Program Files

Assessment Plan (pdf)
SACS Report (pdf)
MPA Learning Competencies (pdf)

69 total enrolled students

Current Spring 2013 Enrollment: 68

62% female

38% male

Racial diversity:  11.8% minority

Full time - taking 9 credit hours or more (41.2%)

Part time - taking less than 9 credit hours (58.8%)

246 alumni as of December 2012

Expected graduates (2012-2013) - 26

Awarded about 26 MPA degrees per year over the last 3 years

Program Overview

The MPA program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington offers critical skill courses for effective public and nonprofit policy and management, a flexible curriculum that allows students to fully prepare for career goals, outstanding faculty with academic and professional experience, full-time and part-time tracks, afternoon and evening courses to meet almost everyone's scheduling needs, and great internship opportunities. Most students can finish in two to three years. For example, students who want to graduate within two academic years, we suggest they take nine credit hours for four semesters and six credit hours during their first summer enrolled in the program. As of our current reports, 82.6% of students completed the program within the desired timeframe. 77.7% of part-time students finished the degree in under the designed program length, primarily due to summer course offerings. For a detailed report of our fall 2006 cohort rates, see Program Completion Rates (pdf).

The program requires the satisfactory completion of 42 credit hours of approved graduate level courses, 18 core requirements, 3 applied skill-based, 12 concentration requirements, 6 concentration electives, and 3 internship or practicum. A minimum of 39 credit hours is required if the internship or practicum requirement is waived. These core courses are designed to develop student learning competencies as outlined by NASPAA:

• To lead and manage in public governance
• To participate in and contribute to the policy process
• To analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems, and make decisions
• To articulate and apply a public values perspective
• To communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citzenry

Accordingly, we have detailed our Learning Competencies (pdf) to collectively assess the progress students make toward the reaching them by using a variety of methods including but not limited to case analyses, internship reports, student learning portfolios, and the capstone projects.

Core Requirements

Core Courses: 18 credit hours designed to provide the basic skilss needed by managers and policy analysts working in public and nonprofit organizations

• PLS 500 - Managing Public and Nonprofit Organizations (3)
• PLS 501 - Quantitative Methods (3)
• PLS 502 - Public Human Resources Development and Administration (3)
• PLS 503 - Public Budgeting and Finance Administration (3)
• PLS 505 - Policy Analysis (3)
• PLS 595 - Capstone Seminar in Public Administration (3)

Internship/Practicum: 3 credit hour internship or practicum

• PLS 594 - Practicum in Public Administration (3-6)
• PLS 598 - Intership in Public Administration (3-6)

A waiver to the internship requirement may be granted when the student can democstrate a minimum of five years of significant management or policy-related professional experience or completes a comparable experience that the MPA director determines will be a suitable replacement for the requirement. Requests for a waiver must be made in writing and be approved by the MPA director. If the internship requirement is waived, the student is only required to complete 39 credit hours to graduate. The internship waiver can be found on the Student page, under Student Information on the right.

Applied Skill-Based Electives: 3 credit hours

For the complete list of applied skill-based electives, please see the Academic Catalog. Students should consult their adviors to select the appropriate course.

Concentrations

All students are required to pursue a concentrated area of study in:

• Coastal Management
• Environmental Policy and Management
• Marine Policy
• Nonprofit Management
• Public Management
• Public Policy Analysis
• Urban and Regional Policy and Planning

Coastal Management (12 credits)

This concentration is designed for students who seek careers as planners, planning directors, and town managers in coastal communities where protection of beaches, wetlands, water quality, and other natural resources has to be balanced against the needs of economic development and property rights to manage coastal resources in a sustainable manner.  This often creates a variety of problems related to public access to beaches and waterways, erosion, water quality degradation, protection of water dependent uses, user conflicts, and hazard mitigation.  Some students also work in federal or state agencies addressing these issues from a planning or regulatory standpoint or in nonprofit organizations focused on advocacy or education.  Students have also pursued careers in hazard mitigation and emergency management.  The courses in this concentration are interdisciplinary in nature and are typically populated by students from other master degree programs (e.g., environmental studies, marine science, marine biology, etc.). 

All students pursing a concentration in Coastal Management must complete the following requirements:

• PLS 521 - Foundations of Coastal and Environmental Management (3)
• PLS 527 - Planning Theory and Planning Law (3)
  

Students must take an additional six credit hours of an approved elective. For the complete list see the Academic Catalog.

(Return to list of concentrations)

Environmental Policy and Management (12 credits)

This concentration is designed for students who seek careers that involve the analysis of environmental policy and management issues.  Students in this concentration pursue positions as environmental planners in local governments, environmental policy analysts, regulators, or program managers in federal or state environmental agencies.  Students also pursue positions in environmental advocacy or educational organizations.  Students also work in the private sector in positions that involve environmental regulatory compliance, hazardous waste management, or land development.  The courses in this concentration are interdisciplinary in nature and are typically populated by students from other master degree programs (e.g., environmental studies, marine science, marine biology, etc.).  

All students pursing a concentration in Environmental Policy and Management must complete the following requirements:

• PLS 543 - Environmental Policy Analysis (3)

One of the following:

• EVS 564 - Natural Resource Policy (3)
• EVS 570 - Advanced Environmental Law and Policy (3)
• EVS 540 - Foundations of Environmental Management (3)
  

Students must take an additional six credit hours of an approved elective. For the complete list see the Academic Catalog.

(Return to list of concentrations)

Marine Policy (12 credits)

This concentration is offered in partnership with the Master of Science in Marine Science (MMS) program in the Center for Marine Studies (CMS).  Students from the MMS and MPA programs take the same required concentration courses.  MPA students then take at least one marine science course focused on applied policy issues and one additional marine policy related course.  The courses in this concentration are interdisciplinary in nature and are typically populated by students from other masters degree programs (e.g., environmental studies, marine science, marine biology, etc.).  Given the required science course, MPA students in this concentration often have an undergraduate degree in the physical or biological sciences or an applied area of scientific study (e.g., environmental science, marine science, etc.).  Students typically have career interests that involve working in regulatory programs or in fisheries management. 

All students pursing a concentration in Marine Policy must complete the following requirements:

• PLS 543 - Environmental Policy Analysis (3)

One of the following:

• PLS 544 - Resource Economics (3)
• ECN 525 - Environmental Economics (3)
  

Students must take an additional six credit hours of an approved elective. For the complete list see the Academic Catalog.

(Return to list of concentrations)

Nonprofit Management (12 credits)

This concentration is designed for students who seek careers in the nonprofit sector.  Nonprofits organizations increasingly play an important role in partnership with government and for-profit companies in delivering public services in a variety of fields including health and human services, arts and culture, and the environment.  Students in this concentration often pursue positions as nonprofit organization managers, program directors, fund development specialists, marketing and communications specialists, and private consultants. 

All students pursuing a concentration in Nonprofit Management must complete the following requirements:

• PLS 530 - Management Practices in Nonprofit Organizations (3)
• PLS 531 - Resource Development in Nonprofit Organizations (3)

Students must take an additional six credit hours of an approved elective. For the complete list see the Academic Catalog.

(Return to list of concentrations)

Public Management (12 credits)

This concentration is designed for students seeking careers analysts, planners, planning directors, town managers, and state level managers and administrators.  Students are exposed to broad issues and training in the areas of strategic management, planning, and intergovernmental and inter-organizational relations.  This is the broadest curriculum in the program and those who are undecided with respect to their concentration often choose a concentration in Public Management.  

All students pursing a concentration in Public Management must complete the following requirements:

• PLS 517 - Strategic Planning and Management for Public and Non-Profit Organizations (3)
• PLS 542 - Managing Inter-organizational Relations (3)
  

Students must take an additional six credit hours of an approved elective. For the complete list see the Academic Catalog.

(Return to list of concentrations)

Public Policy Analysis (12 credits)

This concentration is designed for students who seek careers as policy analysts in public and nonprofit organizations.  Students in this concentration pursue positions as budget analysts, policy analysts, regulators, program managers, consultants in public and nonprofit organizations as well as private organizations. 

All students pursing a concentration in Public Policy Analysis must complete the following requirements:

• PLS 506 - Program Evaluation (3)
• PLS 541 - Public Economics and Cost-Benefit Analysis (3)
  

Students must take an additional six credit hours of an approved elective. For the complete list see the Academic Catalog.

(Return to list of concentrations)

Urban and Regional Policy and Planning (12 credits)

This concentration is designed for students who are interested in a range of issues and problems confronting urban communities in southeastern North Carolina related to sprawl, land use, sustainability, economic development, housing, transportation, and other social problems.  Students typically seek careers as planners, planning directors, analysts, and town managers in urban communities, primarily at the local level of government.  Some students are also interested in working in nonprofit organizations that address land use and urban policy issues. 

All students pursuing a concentration in Urban and Regional Policy and Planning must complete the following requirements:

• PLS 513 - Regional Planning Politics and Policy (3)
• PLS 527 - Planning Theory and Planning Law (3)

Students must take an additional three credit hours of an approved elective. For the complete list see the Academic Catalog.

(Return to list of concentrations)