MPA ADP

BA/MPA ADP

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PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Steps leading up to the US Supreme Court building in Washington DC.

We seek to encourage more OU students to pursue careers in public service, broadly defined.

Many students who are considering careers in public service, along with other career options, would be prepared to enter the job market with an advanced degree. Similar programs at other institutions have reported great success in attracting top students and believe that more of their graduates have entered public service because of their experiences in the five-year program.

Our program offers a more efficient path to the completion of a marketable advanced degree, reducing overall cost and time to graduation.

Both accelerated programs allow students to continue making progress toward graduation in a timely manner and decreases the total amount of time required to earn a masters degree. The accelerated programs allow students to complete both an undergraduate and graduate degree in a maximum of five years.

This program equips students with the skills needed to make meaningful contributions to efforts to strengthen communities, improve the efficient and effective delivery of public services, contribute to domestic and international organizations engaged in philanthropy and advocacy, and inform policymaking at the federal, state, and local level.

OU attracts many of the best and brightest students in the state, region, and nation, and our undergraduate curriculum does an excellent job of giving these students a strong foundation in liberal arts, critical thinking, global awareness, and analytical skills. This five-year program will allow students to couple their broad undergraduate training with a more focused, practitioner-oriented skill set that will make them more competitive in the job market and even more skilled when entering the workforce. Our core curriculum requires students to build a portfolio of experience in managing organizations, problem solving, evaluating programs, financial management, statistical expertise, and a more advanced understanding of the ways in which the political environment influences public and nonprofit organizations.

Accelerated Degree Program Degree Options

Political Science, BA/MPA

Public & Nonprofit Administration, BA/MPA

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ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Students must be a Political Science or Public and Nonprofit Administration major.
A minimum of one year of work must be completed in residence at the University of Oklahoma.
Students are expected to apply to the BA/MPA ADP program no later than the first semester of their junior year. Applications by the second semester of the sophomore year are preferred. Prospective students who do not meet the application deadline will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis.
Students must have a minimum 3.50 overall undergraduate GPA for admission.
After admissions to the ADP, a student is required to maintain a 3.00 GPA in each term.
The GRE is not required. Students are not expected to submit GRE scores as a requirement admission to the program since undergraduate credit fulfillment at the University of Oklahoma will provide information sufficient to judge aptitude and preparation for the MPA program.
Students who are not able to successfully complete the accelerated degree program must submit a request for an extension detailing the unusual circumstances justifying the delay in degree completion.

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APPLY

Prospective students must submit the following materials by the applicable deadline.

Application Form (pdf)
Two (2) Letters of Recommendation from persons in a position to speak knowledgeable about the applicant’s academic abilities. Typically, these would be academic references from OU faculty members. At least one letter should come from a current OU political science faculty member. These letters should be sent directly to:

Dr. Deven Carlson
Director of Graduate Programs in Public Administration
Department of Political Science
455 West Lindsey, 205-DAHT
Norman, OK 73019

Statement of Purpose (1-2 pages) articulating applicant’s motivation and desire to pursue the degree, proposed fields of study and career aspirations.
Unofficial OU Transcript.

DEADLINES

Fall: April 15th | Spring: October 15th

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