Online MPA Program (48 Credit Hours)
No matter what specific area of focus you choose (of which the possibilities are nearly endless), your MPA degree will rest on a broad, firm foundation—a group of 10 core courses comprising 24 credit hours. These core curriculum courses will help prepare you as a leader in your field, with an impressive toolkit of analytical and project management skills. You’ll also gain a firm understanding of the public policy process in both U.S. and international contexts, the management of public and other institutions, and the social equity implications of public policy decisions.
MPA Requirement I: Core (24 credit hours)
SPCN-F 560 Public Finance and Budgeting | 3 credits |
SPCN-V 506 Statistical Analysis for Effective Decision Making | 3 credits |
SPCN-V 512 Public Policy Process OR SPCN-V 538 Comparative and International Policy Process | 3 credits |
SPCN-V 517 Public Management Economics | 3 credits |
SPCN-V 532 Social Equity and Justice | 1.5 credits |
SPCN-V 535 Managing and Leading Public Affairs | 3 credits |
SPCN-V 536 Rights and Responsibilities: How Law Shapes Public Affairs | 1.5 credits |
SPCN-V 537 Designing and Managing Complex Projects | 1.5 credits |
SPCN-V 548 Evidence-Based Decision-Making | 1.5 credits |
SPCN-V 600 Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs | 3 credits |
Core classes should generally be completed earlier in the program than advanced elective courses, while the Capstone is to be completed later in the program.
Capstone is part of the Core and is an integral part of the MPA program; as such, it is not possible to waive this course. However, qualified students may request to use SPCN-V 551 O’Neill Online Week in place of V600 Capstone. See the Policies & Procedures page for more details.MPA Requirement II: Advanced Electives in a Focus Area (15 credit hours)
All online MPA students pursue a concentration in public affairs. Within this concentration, students must select one of the following four focus areas. To fulfill the focus area requirement, students must complete 15 credits of courses chosen from those offered in their selected focus area.
The Nonprofit Management focus area equips students with the skills to effectively manage and lead nonprofit organizations through a local grounding in the legal structure and functions of nonprofits, and to apply the analytic and managerial tools that support effective nonprofit operation. A focus area in Nonprofit Management requires at least five elective courses from the list below.
- F526: Financial Management for Nonprofit Organizations
- H549: Health Policy
- L563: Planning and Community Development
- M575: Comparative Public Management
- M602: Strategic Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations
- M652: Managing Workforce Diversity in Public Organizations
- N521: Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector
- N522: Human Resource Management in Nonprofit Organizations
- N525: Management in the Nonprofit Sector
- N534: NGO Management for International Development
- N557: Proposal Development and Grant Administration
- N558: Fund Development for Nonprofits
- P507: Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs *Prerequisite: V506
- P541: Benefit Cost Analysis *Prerequisite: V517
- P562: Public Program Evaluation *Prerequisite: V506 or equivalent coursework
- V512: Public Policy Process
- V550: Climate Change Policy
- V550: Communications for Public and Nonprofit Affairs
- V550: Designing Studies to Address Public Problems
- V550: Environmental Policy
- V550: Global Governance in the 21st Century
- V550: Marketing Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations
- V550: Program Planning, Design, and Implementation
- V550: Risk, Trust, Credibility, and Public Participation
- V550: Social Entrepreneurship
- V550: US Foreign Policy and African Development
- V551: O’Neill Online Week
- V582: O’Neill Abroad*
*Some O’Neill abroad courses are preapproved to count towards certain focus areas. Visit the Current Student Portal or meet with your advisor to discuss your options. Applications for O’Neill Abroad are due well in advance of the semester start date. Please plan accordingly.
Concentration Advisors:
| Brad Fulton | fulton@iu.edu |
| Jill Nicholson-Crotty | jillnich@iu.edu |
| Beth Gazley | bgazley@iu.edu |
The Policy Analysis focus area develops the skills to create and consume accurate and actionable research and information designed to address public policy problems. The Policy Analysis field electives aim to provide students with additional quantitative and qualitative skills used for policy analysis, and/or to provide students with the contextual knowledge needed to analyze policies in a substantive area. A focus area in Policy Analysis requires at least five elective courses from the list below.
- F609: Seminar in Revenue Theory and Administration *Prerequisite: F560
- F610: Government Budgeting and Program Analysis *Prerequisite: F560
- F667: Seminar in Public Capital and Debt Theory *Prerequisite: F560
- H549: Health Policy
- I516: Public Management Information Systems
- L563: Planning and Community Development
- M575: Comparative Public Management
- M602: Strategic Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations
- M652: Managing Workforce Diversity in Public Organizations
- M654: Public Program Management and Contracting
- N557: Proposal Development and Grant Administration
- P507: Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs *Prerequisite: V506
- P541: Benefit Cost Analysis *Prerequisite: V517
- P562: Public Program Evaluation *Prerequisite: V506 or equivalent coursework
- V512: Public Policy Process
- V550: Climate Change Policy
- V550: Communications for Public and Nonprofit Affairs
- V550: Designing Studies to Address Public Problems
- V550: Environmental Policy
- V550: Global Governance in the 21st Century
- V550: Global Security in the 21st Century
- V550: Program Planning, Design, and Implementation
- V550: Risk, Trust, Credibility, and Public Participation
- V550: US Foreign Policy & African Development
- V551: O’Neill Online Week
- V582: O’Neill Abroad*
*Some O’Neill abroad courses are preapproved to count towards certain focus areas. Visit the Current Student Portal or meet with your advisor to discuss your options. Applications for O’Neill Abroad are due well in advance of the semester start date. Please plan accordingly.
Concentration Advisors:
| Ashlyn Nelson | ashlyn@iu.edu |
| Justin Ross | justross@iu.edu |
| Kosali Simon | simonkos@iu.edu |
The Public Management focus area is designed to teach students to manage and lead using the knowledge, systems, skills, and tools necessary to effectively pursue the missions of public organizations. Upon completing the focus area requirements, students will understand the political, legal, and social context in which public policies are adopted, implemented and evaluated; the role of public bureaucracy in a democratic society; the goals, structures, processes and behavior observed within public organizations; and the core administrative functions performed by public managers and employees. A focus area in Public Management requires at least five elective courses from the list below.
- H549: Health Policy
- I516: Public Management Information Systems
- L563: Planning and Community Development
- L564: Local Government Management
- M561: Public Human Resource Management
- M575: Comparative Public Management
- M602: Strategic Management of Public and Nonprofit Organizations
- M652: Managing Workforce Diversity in Public Organizations
- M654: Public Program Management and Contracting
- N534: NGO Management for International Development
- N557: Proposal Development and Grant Administration
- P507: Data Analysis and Modeling for Public Affairs *Prerequisite: V506
- P541: Benefit Cost Analysis *Prerequisite: V517
- P562: Public Program Evaluation *Prerequisite: V506 or equivalent coursework
- V512: Public Policy Process
- V550: Climate Change Policy
- V550: Communications for Public and Nonprofit Affairs
- V550: Designing Studies to Address Public Problems
- V550: Environmental Policy
- V550: Global Governance in the 21st Century
- V550: Global Security in the 21st Century
- V550: Marketing Management for Public and Nonprofit Organizations
- V550: Program Planning, Design, and Implementation
- V550: Risk, Trust, Credibility, and Public Participation
- V550: US Foreign Policy & African Development
- V551: O’Neill Online Week
- V582: O’Neill Abroad*
*Some O’Neill abroad courses are preapproved to count towards certain focus areas. Visit the Current Student Portal or meet with your advisor to discuss your options. Applications for O’Neill Abroad are due well in advance of the semester start date. Please plan accordingly.
Concentration Advisors:
| Claudia Avellaneda | cavellan@iu.edu |
| Tom Rabovsky | rabovsky@iu.edu |
| Amanda Rutherford | aruther@iu.edu |
A student, whose educational and professional goals are not satisfied by O’Neill’s focus areas, may design a specialized focus area that best suits their needs in consultation with a faculty advisor with final approval required by the relevant faculty program director(s). The student, the student’s advisor, and the MPA Faculty Program Director must sign a Specialized Focus Area Form that specifies the courses that will comprise the customized focus area. This form is available in the Forms section of the Current Student Portal. The completed Specialized Focus Area Form must be submitted prior to enrolling in the courses outlined. Students are strongly encouraged to declare their focus area within the first 24 credit hours of the student’s academic program.
MPA specialized focus areas consist of a minimum of 15 credit hours.
Although no specific guidelines exist for the courses to be included in a specialized focus area, students must take O’Neill courses unless approved by a faculty advisor(s) and the MPA Faculty Program Director.
MPA Requirement III: Experiential (0-6 credit hours)
Each candidate for the MPA degree must obtain professionally relevant experience, through a registered internship. See the Policies & Procedures page for more details.
| SPCN-V 585 | Practicum in Public Affairs (0-6 credit hours) |
Alternately, a student’s experiential requirement may be satisfied through Prior Experience (PE). Depending upon the type and amount of experience, a student may qualify for a credit reduction as well. There are three categories of PE (Professional, Military, and Volunteer) available. See the Policies & Procedures page for more details. Consult with your academic advisor to learn if you might qualify for this experiential credit waiver.
MPA Requirement IV: General Electives (0-9 credit hours)
Students will take general elective credits to reach the required 48 credit hours. All master’s-level O’Neill IUB courses are eligible to count towards general elective credits. If a student enrolls in internship for credit or receives a Prior Experience credit reduction, they may not need to enroll in general elective credits. Students should confer with their advisor(s) prior to registration each term to ensure they are making progress toward completing all degree requirements.