Required Core Courses:

• PS 501 Research Methods in Public Administration
• PS 530 Public Sector Organizations
• PS 538 Public Service Ethics
• PS 541 Human Resources Management in Public Administration
• PS 542 Public & Nonprofit Budgeting
• PS 560 Public Policy Theory OR PS 562 Public Policy Implementation & Evaluation
• PS 590 Capstone in Public Administration

Electives:

Students select 15 hours from the following or may substitute courses with their advisor’s approval; some students choose to complete graduate certificates to fulfill all or part of the elective course requirements:

• PS 500 Workshops in Public Administration (1.5 hours, may be repeated for credit)
• PS 512 Kentucky Government and Politics  
• PS 520 Elements of Public Administration  
• PS 526 Local Government Administration  
• PS 549 Special Problems in Public Administration  
• PS 550 Cultural Competencies for Public Administrators  
• PS 554 Cross-Sector Collaboration & Conflict  
• PS 564 Nonprofits & Public Policy  
• PS 566 Environmental Politics & Public Policy  
• PS 580 Directed Study  
• PS 597 Professional Seminar in Public Administration

Barren River Area Development District Local Government Employee Discount Program  

July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2025 

Consistent with WKU’s role as a regional lighthouse and recognizing the importance that local government employees play in the future success of the communities that we serve, Western Kentucky University has established the Local Government Employee Discount Program. Eligible local government employees will be offered a discounted tuition rate of $500/credit hour through June 30th, 2025.  

The discount program pertains to admission and costs related to courses offered by the Department of Political Science for WKU's Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and Graduate Certificate in Local Government Administration program offered to full-time employees of the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) and its member organizations. Member organizations include all local governments located in the 10 counties (Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmonson, Hart, Logan,Metcalfe, Monroe, Simson, and Warren county) that BRADD services.   

Who is Eligible for the Discount? 

Full-time employees of BRADD and its member organizations will be eligible to participate in the Local Government Employee Discount Program. To receive the discount, employees will need to: 

1. Apply and be accepted to the Graduate School. 
2. Be accepted for study in the MPA program or for the Graduate Certificate in Local Government Administration 
3. Submit signed verification of full-time employment. The signed verification of full-time employment should be e-mailed to polisci@wku.edu.  

Information on admission to the Graduate School can be found at: 
https://catalog.wku.edu/graduate/admission/ 

Apply Now

The application process involves the following:

Complete the Online Application for Admission found on the WKU Graduate School website.

Submit the required application fee.

Request that official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work (from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended) be sent directly to the WKU Graduate School. 

Minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) is required for full admission to the WKU Graduate School. In certain circumstances, a program may request that a student with less than a 2.75 GPA be conditionally admitted. For the WKU MPA program, the admissions committee makes the decision whether to conditionally admit a student.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores must be sent directly to the WKU Graduate School. (Note: Applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher from an accredited undergraduate institution and/or 3 years of relevant work experience in public service are exempt from the GRE requirement.)

Applicant should send the following directly to mpa@wku.edu:

• Statement of Purpose outlining how the MPA degree will help accomplish career goals and objectives
• current resume

Applicant should request two (2) letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic or employment experience and have the letters sent to mpa@wku.edu.

WKU uses Degree Works to audit progress toward completion of the MPA and other graduate degrees. Use the Degree Works Audit Dashboard to track coursework and related progress toward degree completion. Click here to access the Dashboard; you will need to enter your student ID.

Many students pursuing a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree at WKU choose elective courses that allow them to also complete a graduate certificate. The Department of Political Science offers a graduate certificate in Local Government Administration for students interested in careers in local and regional planning and economic development as well as local government management. Other WKU graduate certificates that are particularly relevant for MPA students include:

• Communicating in Organizations
• Emergency Management Disaster Science
• Nonprofit Administration
• Organizational Leadership

Courses other than the ones specifically listed in the Graduate Catalog can sometimes be substituted for approved courses. Course substitutions must be approved by the MPA Director, PCAL Dean, and the Graduate School prior to enrollment in any alternative course work. The Graduate Curriculum Exception Form is available on the Graduate School – Forms site, accessible here.

Up to 12 graduate credit (semester) hours of transfer credit from an accredited institution may be accepted toward meeting the course requirements for the MPA degree. Courses accepted for transfer credit must fall within the 6-year limit for degree completion. Requests for transfer credit must be approved by the MPA Director and the Graduate School. All requests for transfer credit must include supporting documentation regarding course content and requirements. Course outlines, syllabi and reading lists are appropriate for this requirement.

To earn the WKU MPA degree, students must complete 36 hours of approved graduate coursework as outlined in the Graduate Catalog, complete the Capstone experience (PS 590), and file the application for degree form (along with the requisite fees) with The Graduate School. The Application for Graduation form is available on the Graduate School – Forms site, accessible here. Students are expected to file for graduation either during the semester prior to the semester of graduation or early in the semester they expect to graduate.

All necessary course work must be completed (no unresolved grades of "incomplete”) with a minimum GPA of 3.0, all relevant forms filed, and fees paid before the MPA degree will be officially awarded.