Public Budgeting and Financial Management
Objective: Review, recommend, and interpret operating and capital budget requests taking political, economic, and decision-making processes into account. Assist the budget officer and other higher-level public officials in performing comprehensive financial analyses and developing financial and budgetary recommendations. Click here for Public Budgeting and Financial Management curriculum.
Local Government Management
Objective: Demonstrate proficiency in the use of applied analytic tools such as program evaluation, policy analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and other management decision-making tools to aid the public manager make more informed decisions; Assist public managers and other higher-level public officials to understand, analyze, and recommend appropriate solutions to complex public policy issues Click here for Local Government Management curriculum.
Urban Nonprofit Agency Management
Objective: Understand the different management areas and techniques within the nonprofit organization, including institutional management, leadership, fund-raising, financial administration, human resources coordination, and planning and performance measurements. Understand the role of nonprofits as community institutions with an outward focus, including the political, economic, and inter-organizational environment, as well as marketing, legal, and government policy issues. Click here for Urban Nonprofit Agency Management curriculum.
Strategic Human Resources Management
Objective: Demonstrate an understanding of public human resource policies, programs, procedures, and legal issues relevant to the field; and demonstrate knowledge of techniques employed in designing performance appraisals, recruiting and selecting employees, and developing rewards systems. Click here for Strategic Human Resources Management curriculum.
Public Policy and Policy Analysis
Objective: Demonstrate proficiency in the tools and skills to effectively support local government policy analysis and decision-making. Public policy and policy analysis at all levels of government is essential for meeting the demands of an increasingly expensive and complex service-delivery need and declining resources. Click here for the Public Policy and Policy Analysis curriculum.
Public Policy and Policy Analysis Emphasis
Internships (3hours)
The MPA program internship course (PAPP 5360) is waivable with at least one year professional public service work experience.
This 3 hour course is designed for students to complete a one semester internship in professional public service. There are no prerequisites that must be met before entering an internship or enrolling in PAPP 5360, therefore you can immediately begin an internship within their first semester and thereafter.
Internship openings are announced via the MPA student email listserv. If you need placement help, contact the MPA director at least one semester before course enrollment. Interns are placed in a variety of government and nonprofit organizations as well as private organizations engaged in public service activities. Nine students requested and were placed for AY17-18. Example placements include:
- Homeland Security, USCIS
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
- Vital Strategies (public health)
- El Paso County
- Park South, YMCA
- Texas Health and Human Services Commission
- City of Grand Prairie, Mayor's Office (Budgeting, Finance)
- Vancouver Police Department
- City of Harker Heights (planning and development)
Internship Waiver
PAPP 5360 can be waived by newly admitted students and current students with at least one year of professional public sector work experience. To request a waiver:
1. Submit an Internship Waiver Form to the Graduate Advisor (kfield@uta.edu) with a signature and all necessary student information
2. Attach a professional resume, illustrating at least one year of professional experience of public sector work
3. Once approval or denial decision is made, the student will then be notified as to whether or not the internship course will be waived.
Applying for Internship Credit
Internships must be approved by the program. You must submit an Internship Agreement Form describing the duties and hours with a signature from the sponsor before registration for internship credit. At the end of the internship, you must complete and submit an Internship Report on their experiences and the sponsor must complete and submit an Internship Performance Evaluation verifying the internship requirements have been met. Both these forms must be submitted to the MPA Director by the end of the semester in order to receive credit and a grade.