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2013-2014 Academic Catalog 
    
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2013-2014 Academic Catalog [Published Catalog]

Public Administration, with concentrations in Management of Public Sector Reform, and Management of Nonprofit and Development Organizations (MPA)

Master of Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration is administered by the Department of Public Policy and Administration in the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. The program prepares students for leadership and upper management positions in public service. Students, who are generally mid-career at entry, pursue careers in government, nonprofit organizations, international development agencies, academia, and the private sector.
 

Program objectives

The mission of the MPA Program is to support effective and efficient administration of government and nonprofit organizations and better public governance in Egypt and the Middle East by preparing professionals for careers in public service with the highest ethical standards, strong competencies in public governance, excellent leadership and communication skills, a sound understanding of the use of evidence and analysis in public service settings, and a commitment to building a better future for the people of Egypt and the region.


Admission


All applicants must satisfy the university’s graduate admission requirements. Candidates for the MPA or DPA are recommended but not required to have two or more years of relevant professional experience.


Courses (33 credit hours)

Students seeking the degree of Master of Public Administration must complete 33 credit hours plus a thesis. The program core, required of all students, consists of 6 courses (18 credits). Students must complete a concentration of 5 courses (15 credits). Students may elect either the concentration in Management of Public Sector Reform or the concentration in Management of Nonprofits and Development Organizations. Students are required to declare their concentration before beginning their second semester of enrollment in the program. In addition to coursework, students must complete a thesis consistent with department and university guidelines and complete at least one enrollment in each of the mandatory thesis sequence courses (PPAD 5298  and PPAD 5299 , both non-credit).
 

Core Requirement (18 credit hours):

Students must complete four (4) courses in group 1, one (1) course in group 2, and one (1) course in group 3.

Concentration Requirement (15 credit hours):

Students must complete 5 courses in one of the following two areas. In addition to the courses shown for each concentration, students may select a course from the core list shown above as a Group 3 concentration course, if not taken as a core course (i.e., a course may be counted toward only one requirement).

MPA Concentration 1: Management of Public Sector Reform – 5 courses (15 credits) required

MPA Concentration 2: Management of Nonprofit and Development Organizations – 5 courses (15 credits) required

Practicum (PPAD 591): 3 credits Graded Pass-Fail

Students are strongly encouraged to undertake a practicum within their concentration, ideally in conjunction with their thesis work.

Thesis

Students are required to write a thesis on some aspect of public administration relevant to their concentration. The preparation of the thesis and the thesis itself must comply with Departmental and AUC guidelines with regard to content, format, dates, and the review and supervision process. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these guidelines and meeting formal deadlines. Students preparing the thesis normally develop a preliminary thesis proposal during PPAD 5201 , a required core course, but may prepare an alternative thesis proposal if desired. Once the proposal is approved, students are required to enroll in PPAD 5298 , the thesis research seminar, in the first semester in which they are working on the research component and write-up of their thesis. Thereafter, if additional work is required to complete the thesis, students must enroll each semester in PPAD 5299 . Students must pay 3 credits of tuition for the first enrollment in PPAD 5298  and PPAD 5299  and thereafter pay 1 credit of tuition each semester, until the thesis is successfully defended and approved by the Dean.

PPAD 5298 , the thesis research seminar, is designed to support the applied research required for the thesis and the writing of the thesis itself. Students will be required to read and comment on the work of other students, both orally and in writing, and to present draft thesis chapters.

Dual Degree Option BSc/CENG-MPA

 

Students enrolled in the School of Science and Engineering may apply to complete the MPA on an accelerated basis in conjunction with completion of the BSc. in engineering. At present, this option is open only to students completing the BSc. in Construction Engineering. Students interested in this option should consult with their advisors during the Fall of their fourth year for potential admission to the program in their fifth year. Those interested in this option are required to complete a summer work assignment for Fall practicum in their fifth year. The program is jointly administered by the Department of Public Policy and Administration in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Sciences and Engineering. Admission is based on the recommendation of the student’s SSE advisor and review by the PPAD department. The program prepares students for careers in public service with the highest ethical standards, strong competencies in environmental analysis and management as well as public governance, excellent leadership and communication skills, a sound understanding of the use of evidence and analysis in public service settings, and a commitment to building a better future for the people of Egypt and the region. Students pursue careers in government, nonprofit organizations, international development agencies, academia, and the private sector.

Students electing the dual degree option begin taking graduate courses in their ninth semester and receive both the BSc. and the MPA upon the completion of their coursework and master’s thesis, normally at the end of their 6th year. The following course sequence has been developed for this option, but students should consult their advisor in CENG to ensure that all SSE requirements are met:

SEMESTER IX

SEMESTER X

SEMESTER XI

SEMESTER XII

Summer thesis work, if needed.

Lists of MDP-relevant courses will be provided to students in the program prior to registration for each semester, based on offerings available in the appropriate departments