UpDate - Vol. 12, No. 29, Page 1
April 29, 1993
Public administration degree now includes fast-track option

     The fast track to leadership in the government and non-profit sector
has just gotten a little faster with a new University of Delaware degree
option.
     Beginning in June, the University will offer a new mid-career option
for part-time students interested in earning a master of public
administration (MPA) degree.
     Designed to prepare students for leadership positions in government or
the non-profit sector, the mid-career option is aimed at individuals with a
strong sense of purpose, excellent academic capability and at least five
years of appropriate work experience as a practicing manager in the public
or private sector.
     According to Jeffrey A. Raffel, professor of urban affairs and public
policy who helped design the new option, "We've had a lot of interest from
people who would like to complete the degree in less than the traditional
six years it takes to do it on a part-time basis. For the type of ambitious
people we're talking about, six years is an awfully long time.
     "We thought if we could tailor the program to meet their needs
everyone would benefit," Raffel said. "Life gets pretty complicated after
age 30 or so, and everyone has a set of reasons why it would be difficult
to work and go to school. But we're interested in talking with anyone who
might be interested, and we really want to encourage part-time students."
     The mid-career option accelerates the normal time for part-time degree
completion by requiring courses in the 7-1/2 week summer and five-week
winter sessions, in addition to the traditional fall and spring semesters.
     Students entering in June 1993 will be able to complete their
coursework for the degree in August 1996 by taking one course in each of
the four terms. Obviously, Raffel said, "students must be prepared to work
at an accelerated pace in this program."
     The new U.D. program allows students to take concentrated courses, and
there is no thesis requirement.
     The program features seven required courses, an area of specialization
and a research/analytical paper for a total of 42 credits.
     Five areas of specialization offered include environmental and energy
management; fiscal and resource management; international development
policy and administration; human resource management; and state and local
management.
     The MPA is considered the terminal professional degree for persons
whose ambition is a career in public management or non-profit management,
much as the MBA is for those in business.
     The degree can lead to numerous employment opportunities.
     Recent University graduates with the degree include a fiscal
management specialist with the Internal Revenue Service; a personnel
analyst at the Pennsylvania State Civil Service Commission; the city
manager of Newton Falls, Ohio; a budget analyst with the U.S. Department of
Defense; a planning associate with the United Way of Delaware; and the
executive director of the Wilmington YMCA.
     The University's MPA program is accredited by the National Association
of Schools of Public Affairs and Public Administration.
     The program is offered by the College of Urban Affairs and Public
Policy, recently named one of the five best such colleges in the nation,
and the Department of Political Science and International Relations, long
distinguished for its teaching program.
     General admission requirements for the MPA program include a
bachelor's degree with a generally strong academic record, three letters of
recommendation, and a record of achievement in related work.
     Applicants may be asked to have a personal interview.
     The first course in the three-year program will be offered beginning
in June, and applications for the program will be accepted through July 1.
Another cohort is not anticipated until 1995.
     For more information, contact Raffel at 831-1685 or Betty McCummings,
director of the MPA program, at 831-8642.
                                        -Beth Thomas