Academic Catalog 2024-2025

Public Affairs, Bachelor of Science and Executive Master Public Administration, EMPA 4+1 Dual Degree

4+1 Dual Degrees

The accelerated 4+1 program in Public Affairs is available for students currently admitted in the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Public Affairs program. Students entering the 4+1 accelerated program will be admitted to the Master of Public Administration program or the Executive Master of Public Administration program.

The five-year EMPA program includes 135 (MPA) academic hours of coursework with an embedded undergraduate degree in Public Administration.

The 4+1 academic program is open to students in the Barbara Jordan – Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs seeking a B.S. degree in Public Affairs. Admission to this graduate programs is not automatic. The principal eligibility factors are the student’s cumulative GPA and the Public Affairs courses GPA. The five-year program includes 135 academic hours of coursework. Students entering the Master’s program through the 4+1 are not required to complete the GRE.

Designed for the dedicated and driven TSU student, the accelerated 4+1 program combines graduate course work with advanced undergraduate course work, enabling students to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree within five years. It provides top undergraduate students the flexibility to begin taking classes toward their master’s degree during their senior year of undergraduate studies.

Students interested in this program must meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered for admission:

  1. Have completed at least 90 credits hours of coursework from an approved Public Affairs degree plan.
  2. Have a cumulative TSU GPA of 2.5.
  3. Have grades posted for all 300 level required courses.
  4. Have at least three semesters left in undergraduate program at time of admission to the master’s program (senior year course work).

Students in the 4+1 accelerated program must follow all course requirements pertaining to both programs. Satisfactory progress in the program is achieved if the student maintains a 3.00 GPA in overall graduate course work in the student’s master’s program. The student may drop out of the 4+1 accelerated program and return to a regular B.S. program at any point of time.

Continuous enrollment in the 4+1 program is required to matriculate through the program. If at any point the student stops enrollment in the 4+1 program, the student will be required to return to a regular bachelor’s program.

Students who are dismissed, or voluntarily withdraw, from the 4+1 accelerated program and return to undergraduate status, are eligible to apply for admission to the stand-alone master’s program in Public Affairs.

Competencies in the five-year MPA are achieved through an interdisciplinary approach that provides students with:

  1. An analytical approach to decision-making in the managerial sciences;
  2. Problem solving skills and analytical competencies relevant to management positions;
  3. Knowledge of workings of governmental and non-governmental organizations; and
  4. Structured and varied work experiences with a foundation in computer and information technology.
Plan of Study Grid
Freshman
First SemesterHours
ENGL 1301 Freshman English I 3
MATH 1332 Contemporary Mathematics I 3
POLS 2305 American Government 3
COMM 1321 Business & Professional Comm 3
HIST 1301 Soc & Pol Hist US to 1877 3
 Hours15
Second Semester
ENGL 1302 Freshman English II 3
MATH 134
Plane Trigonometry
or Elements of Calculus
3
SOCI 1301 Introduction To Sociology 3
POLS 2306 Texas Government 3
HIST 1302 Soc & Pol Hist US Since 1877 3
 Hours15
Sophomore
First Semester
ENG (200 level) 3
BIOL 1308 Survey of Life Science 3
Select one of the following: 3
Drawing & Composition I
Introduction To Music
Introduction to Theatre
Foreign Lang/Sub 3
ECON 2301 Principles Of Economics I 3
 Hours15
Second Semester
COSC 1301 Intro To Compr Science I 3
GEOL 1303 Introduction To The Earth 3
Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
Foreign Lang/Sub 3
ECON 2302 Principles Of Economics II 3
 Hours15
Junior
First Semester
PA 271 Intro to Public Adm 3
PA 311 Intro To Pub Sector Plng 3
PA 312 Public Budgeting 3
PA 313 Org Behavior & Mgmt 3
PA 321 Personnel Admin 3
 Hours15
Second Semester
PA 400 Program Evaluation 3
PA 401 Policy Process 3
PA 410 Seminar in Public Affairs 3
PAD 500 Theory & Practice 3
PAD 501 Leadership & Decision Making 3
 Hours15
Senior
First Semester
PA Free Elective 3
PA Free Elective 3
PAD 503 Quantitative Methods I 3
PAD 502 Research Meth In Pub Adm 3
PAD 507 Organization Behavior & Theory 3
 Hours15
Second Semester
PA Free Elective 3
PA Free Elective 3
PAD 631 Gov Budgeting & Financial Mgmt 3
PAD 620 The Policy Making Process 3
PAD 622 Science, Tech & Pub Policy 3
 Hours15
Fifth Year
First Semester
PAD 600-Level Course 3
PAD 650 Intergovernmental Relations 3
PAD 660 Com Pub Admin West Nations 3
 Hours9
Second Semester
PAD 705 Topical Seminar 3
PAD 710 Capstone 3
 Hours6
 Total Hours135