Department of Political Science
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
Ames, Iowa
University Overview
Iowa State University, one of the nation’s oldest and most
respected land-grant universities, is one of only 59 major
research institutions named to the prestigious Association of
American Universities. Iowa State was designated the
nation’s first land-grant college in 1984 and conferred its
first graduate degree in 1877. Since 1959, it has been known
as Iowa State University of Science and Technology. Today,
true to its strategic plan and its historical imperative, Iowa
State continually strives to be the foremost land-grant
institution in the nation, dedicated to research and
intellectual growth, and providing outstanding
undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs.
Iowa State has an enrollment of 27,000 students, nearly 5000
of which are graduate and professional students, and a faulty
of more than 1,750. Every state and more than 100 foreign
countries are represented in the student body, exposing
students to ideas from other cultures both in and out of
classroom.
Graduate Program Overview
Iowa State offers a professional Masters of Public
Administration degree program (MPA). The Program is
designed to educate and train students for careers in
management and policy analysis at the federal, state, and
local levels of government, nonprofit sector management,
and those who are seeking careers in international
management. The Program serves a diverse student body,
including both pre-service students and in-service employees
in government and nonprofit organizations. The curriculum
covers a broad area of public administration and policy,
including organizational and administrative processes,
leadership in a turbulent environment, organizational change
dynamics, human resource management, budgeting, cost
benefit analysis, financial management, policy analysis,
ethics, and international management. The Program offers
three tracks: Public Management, Policy Analysis, and
International Management.
The MPA degree requires 37 credit hours, which includes (a)
12 credit hours in Core Competency, (b) 12 credit hours in
one of the Concentration areas, (c) 3-7 credit hours in
Research Method, (d) Electives up to 7 credit hours, (e) 3
credit hours of Internship, and (f) 3 credit hours of Creative
Component (a Capstone Project). The Program also offers a
Certificate of Public Management program (CPM), which
requires a completion of 15 credit hours: 12 credit hours in
the Core, 3 credit hours in Quantitative Methods, and one
additional course in the area of student interest. Classes are
offered both in Ames and in Des Moines. Some classes are
also available via ICN and Web.
Degrees Offered
MPA
Certificate of Public Management program (CPM)
Joint masters degrees with the Department of Community
and Regional Planning, the Department of Human
Development and Family Studies, and the Information
Assurance Program.
Tracks or Specializations
Public Management
Policy Analysis
International Management
Admissions
Requirements for admission are a graduate school
application, an essay (250-300 words) stating purposes for
study, college transcripts, the GRE (waived for those with
five or more years of public sector experience), three letters
of recommendation, and the TOEFL for international
students.
Contact Information
Director of the Public Policy and Administration Program
Department of Political Science
Iowa State University
529 Ross Hall
Ames, IA 50011-1204
Fax: (515) 294-1003
Phone: (515) 294-7256
E-mail:
Web : www.iastate.edu