The Master of Arts in Public Affairs is designed to provide students with the knowledge and understanding that is required to relate effectively to the American public policy process. Graduates will be prepared to make significant contributions within the private and/or public sectors of American society.

The program provides the foundation for productive participation in organizations that are dedicated to the development, implementation, and evaluation of public policies in the United States. It makes accessible a set of perspectives that are valuable to persons in the private sector whose activities are substantially impacted by the public policy system. It is expected that the typical graduate will function within public organizations at the national, state, or local levels. However, the skills and expertise that are developed in the program contribute to the ability of the graduate to contribute to the success of non-profit and for-profit organizations in the private sector whose activities involve intense interactions with the public policy system.

The program emphasizes theoretical, practical, and methodological issues that are critical for the knowledgeable contributor and consumer of public policy in the American polity. Historical, empirical, and normative approaches are central to each element of the program. The norms of public service, sound governance, effective analysis, and knowledgeable evaluation are central to the design of the program. Therefore, the acquisition of relevant skills in quantitative and qualitative analyses are central expectations for all students who complete the program.

The program is designed to serve the needs of students who hold the bachelor's degree in any field. The criteria for admission to the program are those specified for the master's degree by the graduate school at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Admission is not dependent upon any particular subject matter expertise. However, each student will be expected to complete AHS 300 if he or she does not have an equivalent experience in his or her background. Instruction in the program assumes the level of intellectual development and maturity expected of an above average college graduate. The goals and interests of students rather than subject matter expertise are the primary criteria for the selection of students for participation in this program of instruction.

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    Morton Hall 250
    256.824.6192 Phone
    

 

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