The Public Administration Department Website

    PA Director's Welcome

Welcome to the Department of Public Administration website, and thank you for your interest in our programs!

The Department of Public Administration provides graduate and undergraduate students with an understanding of the field of public administration and leadership skills required for  public service.

It gives me great pleasure to tell prospective students that our MPA program is one of the best in the state of Wisconsin with its commitment to academic excellence and a concern for the applied aspects of public administration.  Our vision is that UWO Public Administration graduates are exceptional leaders in their public service organizations and communities. Most of our graduates do hold high administrative positions in a variety of public, nonprofit and healthcare organizations.

We look forward to hearing from you, and welcome any questions you might have!

Sincerely,
Dr. Craig Maher

Master of Public Administration Program

Our students are mid-career professionals who come from throughout the region.   Their interests lie in all facets of public service management, including government, healthcare and non-profits.  To best meet their needs, our faculty are scholars in their respective fields and have also worked in various public service capacities, including public management, elected office and non-profit management.  This combination provides for top-notched training and a dynamic academic experience.

 At the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the MPA program provides advanced knowledge and training in managing public, nonprofit and healthcare organizations to graduate students through weekend, evening and online courses. The program combines a commitment to academic excellence with concern for the applied aspects of public administration. Our students are college graduates who have applicable work experience and demonstrate a desire to learn about the theories and practices of managing governmental and nonprofit organizations. Graduates of our program are successful leaders and lifelong learners.

 The UW-Oshkosh MPA program is unique in two ways. First, it seeks to synthesize coursework with employment experiences. Because professional experience is required, courses are designed to apply the theories and concepts of administration to real-world settings.

Second, the MPA program is strong in its commitment to the principle that professional education should be accessible to qualified people enrolled as part-time students. Most people who benefit from a degree in public administration work full time and have family obligations. Many live in communities or rural areas several hours away from the Oshkosh campus.

To provide accessibility, courses in the MPA core curriculum meet on five Saturdays during the semester. A limited number of courses are offered online.

MPA Program Classes

Classes are small (usually fewer than 20 students), and core courses are taught by regular faculty members who teach only in the MPA program. The small class size encourages students to get to know each other and begin to form the professional networks that will help them advance in their careers. Over the course of their studies, students have the opportunity to work closely with their professors, drawing on their special skills and areas of expertise.

Hybrid Classes

Some courses are offered in an hybrid format. The hybrid format requires students to meet at the maximum of  75% of the time in an assigned classroom during the semester. Remaining coursework occurs in an online discussion board and through chat sessions on D2L. This design facilitates a discussion-based format, while giving students flexibility in terms of the time of day they participate in the discussion session.

For further information, please contact:

Dr. Karen King, Ph.D.
Department of Public Administration
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
800 Algoma Blvd.
Oshkosh, WI 54901
(920) 424-3230
(920) 424-2319 (fax)

Or

Dr. Craig Maher, MPA Program Coordinator, Department Chair
Department of Public Administration
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
800 Algoma Blvd.
Oshkosh, WI 54901
(920) 424-3230
(920) 424-2319 (fax)