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The Master of Public Administration degree program strives to provide a broadly focused professional degree in the essential management and analytical elements of public administration and public policy analysis. The program attracts a sizable number of both pre-career and mid-career students with a variety of academic and professional backgrounds. Moreover, the program draws students who want to pursue a diverse range of professional careers in both the public and nonprofit sectors, as well as those who are interested in finding employment at the local level, in state agencies, in federal regional offices, and in Washington, D.C. The program gives students the requisite skills and knowledge to become more intelligent consumers of policy issues and more capable actors in their chosen professional careers.

Applicants to the M.P.A. program are expected to have combined GRE verbal and quantitative scores of 300, an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.00, and a TOEFL score of 600 (computer score of 250) or a comparable score on the IELTS Intl. Academic Course Type 2 exam, if applicable. 

Applicants that meet all other requirements with five years or more of exemplary professional, managerial experience, as evidenced by letters of recommendation, may be granted a GRE exception at the discretion of the MPA admissions committee.  

The M.P.A. program admits new students for the fall, spring, and summer semesters. Prospective students are encouraged to submit their applications early. This will enable the M.P.A. Admissions Committee and the USC Graduate School to process all materials in a timely fashion so that students can be considered for admittance during the requested academic terms. The deadlines for completed applicant files to be received at USC are:

For more detailed information on the M.P.A. program, visit http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/poli/welcome-mpa-program-usc

Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the issues facing the public sector and/or nonprofit organizations.
• Students will apply the managerial and analytical skills necessary for careers in the public service and/or nonprofit sector.
• Students should be able to get a job. Employer surveys will be used to assist in this assessment. The next survey is scheduled for 2009-2010 in accord with our reaccreditation cycle. To the extent feasible we track placements and job promotions each year.
• Thus, our primary criteria is our students’ readiness to enter the professional workforce and their success once they are employed.  (Thus, employer surveys, conducted periodically, are the primary evidence used in assessment.)
• Students will apply their knowledge and skills to important problems and concerns facing the state, its communities, and its citizens.

Degree Requirements (39 Hours)

The M.P.A. degree requires 39-48 semester hours of credit, depending on the prior preparation of the student. The program curriculum can be broken down into five components.