Master of Public Administration

Bachelor’s degree from accredited university, acceptable GPA, English proficiency test (TOEFL/IELTS), two recommendation letters, personal statement

Courses (33 credit hours)
Students seeking the degree of Master of Public Administration must complete 33 credit hours plus a thesis or 39 credit hours and a comprehensive examination. The program core, required of all students, consists of 6 courses (18 credits). Students must complete a concentration of 5 courses (15 credits). Students may elect either the concentration in Nonprofit Management, Human Resources Management in the Public and Nonprofit Organizations and Public Sector Reform and Innovation. Students are required to declare their concentration before beginning their second semester of enrolment in the program. In addition to coursework, students must complete a thesis, or opt to sit for a comprehensive examination after taking two additional courses. Students who choose to write a thesis, must do so in accordance with department and university guidelines for theses preparation. Additionally, students have the option to complete at least one enrolment in thesis courses (PPAD 5298 or PPAD 5299, both non-credit).

Core Requirement (18 credit hours):
Students must complete 6 courses in total under the Core requirements.

Complete all following five (5) courses:

PPAD 500/5201 – Research Methods for Public Policy and Administration (3 cr.)
PPAD 501/5221 – Strategic Management for Government and Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.)
PPAD 506/5111 – Essentials of Public Policy and Administration (3 cr.)
PPAD 514/5224 – Human Resource Management for Government and Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.)
PPAD 504/5222 – Fundamentals of Financial Planning and Management for Government and Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.)
Group 2: Complete one (1) of the following:

PPAD 508/5211 – Qualitative Analysis for Policy and Administration (3 cr.)
PPAD 509/5212 – Applied Quantitative Analysis (3 cr.)
Concentration Requirement (15 credit hours):
Students must complete 5 courses in one of the following three areas.

Concentration One: Nonprofit Management – 5 courses (15 credits) required
Group 1: Complete three of the following courses:

PPAD 512/5114 – Management of Development Programs (3 cr.)
PPAD 517/5126 – Managing NGOs in Developing and Transitional Countries (3 cr.)
PPAD 526/5128 – Corporate Social Responsibility and NGO Partnerships (3 cr.)
PPAD 000/5168 – Proposal Writing and Grant Management for Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.)
PPAD 000/5169 – Issues in Social Entrepreneurship (3 cr.)
PPAD 000/5170 – Volunteer Management (3 cr.)
PPAD 570/5199 – Special Topics in Public Policy and Administration (1-3 cr.)
Complete any two PPAD courses in consultation with the Department Advisor.

Concentration Two: Human Resources Management in the Public and Nonprofit Organizations- 5 courses (15 credits) required
Group 1: Complete three of the following courses:

PPAD 510/5113 – Organizational Behavior for Government and Nonprofit Management (3 cr.)
PPAD 000/5171 – International and Comparative Human Resources Management (3 cr.)
PPAD 519/5124 – Leadership and Communication for Public Affairs (3 cr.)
PPAD 000/5172 – Compensation Management (3 cr.)
LAW 509/5209 – International Law (3 cr.)
PPAD 000/5173 – Public Administration, Technology, and Innovation (3 cr.)
Group 2: Complete any two PPAD courses in consultation with the Department Advisor.

Concentration Three: Public Sector Reform and Innovation – 5 courses (15 credits) required
Group 1: Complete three of the following courses:

PPAD 513/5223 – International Models of Public Management (3 cr.)
PPAD 000/5173 – Public Administration, Technology, and Innovation (3 cr.)
PPAD 510/5113 – Organizational Behavior for Government and Nonprofit Management (3 cr.)
PPAD 511/5122 – Administrative Environment and Public Policy in Egypt and the Middle East (3 cr.)
PPAD 519/5124 – Leadership and Communication for Public Affairs (3 cr.)
PPAD 515/5202 – Public Policy Theory & Practice (3 cr.)
Group 2: Complete any two PPAD courses in consultation with the Department Advisor.

Internship (PPAD 5198): 3 credits Graded Pass-Fail
Students are strongly encouraged to undertake an internship within their concentration, ideally in conjunction with their thesis work. This course is considered as one of the elective courses (Group 2).

Thesis
Students are required to write a thesis on some aspect of public administration relevant to their concentration. The preparation of the thesis and the thesis itself must comply with Departmental and AUC guidelines with regard to content, format, dates, and the review and supervision process. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these guidelines and meeting formal deadlines. Students preparing the thesis normally develop a preliminary thesis proposal during PPAD 5201, a required core course, but may prepare an alternative thesis proposal if desired. Once the proposal is approved, students may enrol in PPAD 5298 (optional), the thesis research seminar, in the first semester in which they are working on the research component and write-up of their thesis. Thereafter, if additional work is required to complete the thesis, students can enrol each semester in PPAD 5299. Students who choose to enrol in PPAD 5298 (optional) and PPAD 5299 must pay 3 credits of tuition for the first enrolment and thereafter pay 1 credit of tuition each semester, until the thesis is successfully defended and approved by the Dean. PPAD 5298, the thesis research seminar, is optional and is designed to support the applied research required for the thesis and the writing of the thesis itself. Students will be required to read and comment on the work of other students, both orally and in writing, and to present draft thesis chapters.

Non-Thesis Track
Students who do not wish to undertake a thesis can choose to substitute the thesis with two additional PPAD 3 credit courses, with the approval of the program director, and then sit for a comprehensive examination after completing all program course requirements. A comprehensive examination is usually offered in mid-December and mid-April. Students not registered for courses or thesis credit hours and planning to sit for the comprehensive examination in any semester must register for comprehensives (PPAD 5288) in that semester and pay tuition equivalent to one graduate credit hour.

Comprehensive examination may be repeated once. A student who fails the comprehensive examination a second time would be dismissed from the degree program after the end of the semester in which the examination was retaken.

Dual Degree Option BSc/CENG-MPA
Students enrolled in the School of Science and Engineering may apply to complete the MPA on an accelerated basis in conjunction with completion of the BSc. in Construction Engineering. At present, this option is open only to students completing the BSc. in Construction Engineering. Students interested in this option should consult with their advisors during the Fall of their fourth year for potential admission to the program in their fifth year. The program is jointly administered by the Department of Public Policy and Administration in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Sciences and Engineering. Admission is based on the recommendation of the student’s SSE advisor and review by the PPAD department. Students who wish to be admitted to this dual degree should have a minimum GPA of 3.2. The program prepares students for careers in public service with the highest ethical standards, strong competencies in environmental analysis and management as well as public governance, excellent leadership and communication skills, a sound understanding of the use of evidence and analysis in public service settings, and a commitment to building a better future for the people of Egypt and the region. Students pursue careers in government, nonprofit organizations, international development agencies, academia, and the private sector.

Students electing the dual degree option begin taking graduate courses in their ninth semester and receive both the BSc. and the MPA upon the completion of their coursework and master’s thesis, normally at the end of their 6th year. The following course sequence has been developed for this option, but students should consult their advisor in CENG to ensure that all SSE requirements are met:

Students who seek to register in this dual degree should complete four 400-level courses that are related to business or public administration, public policy, economics, political science or global affairs. Courses will need to be approved by the department prior to registration

Additionally, students must take the seven PPAD graduate courses listed below and two thesis registration.

SEMESTER X

PPAD 506/5111 – Essentials of Public Policy and Administration (3 cr.)

PPAD 507/5131 – Government Finance for Policy Analysis (3 cr.)

PPAD 514/5224 – Human Resource Management for Government and Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.)

SEMESTER XI

PPAD 501/5221 – Strategic Management for Government and Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.)

PPAD 500/5201 – Research Methods for Public Policy and Administration (3 cr.)

PPAD 510/5113 – Organizational Behavior for Government and Nonprofit Management (3 cr.)

PPAD 000/5174 – Internship in Public and Non-Profit Organizations (3 cr.)

SEMESTER XII

PPAD 514/5224 – Human Resource Management for Government and Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.) (MPA Credit)
PPAD 516/5132 – Social and Environmental Policy (3 cr.) (MPA Credit)
PPAD 517/5126 – Managing NGOs in Developing and Transitional Countries (3 cr.) (MPA Credit)
PPAD 599/5299 – Research Guidance (0 cr.) (MPA Credit)
Thesis
Students are required to write a thesis on some aspect of public administration relevant to their area of study. The preparation of the thesis and the thesis itself must comply with Departmental and AUC guidelines with regard to content, format, dates, and the review and supervision process. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these guidelines and meeting formal deadlines. Students preparing the thesis normally develop a preliminary thesis proposal during PPAD 5201, a required core course, but may prepare an alternative thesis proposal if desired. Once the proposal is approved, students should enroll in PPAD 5298, the thesis research seminar, in the first semester in which they are working on the research component and write-up of their thesis. Thereafter, if additional work is required to complete the thesis, students can enroll each semester in PPAD 5299. Students must pay 3 credits of tuition for the first enrollment in PPAD 5298 and PPAD 5299 and thereafter pay 1 credit of tuition each semester, until the thesis is successfully defended and approved by the Dean.