Does your future include a Master in Public Administration (MPA)?
Begin working toward your future today by enrolling in one of UVM’s “Pre-MPA courses”. Each of the courses in our “Pre-MPA Sequence” is a prerequisite for UVM’s MPA Program. Completion of these courses is required before students are permitted to enroll in MPA courses.
Complete undergraduate level prerequisite courses to prepare for your MPA
- Prior to applying to the Graduate College take up to 3 MPA courses to see if the program is right for you.
- Take online test prep courses through to get ready for the GRE Ed2Go
- Prerequisite courses are offered in combination online, in the evening and during the day year round.
- MPA courses are offered in the evening in the fall and spring semesters or in intensive summer formats for working professionals.
Start anytime.
Pre-MPA Required Courses
- Macroeconomic Principles (EC 011)
- Statistics (STAT 111)
- American Political System (POLS 021)
- Courses for Summer 2013
- Fall 2013
- Summer 2013
- Courses for Fall 2013
Students should have fluency in the Microsoft Office Professional group of applications, including Access. They may obtain this through course instruction, work experience, or self-instruction.
Pre-MPA Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to apply to the sequence?
There is no application process for the sequence. You simply register for a particular course when it’s offered. Courses have enrollment limits, so we encourage you to enroll early. You should possess a bachelor’s degree before applying for the MPA Program.
Where are classes offered?
Courses are offered through Continuing Education. Some courses in the sequence are available online while others are offered on the main UVM Campus in Burlington during the lunch hours and at varying times throughout the day.
Do I have to complete the prerequisite courses before I apply for admission to UVM’s MPA Program?
No, you can apply and be accepted to the Graduate College.
Complete the inquiry form, and we will provide you with more information or answer any questions you have on this program.
Advising for Pre-MPA Students
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the MPA Program Faculty Chair, Dr. Chris Koliba, welcome inquiries concerning the MPA Program.
For information about pre-MPA courses, please call Continuing Education at 802-656-2085 or complete the inquiry form and we will provide you with more information on this program. To speak with a Continuing Education Advisor, please call 802-656-2085.
For Pre-MPA Program Information Contact:
Continuing Education at 802-656-2085
Time of Day Courses Meet:
Some courses are available online. Others are offered at the noon hour and others are scheduled for various times throughout the day and evening.
Information on the MPA Program is available at http://www.uvm.edu/~mpa/
Careers in public administration
Overview: Public administration in and of itself is interdisciplinary. People who pursue master’s of public administration degrees, therefore, come from a wide variety of careers and undergraduate disciplines, including political science, history, economics, English, social work, health sciences, environmental studies, biological sciences, criminal justice, sociology, journalism and more.
No matter what their background or career goals, graduates will benefit from an MPA. It gives them a better understanding of how organizations work and should be managed, as well as deeper knowledge of public policy and budget issues. An MPA degree is popular with students committed to public service; they want to make a difference by solving society’s problems and developing programs and policies that better their communities – and the world.
Careers: Pursuing an MPA opens up numerous career possibilities. Graduates may work in government, education, healthcare, business or the nonprofit arena. Students use an MPA to change careers or advance in their current jobs, especially in governmental and nonprofit organizations.
The careers that MPA graduates pursue are diverse. Popular careers include: executive director of a nonprofit, program administrator of a nonprofit, budget analyst, policy analyst, human resources manager, management analyst, business consultant, purchasing manager, and managers in city, state and federal government. Another job possibility is as a social and community service manager, an occupation that is one of the fastest-growing nationwide, expected to increase 25 percent by 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Salaries: MPA graduates generally make better salaries than they did before pursuing the advanced degree. For instance, nonprofit leadership jobs and their average salaries, according to the Nonprofit Times Annual Salary Survey, include executive director, $149,000; chief of direct marketing, $89,000; program director, $80,000; development director, $77,000; planned giving officer and major gifts officer, $73,000; and director of volunteers, $42,000. And the BLS lists the average salary for local government managers as $91,000; for state government managers, $98,000; and for social and community service managers, $59,000.
In Vermont, management analysts are among the highest-wage jobs with the most openings through 2016; they make an average $80,000 annually, according to the BLS. Other MPA-related salaries in Vermont include human resources managers, with an average annual salary of $91,000; and social and community service managers, $53,000.
UVM’s program: We offer a pre-MPA Course Sequence, featuring prerequisite courses for UVM’s MPA Program.
More information: For information on the pre-MPA Course Sequence call 800-639-3210 or 656-2085, or fill out the inquiry form.
For information on the MPA Program, visit http://www.uvm.edu/~mpa/.
