Program Admission

Applicants must satisfy admission requirements of the Graduate School and receive favorable endorsement from the public administration faculty. Admission will be based on:

1. Applicable test scores (Graduate Record Examination [GRE], Graduate Management Aptitude Test [GMAT], or Miller Analogy Test [MAT]);
2. Undergraduate grade point average; Applicants for the MPA degree may be eligible for a waiver of the standardized entrance exam (GRE, GMAT or MAT). To learn more about the waiver policy please go to: www.memphis.edu/padm/mpa/standardized-waiver.
3. Previous education and/or experience demonstrated via a résumé and two letters of reference;
4. Ability to articulate career goals and education objectives via a personal statement.

Inquiries can be directed to mpa_admissions@memphis.edu

Program Requirements

1. Students are required to complete a minimum of thirty-nine (39) semester hours. Twenty-one (21) hours are taken in the core curriculum; fifteen (15) hours are required in each concentration, plus a three (3) hour internship. An individual course plan is designed for each student and approved by the Coordinator of Graduate Studies. The two concentrations allow students to extend the basic knowledge gained in the core curriculum to more focused public service fields, including nonprofit administration and public policy and management.

Other Requirements

1. The capstone project must be successfully completed during the calendar year in which the student expects to graduate. Students must also successfully complete PADM 7607 - Public Mgmt Leadership , during the calendar year in which the student expects to graduate.

Concentration Requirements

1. Based on their course plan, students must complete five graduate courses (15 hours) specific to their academic goals and the guidelines of the concentration.
2. Public Service Field Experience: Students with no administrative experience must enroll in PADM 7610 - Internship Public Admin  (3 Hours). The internship placement should relate to the student’s concentration and career goals. Students must complete a minimum of 18 semester hours prior to enrollment in PADM 7610 .

Non-Degree-Seeking Students

If a student has taken graduate courses at The University of Memphis as a non-degree-seeking student, the student may apply a maximum of 9 credit hours toward his/her degree requirements. The grade in each course applied must be at least a “3.00.” The Coordinator of Graduate Studies must approve all course work taken as a non-degree-seeking student.