The Master of Public Administration Program's mission is to cultivate practical, research-oriented students for careers as reflective practitioners guided by democratic values, integrity, and service.
From the Director
Our program enrolls approximately 100 students, and annually graduates 45 students, in our San Marcos and Round Rock campuses. Since the inception of the MPA program in 1973, over 1,600 individuals have received their MPA degree. Our students are employed with local, state, federal governments and serve as leaders of community and non-profit organizations. Our alumni network is large and our faculty partner with the Texas City Managers Association (Region 7) and the Central Texas Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration.
Distinguishing characteristics of the program include:
- opportunities for students from a variety of academic backgrounds
- a choice of diverse sub-specialties
- rich and frequent contact between students and faculty
- opportunities for professional networking for students with alumni
- continuing professional development
We offer courses via three modalities of delivery:
- face-to-face
- fully online
- hybrid (course meets once every month)
Texas State University has established a reputation for quality educational programs and a practical research focus. The mission statement of our MPA program to “cultivate practical, research-oriented students for careers as reflective practitioners guided by democratic values, integrity, and service” is fulfilled by our investing considerable time building writing and research skills. Students demonstrate mastery of these skills via one of three culminating experiences:
Student applied research projects can be found online in the Texas State Digital Library. Student projects have won national awards and are published and cited in leading academic and professional journals, having been downloaded from our library over a million times!
Our MPA program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Administration (NASPAA). If you have questions about MPA program, the Graduate College requirements or procedures, or would like to arrange a campus visit, please contact us!
Dr. Sherri Mora
Director, MPA Program
Program Objectives
To prepare you for a career as a manager and leader in public service, the program will ensure you can demonstrate the following:
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing.
- Comprehension of public policy and program formation as well as the institutional and legal framework of public policy and management.
- Ability to communicate effectively orally.
- Ability to see patterns and classify information, concepts and theories in public policy and administration.
- Ability to use reasoned arguments to judge evidence in public policy and management.
Visit our Student Learning Outcomes to learn more.
MPA Course Rotation
The following rotation reflects anticipated graduate Political Science course offerings. Course availability is subject to change and finalized during the registration period.
| Course | Fall 2026 | Spring 2027 | Summer 2027 | Fall 2027 | Spring 2028 | Summer 2028 | Fall 2028 | Spring 2029 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5300 – Intro Public Policy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5310 – Pub Finance Admin | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5311 – Intro Stat Anly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 5312 – Program Eval Stats | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| 5313 – Pub Sector Econ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| 5314 – Pub Admin Inf Tech | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 5315 – Pub Perform Mgt | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| 5320 – Org Theory | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5330 – Public Pers Admin | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 5331 – Labor Relations | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| 5332 – Mgt Prac Pers Adm | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 5340 – Public Law | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| 5350 – Policy Processes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5351 – Urban Sust Policy | ✓ | |||||||
| 5352 – Comp Public Admin | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 5353 – Ecol & Pol of Sust | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 5355 – Environmental Policy | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 5361 – Nonprofit Sector | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 5362 – Alt Public Ser Del | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 5370 – Public Mgt & Eth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 5380A – Texas Water Law & Policy | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| 5380B – Environmental Litigation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| 5389 – Internship Govt | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5390 – Applied Methods | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 5397 – Research Design | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 5398 – Applied Research | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |