The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) is the membership association of graduate programs in public administration, public policy, and public affairs. The Commission on Peer Review & Accreditation is the accreditor of these master degree programs. NASPAA is considered the global standard in public service education.
MPA Program Self-Study
UAB's MPA Program completed its Self Study Report for review by the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) of NASPAA. Programs that are accredited by NASPAA have been determined to be in substantial compliance with the Standards set forth by the field. UAB's MPA Program completes the Annual Accreditation Maintenance Report each year.
NASPAA Program Data 2022-23
UAB’s MPA Program values transparency, accountability, and truthfulness. The faculty and staff believe in the value of public service and strive to provide information and data that reflect our strengths and limitations. You will learn more about the program through the recommended framework of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).
Degree Title: Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Organizational Relationship: MPA resides in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, housed in the Department of Political Science & Public Administration
Modes of Delivery: On-ground with some online coursework available
Number of Credit Hours: 39 (42 for pre-service students with 3-credit internship)
Length of Degree: 5 semesters (full-time)
Dual Degrees: MPA/MSCJ, MPA/MPH, MPA/JD (with Samford University's Cumberland School of Law)
Number of Students: 59 enrolled in fall 2023
Mission Statement: The UAB MPA program is committed to excellence in graduate education through teaching, research, service, and practice. Through a knowledge- and skills-based curriculum informed by public values, the program focuses on building the next generation of ethical, inclusive, and responsive decisionmakers who advance the public interest.
Admission: The general prerequisite for admission to the MPA Program is a four-year bachelors' degree with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA of the junior-senior year (last 50-60 credit hours). Under extenuating circumstances, an average below 3.0 will be considered. The following factors will be considered in the determination of a student's admission status:
- Undergraduate grade point average, especially in the junior-senior year
- Work history
- Writing skills (based on the applicant's admissions essay)
- References (based on two written letters of recommendation)
Fall 2023 New Enrollment
Total: 16
Faculty
Number of faculty teaching in the program: Seven full-time faculty
- Erin L. Borry, PhD
- Nevbahar Ertas, PhD
- Victoria Gordon, PhD
- Akhlaque Haque, PhD
- Minjung Kim, PhD
- Peter A. Jones, PhD
- Stephanie Pink-Harper, PhD
Cost of Degree
In-state students
- Tuition: $19,656 ($468 per credit hour)
- Fees: $60
- Total cost: $19,716
Out-of-state students
- Tuition: $46,578 ($1,109 per credit hour)
- Fees: $60
- Total cost: $46,638
Financial Aid Information: Many UAB students utilize FASFA for their financial aid. Visit UAB's Office of Student Financial Aid
Assistantships: The MPA Program does have graduate assistantships available.
Job Placement Statistics for UAB MPA Program
from 2021-2022 Cohort
This list includes job placement statistics from self-reported graduate surveys who were employed in the profession within six months of graduation, by employment sector, per NASPAA guidelines:
| Employment Sector | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| National or central government in the same country as the program | 0 |
| State, provincial, or regional government in the same country as the program | 4 |
| City, county, or other local government in the same country as the program | 2 |
| Government not in the same country as the program (all levels) or international quasi-governmental | 2 |
| Nonprofit domestic-oriented | 5 |
| Nonprofit/NGOs internationally oriented | 0 |
| Private sector—research/consulting | 0 |
| Private sector but not research/consulting | 4 |
| Obtaining further education (Ph.D.) | 0 |
| Military service | 0 |
| Unemployed (not seeking employment) | 0 |
| Unemployed (seeking employment) | 3 |
| Status Unknown | 3 |
TOTAL |
23 |
Graduation Completion
| Initially Enrolled | Graduated within 2 Years | Graduated within 3 Years | Graduated within 4 Years | Total Students Graduated and Persisting to Graduation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the AY-5 Cohort (2017-18) | 45 | 26 | 36 | 37 | 37 |
Faculty Contribution
Programmatic Outcome
Graduation Rate
Students enrolled in Fall 2017-18: 49
- Graduation within two years: 39%
- Graduation within three years: 80%
- Graduation within four years: 81%
- Discontinued: 19%
Graduate Outcome: Employment Sector
