Public & Nonprofit Administration, B.A./M.P.A.

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Minimum Total Credit Hours: 144

Major Hours: 33

Minimum Upper-Division Hours: 48


Overall GPA - Combined and OU: 3.50

Major GPA - Combined and OU: 3.50

Program Code: A806/F805 Q559

Major Requirements

  • The Department of Political Science does not permit major coursework to also fulfill General Education or Dodge College of Arts and Sciences requirements.
  • The undergraduate major requires 33 hours, 18 of which must be upper-division. The graduate major requires 36 hours, 12 of which must be shared with the undergraduate major.
Introductory Courses
P SC 2013Introduction to Political Analysis3
P SC 3173Administration & Society3
P SC 3223Making Public Policy3
Public Administration and Public Policy Core Courses
Choose 6 hours from the Public Administration & Public Policy Core course list6
American Political Institutions
Choose one of the following:3
Bureaucracy and Citizenship
U.S. Congress
The American Presidency
American Constitutional Law II: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Capstone
P SC 4203Capstone Seminar in Public Affairs and Administration 13
Total Credit Hours21
1

P SC 4203 must be completed with a grade of C or better. 

  • A minimum of 30 undergraduate upper-division free elective hours is needed to bring the total applicable hours to 144, including 48 upper-division hours.

M.P.A. Component

Graduate Core Requirements
P SC 5003Introduction to Public Administration3
P SC 5913Introduction to Analysis of Political and Administrative Data3
P SC 5143Program Evaluation and Applied Policy Analysis3
P SC 5363Public Financial Management3
P SC 5963Capstone in Public Administration 13
or P SC 5950 Research Problems
General Concentration Requirements
Choose 9 hours of 5000-6000-level P SC coursework9
P SC Graduate Electives (shared)
Choose a minimum of 12 hours of free electives to bring total applicable hours to 144, including 48 upper-division hours12
Total Credit Hours36
 
1

P SC 5950 by petition only.

Public Administration and Public Policy Core Course List

P SC 3043Gender, Power and Leadership in Politics and Public Administration3
P SC 3113Bureaucracy and Citizenship3
P SC 3123Social Statistics3
or SOC 3123 Social Statistics
P SC 3133Politics and Public Administration3
P SC 3170Problems in Public Administration1-3
P SC 3183Politics of Government Budgeting3
P SC 3193Nonprofits and Public Policy3
P SC 3220Topics in Public Policy1-3
P SC 3233Environmental Policy and Administration3
P SC 3263Social Welfare3
P SC 3313Urban Government and Politics3
P SC 3323State Government3
P SC 3910Government Internship2-3
P SC 3960Honors Reading 11-3
P SC 3970Honors Seminar1-3
P SC 3980Honors Research 11-3
P SC 3990Independent Study 11-3
P SC 4023Community Scholars3
P SC 4033Capitol Scholars: A Service Learning Course3
P SC 4043Public Policy Implementation3
P SC 4143Policy/Program Evaluation3
P SC 4193The Profession of Public Management3
P SC 42133
P SC 4220Problems in Public Policy1-3
P SC 4990Independent Study 11-3
1

Each course may be taken only once. Course content must be PAA related. 

General Education and College Requirements

Courses for fulfillment of General Education and Dodge College of Arts & Sciences requirements must be from the approved General Education course list published in the Class Schedule or at http://www.ou.edu/gened/coursesCourses graded P/NP will not apply.

UNIVERSITY-WIDE GENERAL EDUCATION (MINIMUM 40 HOURS) AND COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS
Core Area I: Symbolic and Oral Communication
English Composition (6 hours)
ENGL 1113Principles of English Composition3
ENGL 1213Principles of English Composition3
or EXPO 1213 Expository Writing
Language (0-13 hours in the same language)
The college requirement cannot be met by high school coursework.
Beginning Course0-5
Beginning Course, continued0-5
Intermediate Course (2000 level) 1,20-3
Mathematics (3 hours)
Choose one course from the General Education Mathematics list3
Core Area II: Natural Science (7 hours, including one laboratory component)
Biological Science
Choose an approved General Education Natural Science course with one of the following prefixes: BIOL, HES, MBIO, or PBIO 13-4
Physical Science
Choose an approved General Education Natural Science course with one of the following prefixes: AGSC, ASTR, CHEM, GEOG, GEOL, GPHY, METR, or PHYS 13-4
Core Area III: Social Science (6 hours)
P SC 1113American Federal Government3
Choose one course from the General Education Social Science list3
Core Area IV: Arts and Humanities (18 hours)
Artistic Forms
Choose one course from the General Education Artistic Forms list3
Western Culture
HIST 1483United States to 18653
or HIST 1493 United States, 1865 to the Present
Choose one course from the General Education Western Culture list (excluding HIST 1483/1493)3
World Culture
Choose one course from the General Education World Culture list3
Additional Core IV Upper-Division Arts & Humanities courses
Choose one course from Artistic Forms, Western Culture, or World Culture 1,33
Choose one course from Artistic Forms, Western Culture, or World Culture 1,33
Core Area V: First Year Experience (3 hours)
Choose one course3
Total Credit Hours56
1

College of Arts and Sciences Requirements: college requirements are not automatically fulfilled by a previous degree.

2

One course at the intermediate level or demonstrated competency at that level

3

6 upper-division hours, 2 courses, at the 3000- 4000-level. Must be outside the major.

Free Electives

Electives to bring total applicable hours to the minimum total required for the degree including 48 upper-division hours.

Information Concerning General Rules, Regulations and Minimum Requirements

Arts and Sciences Hours: At least 80 semester hours of liberal arts and sciences courses are required for a BA degree. At least 55 semester hours of liberal arts and sciences courses are required for a BS degree.
Pass/No Pass Enrollment: A maximum of 16 semester hours of free elective credit may be attempted under this option.
Individual Studies (e.g., courses titled “Independent Study”): A maximum of 12 total semester hours may be counted toward graduation, excluding Honors Reading and Honors Research.
P.E. Courses: No physical education activity courses will be counted toward the 120 semester hours of acceptable credit for graduation.
Senior Institution Hours: A minimum of 60 semester hours applied toward graduation must be earned at senior (4-year) institutions.
Residency:

  • At least 15 of the final 30 hours applied toward the degree or at least 50 percent of the hours required by the institution in the major field must be satisfactorily completed at the awarding institution.
  • At least 15 semester hours of upper-division major work must be completed in residence at OU.
  • OU correspondence courses are not considered resident credit.

Grade Point Averages: Students must earn a minimum over all 2.00 for each of the following: Combined Retention GPA (all college grades), OU Retention GPA, GPA for all major courses, and GPA for all major courses taken at OU. Some schools and departments of the College have higher minimum grade point averages required for their students.
 

Suggested Semester Plan of Study

This plan shows one possible grouping of courses that would allow students to graduate in four years. Please refer to the front of the degree checksheet for official requirements. Students must consult with Dodge College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Political Science academic advisors to verify that courses selected each semester fulfill the recommended plan and satisfy University, College of Arts and Sciences, and Political Science major requirements.

Plan of Study Grid
Freshman
First SemesterCredit Hours
ENGL 1113 Principles of English Composition (Core I) 3
HIST 1483
United States to 1865 (Core IV)
or United States, 1865 to the Present
3
P SC 1113 American Federal Government (Core III) 3
Social Science (Core III) 3
First Year Experience (Core V) 3
 Credit Hours15
Second Semester
ENGL 1213
Principles of English Composition (Core I)
or Expository Writing
3
Math (Core I) 3
Western Culture (Core IV) 3
World Culture (Core IV) 3
Natural Science without lab (Core II) 3
 Credit Hours15
Sophomore
First Semester
P SC 2013 Introduction to Political Analysis 3
P SC 3173 Administration & Society 3
Natural Science with lab (Core II) 4
Beginning Language (Core I) 5
 Credit Hours15
Second Semester
P SC 3223 Making Public Policy 3
PAA Major Elective 3
PAA Major Elective 3
Beginning Language continued (Core I) 5
Artistic Forms (Core IV) 3
 Credit Hours17
Junior
First Semester
American Political Institutions 3
Arts & Humanities, upper-division, outside major (Gen. Ed.) 3
Intermediate Language 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
 Credit Hours18
Second Semester
P SC 4203 Capstone Seminar in Public Affairs and Administration 3
Arts & Humanities, upper-division, outside major (Gen. Ed.) 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
 Credit Hours15
Senior
First Semester
P SC 5913 Introduction to Analysis of Political and Administrative Data 3
Graduate General Concentration (5000-6000-level) 3
P SC Graduate-Level Elective (shared) 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
Free Elective (Lower- or Upper-Division) 1
 Credit Hours13
Second Semester
P SC 5363 Public Financial Management 3
P SC 5003 Introduction to Public Administration 3
P SC Graduate-Level Elective (shared) 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
 Credit Hours12
Fifth Year
First Semester
P SC 5143 Program Evaluation and Applied Policy Analysis 3
Graduate General Concentration (5000-6000-level) 3
P SC Graduate-Level Elective (shared) 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
 Credit Hours12
Second Semester
P SC 5963
Capstone in Public Administration
or Research Problems
3
Graduate General Concentration (5000-6000-level) 3
P SC Graduate-Level Elective (shared) 3
Upper Division Free Elective (3000-4000-level) 3
 Credit Hours12
 Total Credit Hours144