Public Service Values

• Accountability (Ethical and democratic values)
• Effectiveness (Professional value)
• Honesty (Ethical value)
• Lawfulness (Democratic value)
• Social justice (Human value)

PPA Mission Statement

The Department of Public Policy and Administration at CSU Bakersfield will foster and improve critical thinking, communication, leadership, management, and ethical reasoning for present and future managers in government, nonprofit, and health care organizations within the San Joaquin Valley. The critical skills learned from this curriculum will ensure that managers in the government, nonprofit, and health care sectors exercise governance in an inclusive and socially responsible manner.

National Accreditation by NASPAA

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program enjoys accreditation by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) for its Master of Public Administration program. This means that the educational experience and course content you receive from us will be comparable to that offered at other NASPAA accredited programs. Such national acknowledgment provides “an edge” for our students in both the local and national job markets.

Professional and Academic Standards

The purpose of the PPA programs is to prepare competent, ethical and effective public, nonprofit, and health care managers and leaders to advance the public service. Consistent with established university academic and professional standards, students must develop and demonstrate integrity in all activities to inspire public confidence and trust in public service. Students and applicants found by formal review of the department, to be lacking in academic integrity or in professional ethical standards of behavior may be denied admission, placed on probation, suspension or dismissed from the programs. Such departmental actions are, of course, subject to university review and appeal.

Admission Criteria

1. Possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university;
2. Classified Admission - Requires an overall/cumulative undergraduate GPA = 3.00+;
3. Conditional (probationary) Admission - For students with cumulative undergraduate GPA under 3.00, the program considers Conditional admissions. Conditional consideration is generally offered to recent baccalaureate students with GPA 2.75-2.99; Additionally, Conditional admissions down to a GPA of 2.5+ is considered for those reentry applicants with significant profession career experience.
4. Two Letters of Recommendation required of those applicants with less than a 3.0 overall/cumulative GPA. The letters should speak to the applicant’s academic and
   professional readiness for graduate study. Preferably, at least one should be an academic letter of reference.
5. Personal Statement – All applicants shall submit a thoughtful and well-written Personal Statement, introducing yourself, and indicating academic and careers goals as related to the MPA and public service. In addition to assessing interest in the MPA, this serves as a writing sample.
6. International Students –For applicants whose preparatory education is principally in a language other than English, a TOEFL score of 79, Duo Lingo score of 105, PTE score of 58, or IELTS score of 6.5. International students should communicate with CSUB’s International Students and Programs Office (ISP) at: https://www.csub.edu/isp/
7. Resume – All applicants shall submit a complete and professional resume, listing educational achievements; work and other professional experience in the public, nonprofit or business sectors; and, list of honors or special experiences. In addition to assessing the applicant’s professional writing skills, the resume is used to help assess the need for an internship.
8. Application materials are subject to verification. An interview may be required.

Fast Track to the MPA - Students may satisfy two of the four MPA foundation courses as undergraduates, if they meet certain conditions. Please talk to the MPA advisor for guidance before taking courses for the Fast Track. Such courses must be completed with a grade of “B” or better. Additionally, all other MPA admission requirements apply.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
PPA 4010	Analytical Methods in Administration	3
PPA 4038	The Public Policy-Making Process	3
PPA 5000	Survey of Public Administration	3
PPA 5020	Program Evaluation	3

Such courses must be completed with a grade of “B” or better. Also, all other MPA admission requirements apply.¹

¹

Note: As the MPA consists of 36-39 semester units, with the Fast Track option, a student may take and satisfy up to 2 of the 4 Foundation courses, i.e. 6 units, as a senior. That would leave 30 MPA grad units to be completed in graduate standing. To graduate, every graduate student must complete at least 30 semester units at CSUB and in graduate standing, i.e., each graduate student must establish residency. Please communicate with the MPA Director to make sure that you are clear on this requirement.

Application, Admission, and Classification

Admission to the programs is a two-step process. Interested students must first apply to the University. To receive application materials, prospective students should contact:

Office of Admission and Records
California State University, Bakersfield
9001 Stockdale Highway
Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099

Students may also apply online: https://www.csub.edu/apply

Students must indicate on their CSU Application for Graduate Admission that they are interested in the MPA program (Code 21021). Admission to the University does not constitute admission to the MPA program. The Program Director will contact the student after being notified that the student has applied to the program. The Programs accept applications continuously for each semester.

Classification of Graduate Students

The admission standards recognize the need for different measures to establish the standard of quality between pre-service and in-service students. Final judgment on admission will be made by the department based on a combination of several of the above eligibility factors. Students who meet all criteria can be admitted as Classified graduate students. Students who do not meet the GPA requirements can be admitted as Conditionally Classified graduate students, but will be required to sign a contract to successfully complete the MPA Foundation requirements with a grade of “B” (3.0) in each course (“B-” does not qualify).

Graduation Requirements

Generally, the MPA degree program consists of 36 units of approved coursework, this includes 3 units of a culminating activity (capstone course). In addition, 3 units of an internship may be required. However, the internship requirement may be satisfied by appropriate public, nonprofit, or health care sector work experience. Fast Track and other students may also substitute some prior graduate coursework at CSUB or other universities as approved by the MPA Director.

Requirements for the Master of Public Administration (36 units)

Requirements for the MPA Program (36 to 39 units)

Course List

Code	Title	Units
MPA Foundation Requirements 1
PPA 4010	Analytical Methods in Administration	3
PPA 4038	The Public Policy-Making Process	3
PPA 5000	Survey of Public Administration	3
PPA 5020	Program Evaluation	3
Subtotal		12
MPA Core Requirements 2
PPA 6100	Public Human Resources Administration	3
PPA 6110	Public Finance and Budgeting	3
PPA 6520	Public Management and Organizational Change	3
PPA 6530	Policy Analysis	3
Subtotal		12
Total Units		24

¹

2 courses may be taken as an undergraduate student, 6 units

²

All 6000 level courses require Classified standing.

Note: MPA Students must receive a grade of B or better in each foundation and core course. Students must retake foundation and core courses with grades of B- or lower. The MPA Director may approve exceptions to this rule in extenuating circumstances.

• MPA Electives (9 units)
  Students in the MPA program must complete three additional approved courses at the 5000- or 6000-level in the Department of Public Policy and Administration. Electives presented by other departments may be taken upon approval of the MPA Director. Graduate students may take 3000- or 4000-level courses if augmented to reflect graduate credit.
• Internship (1-3 units)
  Graduate students who do not have significant administrative or managerial experience in the public or nonprofit sector will be required to take a public or nonprofit sector internship. See the MPA Program Director for more information.
• Master’s Paper (3 units) (Prerequisite: Advance to candidacy and approval by the MPA Director)
  PPA 6980 Master's Paper(3) or PPA 6990 Capstone Project(3). Candidates for the MPA degree must complete a culminating activity/capstone course in accordance with Title V of the California Administrative Code. The purpose of this activity is to demonstrate competency acquired in the graduate program. This includes mastery of knowledge in the discipline and in the ability to use theory and method in the preparation of an applied research project.  Research for the master’s paper that involves data from human subjects must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects Research (IRB/HSR). For additional details, see their website: https://www.csub.edu/grasp/human-subjects-institutional-review-board.shtml

Requirements for Specialization in Health Care Management (9 units)

Students interested in pursuing a career in health care management may take the MS-HCA degree or may elect to complete Health Care Management specialization of at least three courses.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Select three of the following courses:		9
HCA 5050	Manage and Finance - The Delivery of Health Care
HCA 5140	History and Context U.S. Health Care
HCA 5360	CQI in Health, Human Services, and Nonprofits
HCA 6180	Health Policy & Policy Research
HCA 6620	Legal & Ethical Issues in Health Care
Total Units		9

Requirements for Certificate in Nonprofit Management (Graduate Level)

Upon completion of the following courses, MPA students may apply to receive a Certificate in Nonprofit Management. Five courses are required for the graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management:

Course List

Code	Title	Units
PPA 5190	Management in Non-Profit Organization	3
PPA 5200	Fundamentals of Grant Writing	3
PPA 5500	Contract Management	3
Select two of the following:		6
PPA 5020	Program Evaluation
HCA 5260	Marketing in Health and Human Service
PPA 6860	Internship
Total Units		15

Students must receive a ‘B’ or better grades in all five courses being used for the Certificate. Early in the program, students must meet with the MPA Director to declare intent to pursue the Certificate in Nonprofit Management and to be advised regarding the courses to pursue. In the last semester of their MPA program, students must submit the form requesting the Certificate (signed by the MPA Director and the Department Chair).