Program Description

The Master of Public Affairs degree program at The University of Texas at Dallas equips students with the advanced training and expertise they need to succeed in national, state and local governmental agencies as well as nonprofits, think tanks and industry. Developed by top-tier faculty in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences — and accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) — the Public Affairs program ensures that students graduate with the following:

• An understanding of the philosophical, theoretical and legal foundations of public management, policymaking and leadership in government and nonprofit settings.
• An advanced proficiency in organizational analysis, understanding of social equality and belonging strategies, research and evaluation practice and quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Mastery of persuasive written and oral communication.

Ranked #3 in Texas by U.S. News and World Report, the Public Affairs program teaches students how to lead large, complex organizations and conduct complex policy analyses. With a thorough understanding of public and nonprofit management, students are prepared to take on leadership positions in all organizational environments, particularly public and nonprofit institutions.

Benefits

The Public Affairs master’s program ensures that students gain a broad understanding of their discipline, apply their knowledge and analytical skills to create effective and novel solutions to practical problems and communicate and work effectively across varied populations and in collaborative environments.

Other benefits include:

• World-Class Faculty: The program is led by faculty of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences who are widely cited experts in their respective fields.
• Comprehensive Curriculum: Courses in the Public Affairs master’s program will introduce students to new ideas, technologies, and competencies while preparing them to succeed in both public and private sectors.
• Facilities: Students have full access to four state-of-the-art computer laboratories housed in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. All computers are network linked and hold full suites of leading survey, qualitative, spatial and statistical analysis software, including Qualtrics, NVivo, R, STATA, and SAS.
• Location: Situated in the greater Dallas region — recently rated by Forbes magazine as the #1 “Best City for Jobs” — UT Dallas provides students with easy access to employers and internship opportunities, not to mention a large and supportive alumni population.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Public Affairs master’s program have gone on to pursue professional careers in a wide variety of fields. Recent graduates have found jobs such as:

• City manager
• Government and nonprofit executive
• Human resources director
• Policy analyst
• Local government and nonprofit manager
• Police officer or firefighter
• Management analyst
• Financial analyst
• Public sector consultant

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

Application Deadlines and Requirements

Please take note of all application deadlines and visit the Apply Now webpage to begin the application process. See the Public Affairs program website for additional information.

Applicants to the Communication Disorders master’s degree program should have:

• A baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an institution of higher education.
• A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale.
• Test Scores: Not required.
• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation from individuals who can judge the candidate’s potential for success in the master’s degree program.
• A resume.
• Admissions Essay: Applicants must submit a narrative outlining 1) academic interests, 2) current or long-range interests in research, teaching, or other professional objectives, 3) description of publications or other scholarly endeavors and 4) listing of academic and professional organizations and fellowships, scholarships, or other honors received.
• International applicants must submit a TOEFL score of at least 80 on the internet-based test. Scores must be less than two years old. See the Graduate Catalog for additional information regarding English proficiency requirements for international applicants.

To be guaranteed consideration for admission, fall admission applications must be received by July 1, and spring admission applications must be received by Nov. 1. Incomplete applications received after these dates will not be considered for admission during the designated semester. Students who do not meet these deadlines must reapply for the following semester.

About the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

Founded in 1975 as the School of Social Sciences, the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) is a compact, focused policy school embedded within a large, Carnegie-recognized Tier One university. EPPS students receive all of the benefits of studying at a major research university while also capitalizing on personalized instruction and close connections with faculty and classmates of a small college.

An EPPS education is interdisciplinary. Our nine discipline areas include:

• Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Cyber and Big Data Analytics
• Economics
• Geospatial Information Sciences
• Political Science
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Public Policy and Political Economy
• Public Health, and
• Sociology

All nine disciplines are interrelated, and an understanding of one informs a better understanding of the others. For this reason, we encourage our students to explore the various majors and minors within EPPS and to take classes across majors. 

As an undergraduate in EPPS, you will have the opportunity to work with professors who are probing issues that will affect your future. You will develop the vital skills you need to thrive in a rapidly evolving, highly competitive job market. EPPS will prepare you for careers in government, non-profits and the private sector that enable you to make a real difference in the world of today and tomorrow.  The school has six affiliated centers and initiatives:

• Texas Schools Project

• Institute for Urban Policy Research
• Army ROTC – Comet Battalion
• North Texas Quality of Life Initiative
• Taiwan Studies Program
• Initiative for Civil Leadership

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts: Criminology, economics, geospatial information sciences, international political economy, political science, public affairs, public health, public policy, sociology

Master of Science: Applied sociology, criminology, cyber security, technology and policy, economics, geospatial information sciences, international political economy, social data analytics and research

Master of Arts: Political science

Master of Public Affairs: Public affairs

Master of Public Policy: Public policy

Doctor of Philosophy: Criminology, economics, geospatial information sciences, political science, public affairs, public policy and political economy

Undergraduate Certificates

Undergraduate Certificates

EPPS offers the following 12-hour undergraduate certificates, which generally can be completed in one year of part-time evening classes:

• Nonprofit Management: designed to provide an overview of the nature and context of nonprofit organizations and develop competencies needed by nonprofit managers.

Graduate Certificates

EPPS offers the following 15-hour graduate certificates, which generally can be completed in one year of part-time evening classes:

• Arts Management and Leadership: focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary to work in the nonprofit sector professional settings providing visual or performing arts content and services.
• Economic and Demographic Data Analysis: focusing on the understanding and application of quantitative analysis of demographic and economic data.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS): focusing on the application of GIS in government, private sector and scientific areas.
• Geospatial Intelligence: focusing on the application of geospatial ideas and techniques to national security and other intelligence activity.
• International Banking and Monetary Systems: focusing on applications for monetary economics, forecasting, and macroeconomic aspects of banking
• Local Government Management: designed to broaden knowledge of important issues and approaches employed by professional local public administrators.
• Nonprofit Management: designed to provide an overview of the nature and context of nonprofit organizations and develop competencies needed by nonprofit managers.
• Program Evaluation: designed to provide students the opportunity to gain competencies in the design and implementation of program evaluations in fields such as education, health care, human services, criminal justice and economic development.
• Public Budgeting and Financial Management: designed to enhance students’ understanding and experience in public budgeting and financial management and control, governmental or non-profit accounting, and public expenditure planning, management, and fiscal control.
• Public Human Resources Management: designed to give students a full introduction to the principles, strategies, and techniques of public human resources management.
• Remote Sensing: focusing on remote sensing and digital image processing.
• Spatial Data Science: focusing on big data handling, machine learning, programming skills, and capabilities in geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing/drone, geovisualization, locational intelligence, and spatial pattern analysis.
• Nonprofit Management: designed to broaden knowledge of important issues in the nonprofit sector and learn practical skills of managing people and data that are key to securing managerial positions and being successful in the nonprofit sector.