University of Minnesota
HHH
http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/hhh
myU OneStop



The Humphrey School of Public Affairs is the University of Minnesota's school of policy and planning.


MPA: Traditional Classroom Learning Environment

Student who choose the traditional classroom format complete the 12 credits of courses listed below by coming to class once a week, participating in lectures, group meetings, and in-class discussions. The traditional format enables students to schedule courses at their own pace during semesters that work best for them. Students benefit from networking opportunities with faculty members, alumni, MPA peers, and international fellows; full access to support staff in Graduate Student Services and Career Services; and access to the School's website, podcasts, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages.

Students who choose the traditional classroom format must complete all of the 12 credits of courses listed below in this format; students do not have the option to move between the cohort and traditional programs to complete the core requirements.

Courses

The Master of Public Affairs core curriculum focuses on leadership abilities, critical thinking and analytic skills, systems thinking and an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving, and the ability to work and lead as part of a team. The traditional program covers these objectives in the following core courses:

PA 5941 Leadership for the Common Good (4 credits)
This course is the first course students take in the core curriculum. It meets fall semester (September-December) with a choice between a Monday evening section or a Thursday morning section. The focus of the course is on personal, team, organizational, visionary, political, and ethical aspects of leadership and building/experiencing a learning community. 

PA 8001 Transforming Public Policy (4 credits)
This course, the second in the core offerings, meets spring semester (January-May) on Monday evenings. PA 5941, Leadership for the Common Good, must be completed prior to taking this course. The focus of the course is development of interdisciplinary understanding of one or more policy areas through explorations of theory, readings, cases, and model-building exercises and articulating policy/system improvements and leadership implications for formulating/implementing them.

PA 5038 Analytics for Leaders I (2 credits)
This course can be taken alone or in conjunction with other courses (typically, with PA 5941, Leadership for the Common Good). It meets every other Friday evening in the fall semester. The course creates skills to do basic quantitative analyses, evaluate research, develop evidence-based policy, and lead data-driven organizations. It covers descriptive statistics, research design, and ethical issues in interpretation, analysis, and use.

PA 5039 Analytics for Leaders II (2 credits)
This course can be taken alone or in conjunction with other courses (typically, with PA 8001, Transforming Public Policy). PA 5038, Analytics for Leaders I, must be completed prior to taking this course. It meets every other Friday evening in the spring semester. The course continues skill building in basic quantitative analyses, evaluating research, developing evidence-based policy, and leading data-driven organizations. It includes descriptive statistics, research design, and ethical issues in interpretation, analysis, and use.

You also can take the above 12 credits as part of a Cohort Learning Community.