Welcome! From orientation to graduation, we are here to guide graduate students on their academic paths in the Master of Public Administration program.
The mission of MPA academic advising is to partner with students to create meaningful educational plans that are compatible with their interests, abilities, career, and life goals.
The Director of Academic Advising & Student Life serves as academic advisor for all MPA students by providing information regarding core and elective options, information on procedures for adopting a minor in public policy or a graduate certificate, and assistance with the Inter-Institutional Program registration process.
Goals and Responsibilities of Advisors:
- Understand and communicate the mission, curriculum, and academic policies of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Graduate School, and the MPA Program.
- Build partnerships with students as a means of support during their graduate career.
- Encourage and support the self-exploration and identity development of MPA students.
- Support the development of educational plans consistent with the interests, abilities, and career goals of MPA students.
- Protect student rights to educational privacy per FERPA.
Each student will be required to attend at least one (1) advising session prior to their first semester. Students are encouraged to request additional advising appointments as needed on the booking page. The typical academic advising cycle will begin prior to the university’s course registration cycle.
Students are expected to:
- keep up with their progress in the MPA Program and to ask questions regarding that process when needed
- Communicate openly with your advisor regarding academic goals and plans.
- Discuss academic concerns and difficulty with the advisor in a timely manner. Be honest about anything that may hinder your success in the MPA Program.
- Read program and university communications regarding curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular opportunities as well as familiarize yourself with policies and deadlines. Ask plenty of questions!
Specific faculty advisors are not assigned unless an individual request is made. Students who decide to focus on certain areas of interest often make these requests. Common areas of interest include the following:
- Local Government Management
- Financial Management
- Nonprofit Management
- Economic Development
- Public Policy
The MPA Course Planner is an interactive website where you can plan out your course requirements by term. Please update it any time your plans change. Please see the Course Planner page for further resources.
The Office of the University Registrar has produced several videos to help Graduate Students with using Connect Carolina.
If at any point students have questions, they should
contact Elizabeth Langefeld, Associate Director of Academic Advising and Student Life.
Class Offerings Standard Fall Class Offerings: Standard Spring Class Offerings: Current Term Section Schedule:
Class Attendance Please see the Policies page for weather-related cancellation policies as well as university absence policies. In addition, we have developed a protocol of practice Protocol of Practice for on-campus courses where medically-related requests for absence may arise.
Inter Institutional Courses The Inter-Institutional Program makes it possible for UNC-CH students to take classes at other participating institutions, including Duke University and North Carolina State University. Guidelines and procedures for inter-institutional registration are available on the Office of the University Registrar’s Inter-Institutional Program website found here. Please note, the onus is on the student to understand what course options are available as well as term start and end dates for the other participating institution.
Dual Degrees On-campus students who choose to pursue dual degrees must be admitted separately to the MPA program and to the companion program. Dual degree programs have been established with the School of Law, the Department of City and Regional Planning, the School of Social Work, and the School of Information and Library Science. Advisors in both degree programs must approve the joint plan. Master of Public Administration and Juris Doctor The combined degrees of Master of Public Administration and Juris Doctor (MPA/JD) may be earned by enrollment in the UNC-Chapel Hill Master of Public Administration program and the School of Law. The dual degree program requires four years of class work, along with a 10-week summer internship. Admission to the MPA Program and the School of Law must be gained independently through separate applications to each program. For more information about the UNC-Chapel Hill Law School, visit this site or call 919.962.5106. Our current contact in the School of Law is Sharon Sessoms. Master of Public Administration and Master of City and Regional Planning The combined program in public administration and planning at UNC-Chapel Hill provides students two complementary, but complete and distinct, areas of training. The MCRP requirements ensure preparation in core planning knowledge and skills. The MPA requirements ensure preparation in core management knowledge and techniques, such as budgeting and public finance, human resource management, and program evaluation. For more information about City and Regional Planning at UNC-Chapel Hill, visit this site or call 919.962.3983. Our current contact is Sarah Ward. Master of Public Administration and Master of Social Work The combined program in public administration and social work is designed to prepare students for public service leadership roles in the human services. The program will ensure that candidates for the dual degree have two complementary, but complete and distinct, areas of professional competence. The MSW requirements ensure mastery of foundation social work knowledge, values and skills. The MPA requirements ensure mastery of core public management knowledge and techniques. For more information about the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work, visit this site or call 919.962.1225. Our current contact is Sarah Naylor. Master of Public Administration and Information and Library Science The MPA/MSIS and MPA/MSLS dual degree programs are designed to prepare students for the significant information management tasks/issues/policies they will confront in a public sector career. The MPA requirements ensure mastery of core public management knowledge and techniques. The MSIS and MSLS requirements prepare students for a career in the field of information and library science. For more information about the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science, visit this site or call 919.962.8366. Our current contact is Lara Bailey.
Public Policy Minor Students with a special interest in public policy have the option of seeking a graduate minor through the Department of Public Policy. The Department of Public Policy offers a formal Graduate Minor for interested students enrolled in other policy-related graduate programs at UNC-Chapel Hill. Interested students must be enrolled for a graduate major in any relevant UNC academic unit, and once enrolled may apply to complete the minor requirements as well. Additional information can also be found here. The purpose of the minor is to allow students in related areas of study to complete an appropriate set of public policy courses in addition to their major degree program and to bring students from these fields into closer contact with other students and faculty who share interests in public policy. Our current contact is Dr. Sudhanshu Handa. Process:
Concentrations Concentrations give students the flexibility to tailor the Carolina MPA experience to a specific public administration discipline. Each of our four concentrations offers up to 11 electives, providing the depth of material needed to gain specialized knowledge and skills in the discipline of interest. Students are also encouraged to select a Professional Work Experience (PWE) that ties into the particular concentration as well. A few notes regarding concentrations: Requirements: Students who want to complete a concentration in a particular area must earn credit in nine hours from the listing of electives provided in each concentration description below. Community and Economic Development Local Government Nonprofit Management The Public Management concentration provides students with a foundation in the art, science, and profession of public service. Students gain grounding in the organizational structures, managerial practices, and institutionalized values by which officials enact the work of public organizations. Public Policy In addition to the Public Policy minor, students may alternatively pursue a Public Policy concentration. Courses are approved for the concentration by Dr. Whitney Afonso.
The community and economic development concentration can empower students with the insights and leadership skills needed to drive transformative change within various types of communities.
In the local government concentration, students will acquire skills and strategies for building strong, sustainable local communities and for making a meaningful difference in residents’ lives.
In the nonprofit management concentration, students will gain deeper insight into the unique challenges and characteristics of nonprofit organizations as well as the competencies critical to a career in nonprofit leadership.
Certificates General Graduate Certificate Programs Information: Several programs across campus offer graduate certificate programs. The Official Listing of Certificate Programs approved by the Graduate School can be found here. Each certificate noted in the list linked above has its own requirements and the onus is on the student to understand those requirements, apply for the certificate and plan their academic coursework to meet both the certificate and MPA degree requirements. For any Graduate School Certificate Program: The total number of academic credits transferred from the certificate program to the MPA degree shall not exceed 40% of the total number of hours required for the Certificate. Additionally, the total number of overall hours required for the MPA degree (45 credit hours) does not change.
Financial Aid and Tuition Payments The UNC Office of Scholarships and Student Aid has staff dedicated to helping graduate students understand their options for student aid. They have provided resources specific to online MPA students: The University Cashier maintains all details on tuition and fees, as well as payment options. Students may be interested in their information on: