreneurship. (Typically offered: Irregular)

PADM 58003. Quantitative Methods Analysis. 3 Hours.

Data analysis techniques, including descriptive and inferential statistics and packaged computer programs. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall)

PADM 58203. Strategies of Fundraising in the Nonprofit Sector. 3 Hours.

Provides an overview of fundraising best practices that support the sustainability and viability of nonprofit organizations of all sizes and missions. (Typically offered: Irregular)

PADM 5870V. Professional Development. 1-6 Hour.

Encompasses internships, professional projects if individual is employed full-time and not eligible for an internship, conference and workshop participation, and other activities conducive to the students development as a public service professional. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer)

PADM 5880V. Directed Readings. 1-3 Hour.

Directed readings. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer)

PADM 5890V. Independent Research. 1-3 Hour.

Independent Research. Prerequisite: Graduate standing. (Typically offered: Fall, Spring and Summer) May be repeated for up to 6 hours of degree credit.

PADM 59003. Risk and Public Policy. 3 Hours.

Examines how concepts of risk serve to justify and shape public policies and risk management practices. (Typically offered: Spring)

PADM 59103. Policy Analysis: Theory and Practice. 3 Hours.

Provides a firm theoretical foundation in, and an ability to apply, the general instruments necessary for professional practice of policy analysis. (Typically offered: Fall)

PADM 59203. The Evolution of Nonprofits and Philanthropy. 3 Hours.

Introduction to the history of philanthropy. Examines philanthropy at the intersection of anthropological theories of giving, social theories related to types of capital and capital exchanges, and economic theories about the role of philanthropy for national economies. (Typically offered: Irregular)