Graduate Program

Degrees Offered

The School of Public Administration offers two Master’s Degrees:

• Master of Health Administration (M.H.A.)
  
  
• Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)

The Master of Health Administration provides professional graduate education for leadership careers in healthcare administration. This program educates students to become effective executives and informed health policy advisors. The curriculum responds to issues and concerns related to Hispanic, Native American, and rural health care in hospitals, clinics, healthcare agencies, and health-related organizations.

The Master of Public Administration prepares men and women interested in public service and third sector careers for professional and management policy positions. Persons already employed or preparing to enter public service are encouraged to apply for admission. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is designed to utilize faculty resources in departments and colleges across the University, and to offer students a wide choice in their professional preparation.

Dual Degrees: The School offers dual-degree programs with the School of Law and School of Architecture and Planning:

• M.P.A./J.D. degrees with the School of Law.
• M.P.A./M.C.R.P. degrees with the Department of Community and Regional Planning in the School of Architecture and Planning.

See also Individual Dual-Degree Programs in the Graduate Programs section of this Catalog.

Undergraduate/Graduate Shared-Credit Degrees Program: The School participates in an Undergraduate/Graduate Shared-Credit Degrees Program with University College leading to a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and a Master of Public Administration with reduced completion time.

Application Deadlines

Domestic Students
Fall semester: April 1st
Spring semester: October 1st

International Students
Fall semester: March 1st
Spring semester: August 1st

Master of Health Administration

Concentrations 

• General Healthcare Administration
• Hospital/Clinic Administration
• Minority Health

Admission Requirements

Admission is competitive, and only applicants with strong academic and professional records are admitted to the program. Applicants must have:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an undergraduate grade point average for the last 60 credit hours, or overall major grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent.

Applicants to the School of Public Administration's M.H.A. program must submit their application and necessary documentation online.

M.H.A. Degree Requirements

All students must complete a minimum of 48 credit hours in three components:

1.  Core curriculum (27 credit hours)
2.  Concentration (15 credit hours)
3.  M.H.A. Culminating Experience (6 credit hours)

Core Curriculum (27 credit hours)

The M.H.A. core curriculum shares nine (9) credit hours with the M.P.A. program. This shared foundation reflects common goals, purposes, skills and influences on the work of public administration and health administration students and professionals. Each of these courses is offered with a health focus for M.H.A. students to reflect their central interests and needs. The core curriculum also includes its own set of required foundational courses to meet the specialized needs of M.H.A. students.

(H) = Health focus

Concentrations (15 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (6 credit hours)

The culminating experience provides an opportunity for practical professional experience and analytic reflection. Students select one of three options. The first two options include internship experiences. Students who do not have significant professional experience must select one of these options. 

The third option is available only to students with substantial professional experience in healthcare administration or policy that substitutes for the experience provided by an internship. PADM 688 Reflection on Practice is designed to connect practical experience with learning gained in the M.H.A. program. Through a formal writing project, students enhance their understanding of the linkages between theory and practice, and hone the analytical skills they rely upon in their professional careers. In PADM 689 Capstone, students apply knowledge and skills developed through the program to analyze challenges presented in case studies.

Master of Public Administration

Concentrations 

• Health Policy and Administration
• Human Resources Management
• Public Budgeting and Financial Management
• Public Management 

Admission Requirements

Admission is competitive, and only applicants with strong academic and professional records are admitted to the program. Applicants must have:

• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an undergraduate grade point average for the last 60 credit hours, or overall major grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent.

Applicants to the School of Public Administration's M.P.A. program must submit their application and necessary documentation online.

M.P.A. Degree Requirements

All students must complete a minimum of 42 credit hours in five components:

1.  Core curriculum (18 credit hours)
2.  Concentration (15 credit hours)
3.  Elective (3 credit hours)
4.  Designing Applied Research course for those selecting the professional paper option (3 credit hours)
5.  A professional paper (3 credit hours) or thesis (6 credit hours).

Core Curriculum (18 credit hours)

Before enrolling in other Public Administration courses, students are required to complete the core curriculum:

*Students must meet the statistics prerequisite before enrolling.

Concentrations (15 credit hours)

Students must declare a concentration by the completion of 21 credit hours. A Program of Studies (POS) is due to the School of Public Administration office no later than completion of 30 credit hours. For further information about individual concentrations please see the School of Public Administration Web site or contact the Graduate Academic Advisor at spadvise@unm.edu or (505) 277-9196.

Health Policy and Administration Concentration

*Must be approved by the School of Public Administration Director.

Human Resources Management Concentration

* Prerequisite MGMT 306 and MGMT 310
** Prerequisite MGMT 506

Public Budgeting and Financial Management Concentration

Currently under review. See the School of Public Administration Web site, or call (505) 277-9196.

Public Management Concentration

Currently under review. See the School of Public Administration Web site, or call (505) 277-9196.

Professional Paper/Thesis

Students may choose between either a professional paper or a thesis to complete their degree. Under the Professional Paper (non-thesis) option, the student completes 39 course credit hours and 3 Professional Paper credit hours. Under the thesis option, student completes 36 course credit hours and 6 thesis credit hours.

The School of Public Administration may change curriculum, degree requirements, admission requirements and policies at any time, without notice, for all programs. Contact SPA for current information and assistance with program planning.

NOTE: A special fee of $15.00 per course is charged to students registering for PADM courses.

Non-Degree and Post-Degree Status

Students who take Public Administration courses in non-degree and post-degree status fall into three categories:

1. Applicants who are denied admission may be advised by the admissions committee to take two core courses (PADM 500, 521, or 525) in non-degree status before reapplying for admission. As non-degree students, they must achieve at least a 3.5 GPA in Public Administration core courses to be reconsidered for admission to the program. Upon completion of coursework, non-degree students must reapply for admission.
2. Individuals who seek to enroll in a course after the admission deadline, but prior to the start of classes. These persons may register for only two core courses (PADM 500, 521, or 525) in non-degree status, and must obtain approval from the Director of the School of Public Administration. A maximum of 6 non-degree credit hours may be transferred to the M.P.A. degree.
3. Students who have already completed a Master’s degree may enroll in post-degree status with approval of the Director of the School of Public Administration. Students in this category pursue a particular concentration and enroll in a specialized course of study to enhance their professional degree.

Minor Study

Students pursuing a graduate degree in another program may pursue a minor in Public Administration. The minor requires completion of the following eight courses (24 credit hours): PADM 500, 521, 525, 527, 544, 546, 596, 597. Please contact the Academic Advisor at spadvise@unm.edu  or call (505) 277-9196 for further information.

Bachelor of Liberal Arts/Master of Public Administration Shared-Credit Degrees Program

The Bachelor of Liberal Arts/Master of Public Administration Shared-Credit Degrees Program offers Bachelor of Liberal Arts students an accelerated route to earning both B.L.A. and M.P.A. degrees. The Program allows students to earn graduate credit (i.e., M.P.A. 500-level courses) during their senior academic year, thereby reducing time needed to complete both degrees. 

Through the B.L.A./M.P.A. Shared-Credit Degrees Program, students complete a minimum of 128 credit hours for the B.L.A. and 42 credit hours for the M.P.A.

A B.L.A. degree from the University College requires satisfactory completion of College and University requirements. Upon completing all undergraduate requirements, including a minimum of 128 credit hours, the student receives a B.L.A. degree.

The M.P.A. requires a minimum of 42 credit hours. 

The unique feature of the B.L.A./M.P.A. Shared-Credit Degrees Program is that M.P.A. 500-level courses may be taken during the senior year of a student's B.L.A. degree program. Thus, time needed to complete both the B.L.A. and M.P.A. degrees is reduced by approximately one academic year.

Steps in the B.L.A./M.P.A. Shared-Credit Degrees Program

• Step 1:  Application to the B.L.A./M.P.A. Shared-Credit Degrees Program typically occurs at the end of the first semester of the junior year. However, since student schedules vary, academic records of all B.L.A. students are reviewed at the end of each academic semester in order to identify students who have satisfied program criteria.  Invitations are sent to qualifying B.L.A. students. Students wishing to participate in the program may then apply for admission to the School of Public Administration, and upon acceptance, to the Program.
• Step 2:  Student completes B.L.A. requirements. The B.L.A. program determines that all B.L.A. degree requirements have been met, including the required M.P.A. 500-level courses.
• Step 3:  On completion of all undergraduate requirements, the student receives a B.L.A. degree. The student is then formally admitted into the M.P.A. Program.
• Step 4:  The student and M.P.A. Coordinator prepare an M.P.A. Study Plan Worksheet, documenting course work to be completed during the M.P.A. program. The M.P.A. Study Plan Worksheet is updated at the end of each academic term during the M.P.A. program. The student completes M.P.A. course work in accordance with the student's M.P.A. Study Plan Worksheet.
• Step 5:  The student completes a Program of Studies to be filed with the Office of Graduate Studies.
• Step 6:  Upon completion of M.P.A. course work, the student completes the M.P.A. capstone component. The component may be a thesis or a professional paper.
• Step 7:  The final step is graduation with the degree Master of Public Administration.

Admission Requirements for B.L.A./M.P.A. Shared-Credit Degrees Program

Invitation

Participation in the B.L.A./M.P.A. Shared-Credit Degrees Program is based on academic performance. Students who qualify are invited into the Program. 

The Program is available only to UNM B.L.A. students who have achieved junior-year academic standing or higher. Invitation is based on academic performance: a student must have earned an overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 or higher. Students are NOT considered for invitation to the Program until all invitation criteria are met.

Admission to the graduate portion of the program is provisional until completion and award of the undergraduate degree.

Progression (Junior, Senior, and Graduate Year)

The B.L.A./M.P.A. Shared-Credit Degrees Program provides a seamless process whereby a student progresses from B.L.A. to M.P.A. degree. In order to participate in the program, a student must be enrolled in the B.L.A. program. Students complete 300-level and 400-level B.L.A. required and elective courses during the junior and senior academic years. By the end of the senior academic year, All B.L.A. degree requirements should be satisfactorily completed.

The following M.P.A. courses must be completed by the time B.L.A. degree requirements are finished.

• PADM 500 Public Management and Policy
• PADM 521 Institutional Development and Behavior
• PADM 522 Program Evaluation
• PADM 525 Human Resource Management in the Public Sector
• PADM 544 Public Budgeting
• PADM 596 Research Methods for Public Managers

Application to the B.L.A./M.P.A. Shared-Credit Degrees Program typically occurs at the end of the first semester of the junior year. However, since student schedules vary, academic records of all B.L.A. students are reviewed at the end of each academic semester in order to identify students who have satisfied program criteria. Invitations are sent to qualifying B.L.A. students. Students who wish to participate in the program may then apply for admission to the School of Public Administration, and upon acceptance, into the Shared-Credit Degrees Program.

When a student admitted to the Program satisfies B.L.A. degree requirements, and upon approval of the student's academic record, the student's status changes from undergraduate to graduate. The student is considered to have achieved graduate status and is advanced to M.P.A. candidacy. All 500-level M.P.A. courses completed during the junior and senior academic years appear on both the student’s undergraduate and graduate record.

Should an admitted students choose not to complete the graduate portion of the program, the B.L.A. degree is awarded on completion of all undergraduate requirements.

Requirements for Graduation

The M.P.A. program requires successful completion of a minimum of 42 credit hours of acceptable graduate-level work consistent with the M.P.A. Study Plan Worksheet developed with the M.P.A. Coordinator. The 42 credit hours must be completed within a seven-year period. At least 33 of the 42 credit hours must be completed at UNM. Students must maintain a 3.0 ("B") grade point average for all M.P.A. course work. 

Upon completion of all Core Courses and a minimum of 36 credit hours, a student must successfully complete a culminating experience. Culminating experience options include a thesis option (6 credit hours) or PADM 553 Professional Paper and PADM 552 Designing Applied Research (6 credit hours total). Arrangements for completing a culminating experience should be coordinated with the M.P.A. Coordinator.

M.P.A. Required Courses (21 credit hours)

• PADM 500 Public Management and Policy
• PADM 521 Institutional Development and Behavior
• PADM 522 Program Evaluation
• PADM 525 Human Resource Management in the Public Sector
• PADM 544 Public Budgeting
• PADM 596 Research Methods for Public Managers
• PADM 5xx Elective Course

M.P.A. Concentration (15 Credit hours)  

Student selects one of the following concentrations:

• Human Resources Management
• Health Policy and Administration
• Public Budgeting and Financial Management
• Public Management

Suggested Timeline

Upon admission to the Program, a student proceeds with the following timeline:

Year 1 Senior Year

• Complete B.L.A. requirements.
• Complete the following M.P.A. Courses:
• Fall Semester: PADM 500, PADM 521, PADM 596
• Spring Semester: PADM 522, PADM 525, PADM 544

Year 2 Graduate Year

• Complete six M.P.A. approved courses.
• Complete M.P.A. culminating experience.
• Fall Semester: PADM 552, PADM Elective, and two PADM Concentration courses
• Spring Semester: PADM 553, and three PADM Concentration courses