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The University of Missouri has offered public service education for over 100 years.
The Truman School advances the study and practice of governance in Missouri, the nation and the world. The mission of the Truman School’s MPA Program is to prepare a diverse student body for ethical leadership in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors. The MPA program draws upon the interdisciplinary teaching, research and public service capacity of the Truman School, the University as a whole and practitioners to provide students with a range of perspectives and experiences that promote public service values and democratic discourse. Through their coursework, students build knowledge of policy processes and management principles and develop critical thinking and analytic skills that enable them to advance in careers in a rapidly changing public service.
Our goals are to:
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Offer a comprehensive set of core and specialization courses that build a strong theoretical foundation in public affairs, policy, and management, develop rigorous analytic skills, and provide opportunities for practical application of knowledge, skills, and competencies to significant public policy and management issues.
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Ensure students gain hands-on experiences and engage with public and nonprofit organizations as an integral part of the program.
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Promote public service values across the curriculum and provide opportunities for experiential application of these values.
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Promote a respect for diversity by exposing students to national and international scholars, governmental and nonprofit leaders, and students from various countries who exemplify public service values.
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Provide students with the skills to critically analyze, evaluate, propose, and facilitate solutions that address the dynamic challenges facing the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
MPA Curriculum
The MPA program is 36 credit hours. The program can be completed on-campus or 100% online. With appropriate documentation, students with three to five years progressively responsible, public service related work experience at the time of admission may be able to receive up to six credit hours for their work experience toward the internship and capstone classes. Applicants interested in this option should submit a statement of career eligibility with their application and upon admission, students will receive further information about how to apply for credit.
Experiential Difference
MPA Internships & Capstone
Internships provide real-world experience that many employers value. Students also gain invaluable experience, expand their professional network, and discovery more about their career interests. All early-career students take PA8280 but mid-career student can use this course to transition their career. Our students participate in internships locally, in Washington, DC, and all around the world.
Internship opportunities vary widely, but some examples include:
- Prosecutor’s and public defender’s offices
- State legislatures and U.S. Congress
- Local, state, and federal government agencies
- Law firms
- Interest groups, nonprofits, and think tanks
- U.S. embassies in cities such as London, Stockholm, Madrid, and Dublin
The public affairs capstone course, PUB_AF 8211, is required for early-career MPA students. In this course, typically taken in the final semester, students complete an applied research project that builds upon the knowledge and skills developed throughout the MPA program.
Through this course, students:
- Focus on a real problem facing a public or nonprofit policymaker or manager
- Formulate a conceptual framework for analyzing the problem
- Collect and analyze relevant data
- Demonstrate their capacity to apply knowledge gained through research to develop alternative solutions to a problem, evaluate their effectiveness, and make recommendations to decision makers.
Examples of past capstone projects include:
Study on the Barriers to Safe and Affordable Housing for the City of Columbia
This capstone team surveyed low-income residents to identify the most significant barriers to safe and affordable housing in our community. The city will use the results of this survey to prioritize the use of Housing and Urban Development funds.
Board of Directors Development Plan for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Missouri
The capstone team analyzed the recruitment, development, and engagement of the board of directors to recommend strategies to invigorate the board and increase the involvement of its members.
Missouri Department of Corrections Study on the Effectiveness of Vocational Training Program
Using Department of Corrections data on the employment status of recently released inmates, this team conducted an evaluation of the vocational training program. Their objective was to determine whether or not inmate completion of a Department of Corrections sponsored vocational training program led to higher rates of employment compared to prisoners who did not complete vocational training.
For a description of courses, refer to the MU Course Catalog: Public Affairs courses.
Special MPA Programs with Partner Institutions
For international students sponsored by a partner governmental agency, the Truman School offers a Global Management specialization. Current and past partners in this program include the Korean Civil Service Commission, Korean National Assembly, the KDI Policy School, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and other Korean local governments. Students in the KDI "1+1" program take classes at both the Truman School and the KDI School of Public Policy & Management.
Dual Degree Programs
Dual degree programs allow students to complete two degrees in less time than if the courses of study were pursued consecutively. The Truman School has partnered with the School of Health Professions, School of Law, the School of Information Science & Learning Technologies, and the School of Medicine/Department of Health Management & Informatics on the following dual degree programs:
Applying to the Truman School MPA Program
For admission to graduate studies, applicants must have a qualifying bachelor's degree (or equivalent) and earned at least a 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 hours of baccalaureate work. (Exceptions to the 3.0 GPA are possible with sufficient justification). All applications to the Truman School are made through the Graduate School online application portal. Once you create an account, you can work on your application at intervals, i.e., you do not have to complete you application in one sitting. The following are elements of the application:
- Unofficial transcripts from each institution attended (you will send official transcripts to the Graduate School after you received notification of acceptance into the Truman School).
- Statement of Purpose/Interest (why you wish to pursue the degree, brief biographical statement, description of volunteer and leadership experiences, an explanation of lapses in employment or schooling, any other information you feel might support your application).
- Resume or curriculum vita.
- Three recommendations (you will enter the name and email of the recommender in the online system. Each recommender will receive an email directly from the application system containing recommendation completion and submission instructions. You may wish to inform your recommenders that the recommendation consists of two parts - a ranking form and an uploaded letter of support). Tip: get started on securing and entering recommenders early in the process!
- Non-native English speaking applicants must show English language proficiency. Consult the Graduate School Admission Eligibility page for the requirements and waiver policy.
- Application fee.
- The GRE is optional. If you have taken it and wish to submit the results, the application has instructions for how to submit them.
Funding
The Truman School offers a limited number of teaching/research assistantships each year on a competitive basis, to students applying to the on-campus program. On-campus applicants can apply for funding by checking the appropriate box in the application. The GRA/TA positions are 0.5 FTE positions requiring a 20-hour per week work commitment, which comes with a stipend, tuition waiver, and health insurance subsidy. For priority consideration, applicants should apply no later than January 15 for the fall semester. (The availability of GRA/TA offers for student entering in the spring semester is limited, however, students enrolling in the spring may be eligible for consideration in the fall pool).
For more information about the MPA program, contact Kathy Miller or Sarah Lusher.
For information on costs, please refer to the University’s Office of Cashiers.