Degree Requirements
The mission of the Carolina MPA Program is to prepare public service leaders. We track progress towards our mission with a competency-based curriculum. Click here to view the primary and intermediary competencies that are integrated within the program's core courses.
The curriculum, designed to be completed in two years of full-time study for on-campus students and five semesters to five years for online students, combines three essential components of professional development:
- A minimum of 45 semester hours of credit, consisting of rigorous core classes on the theory and practice of public management and elective courses from selected fields of interest. View a typical on-campus MPA course schedule and typical online course schedule.
- Students will complete a Professional Work Experience Practicum (PWE). The PWE provides students an opportunity to further develop their competencies in public service work environment and to gain actual work experience for career advancement.
- Completion of a portfolio during the final semester of study, including a comprehensive oral exam.
Click here to view a list of MPA courses and descriptions.
Click here for a general MPA degree requirement checklist.