Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog

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Degree Information

The Degree of Master of Public Service and Administration

The George Bush School of Government and Public Service offers an interdisciplinary, non-thesis program leading to the Master of Public Service and Administration (MPSA) degree. The MPSA curriculum provides a professional education for those seeking careers at any level of government or in the nonprofit sector. It includes a solid academic and practical grounding in management and policy analysis, as well as an opportunity to refine critical leadership skills such as team building, motivation, conflict resolution, and effective written and oral communication.

The MPSA program offers a two-year, full-time course of study in one of two tracks: Public Management or Public Policy Analysis. In addition, students have the option to choose a concentration in a substantive area such as non-profit organizations; state and local policy and management; energy, environment, and technology policy and management; security policy and management; and health policy and management. The program includes a non-credit-bearing internship and two semesters of capstone policy seminars which give students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills to a real-world problem or issue.

The MPSA program offers a two-year, full-time course of study in one of two tracks: Public Management or Public Policy Analysis. In addition, a student has the option to choose a concentration in a substantive area such as non-profit organizations; state and local policy and management; natural resources, environment and technology policy and administration; security, energy and technology policy; and health policy and management. The program includes a non-credit-bearing internship and two semesters of capstone policy seminar which gives a student the opportunity to apply his/her knowledge and skills to a real-world problem or issue.

The Bush School, in conjunction with the Political Science department, also offers a joint degree program that enables a student to receive the Political Science undergraduate degree and a Master of Public Service and Administration (MPSA) degree in five years. A student admitted into this program will be enrolled in Bush School graduate courses with an undergraduate classification for the fall of their fourth year and will be re-classified as master’s degree students upon completing 116 credit hours, typically in the following semester. To be eligible for the joint program, a student must have completed the specific course prerequisites either for a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science, as well as the courses required by the College of Liberal Arts and by Texas A&M University for an undergraduate degree. A student who is admitted will complete the same two-year, 48 hour curriculum as other students admitted to the Bush School’s MPSA program.

For further information about the Bush School, including requests for admission materials, please contact: Bush School, Texas A&M University, 4220 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4220, email admissions@bush.tamu.edu or on the website bush.tamu.edu.

• Residence
• Student’s Advisory Committee
• Degree Plan
• Credit Requirement
• Limitations on the Use of Transfer, Extension and Certain Other Courses
• Transfer of Credit
• Foreign Languages
• Internship
• Time Limit
• Application for Degree
• Final Examination