Master of Public Administration Program Director: Shuyang Peng, PhD

Introduction

The fields of public administration and economics are inextricably linked. Economists provide much of the theory and analytic foundation that administrators use to evaluate and implement policy. Given that the capital of Colorado is Denver, there is a great need for administrators that fully understand methods of program evaluation and have the theoretical background needed to forecast how individuals and institutions will respond to new proposals. Similarly, good theory and practice must take into account how the proposals will be implemented, and results interpreted. Both administrators and economists need to be engaged in constructive dialog in order to be fully effective.

The Dual Master of Public Administration/Master of Arts in Economics degree the opportunity to take the core courses of both programs and choose electives that best suit their career and personal goals. Electives in one program are allowed to count as an elective in the other. The net result is that while both degrees separately require 66 hours, the dual degree program provides a more comprehensive and effective education in 48 hours or 73 percent of the dual degree total.

Admission

Students interested in pursuing the dual-degree program must apply to and be admitted to each of the programs. Students admitted to one program may choose to apply to the other program at a later date. Learn more about how to apply to the Master of Public Administration portion of the dual degree.

Program Delivery

• Courses are offered on campus, online, and in remote and hybrid formats.

Program Requirements

• Students must complete 16 courses, or 48 semester hours, with 21 semester hours in economics and 27 semester hours in public administration, to complete the dual degree.
• Students without pre-service experience in the government or nonprofit sectors will also be required to take a 3-credit internship course, bringing the total semester hours to 51.
• Students must earn a minimum B- grade in each required course applied to satisfy degree requirements and must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
• No more than 6 semester hours of Independent Study may be applied toward the degree.
• For more detailed information about course sequencing and requirements, contact your advisor.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Required Core Courses
ECON 5073	Microeconomic Theory	3
ECON 5083	Macroeconomic Theory	3
ECON 5803	Mathematical Economics	3
ECON 5813	Econometrics I	3
ECON 5823	Econometrics II	3
PUAD 5001	Introduction to Public Administration and Public Service	3
PUAD 5002	Organizational Management and Behavior	3
PUAD 5003	Research and Analytic Methods	3
or PUAD 5004	Economics and Public Finance
or PUAD 5503	Public Budgeting and Finance
PUAD 5005	The Policy Process and Democracy	3
PUAD 5006	Public Service Leadership and Ethics	3
PUAD 5008	Evidence-Based Decision-Making	3
Required Elective Courses		12
If the student takes PUAD 5361 Capstone Seminar, then they are required to take 6 semester hours of economics electives and 6 semester hours of PUAD electives at the 5000-level or above.
If the student takes ECON 6073 Research Seminar, then they are required to take 3 semester hours of economics electives and 9 semester hours of PUAD electives at the 5000-level or above.
Internship		3
PUAD 6910	Internship 1
Capstone		3
ECON 6073	Research Seminar 2
or PUAD 5361	MPA Capstone Seminar
Total Hours		51

¹

Students who have not had at least one year of professional work experience in the public or nonprofit sectors must complete PUAD 6910 InternshipPUAD 6910 Internship, bringing the total number of credits to complete the dual-degree program to 51.

²

To be completed after all other core courses or with instructor and advisor consent.