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 Construction 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. 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. Students who wish to be admitted to this dual degree should have a minimum GPA of 2.75. The program prepares students for careers in the public sphere 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 usually 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.
Students who seek to register in this dual degree should complete four 400-level CENG-required courses that address issues of management or public administration. Courses will need to be approved by the department prior to registration.
Additionally, students must take at least seven PPAD graduate courses and write a thesis; or take the non-thesis track of two additional courses and a comprehensive examination administered by the Public Policy and Administration Department.
Complete all following five (5) courses:
Group 2: Complete one (1) of the following:
Group 3: Complete one (1) of the following:
Thesis Track
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 may enroll in PPAD 5298 (optional), 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 can enroll each semester in PPAD 5299 . Students who choose to enroll in PPAD 5298 (optional) and PPAD 5299 must pay 3 credits of tuition for the first enrolment 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 optional and 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.
Non-Thesis Track
Students who do not wish to undertake a thesis can choose to substitute the thesis with two additional PPAD 3 credit courses, with the approval of the program director, and then sit for a comprehensive examination after completing all program course requirements. A comprehensive examination is usually offered in mid-December and mid-April. Students not registered for courses or thesis credit hours and planning to sit for the comprehensive examination in any semester must register for comprehensives (PPAD 5288 ) in that semester and pay tuition equivalent to one graduate credit hour.
Comprehensive examination may be repeated once. A student who fails the comprehensive examination a second time would be dismissed from the degree program after the end of the semester in which the examination was retaken.
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