Public Administration, MPA and Management Information Systems, MS (MPA/MIS)

School of Public Administration, College of Public Affairs & Community Service, Department of Information Systems & Quantitative Analysis, College of Information Science & Technology

Vision Statement

In government and non-profit organizations, there is a significant need and a long-term demand for persons with advanced skills in information management technology. The primary purpose of this dual degree option is to prepare students to manage and lead organizations in the future. To meet this need, the School of Public Administration and the College of Information Science & Technology offer the option to complete both the MPA and the MS in MIS degree jointly by completing 54-57 hours of course work beyond foundation requirements. This joint degree program is designed for dedicated students who are able to successfully complete graduate intensive study from two perspectives—public administration and management information systems—while achieving a synergy between the two fields. As such, the program involves graduate coursework in both public administration and information systems, with integrative experiences that will attain the desired synergy. Students interested in this option will work closely with a faculty mentor to develop an integrated plan of study at an early stage.

Program Contact Information

Public Administration

Tara Bryan, PhD, Graduate Program Chair (GPC)
111 College of Public Affairs & Community Service (CPACS)
402.554.2751
tbryan@unomaha.edu

Prospective Student Admissions:

Meagan Van Gelder, EdD, Senior Advisor
111 College of Public Affairs & Community Service (CPACS)
402.554.3480
mvandelder@unomaha.edu

Current Student Advisor:

James Harrold, PhD, Advisor
111 College of Public Affairs & Community Service (CPACS)
402.554.6702
jharrold@unomaha.edu

Management Information Systems

Emily Wiemers, Advisor II
170 Peter Kiewit Institute (PKI)
402.554.2070
ewiemers@unomaha.edu

Management Information Systems

Martina Greiner, PhD, Graduate Program Chair (GPC)
282B Peter Kiewit Institute (PKI)
402.554.2174
mgreiner@unomaha.edu

Program Website

Admissions

General Application Requirements and Admission Criteria

Program-Specific Requirements

Application Deadlines (Spring 2024, and Fall 2024)

  • Fall: June 1
  • Spring: October 1

Other Requirements

  • The general prerequisite for admission to the program is a four year bachelors' degree with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA of the junior-senior year (last 50-60 credit hours).
  • Entrance Exam: An entrance exam is waived for the academic year 2023/2024. Submitting GMAT or GRE scores with at least the minimum scores (GRE verbal: 144, GRE quantitative: 148, GMAT: 500) may strengthen your application.
  • English Language Proficiency: Applicants are required to have a command of oral and written English. Those who do not hold a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from the United States, OR a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from a predetermined country on the waiver list, must meet the minimum language proficiency score requirement in order to be considered for admission.

    • Internet-based TOEFL: 80, IELTS: 6.5, PTE: 53, Duolingo: 110
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Writing Sample: From work or previous academic experiences. Alternatively, if you do not have a writing sample, please submit a two page double-spaced word processed essay that addresses the following two topics:
    • Your unique personal qualities and life experiences that distinguish you from other applicants to our graduate program
    • Two accomplishments that demonstrate your potential for success in the graduate program
  • Resume: Indicate your work experience and background
  • Letters of Recommendation: Two letters of recommendation are required

Degree Requirements

MPA/MIS Foundation Courses

A student must have completed some basic courses either as an undergraduate student or prior to enrolling in the first MS in MIS course. Students may start MPA courses while completing the MIS foundation courses.

Six hours of programming coursework or equivalent experience:6
CIST 1600INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING USING PRACTICAL SCRIPTING3
ISQA 3900WEB APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT3
One semester of undergraduate information systems, or:3
INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND ETHICS
Select one of the following:3-6
AN OVERVIEW OF SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
and SYSTEM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
and MANAGING THE DATABASE ENVIRONMENT

Required Courses

MPA Core Courses
PA 8050FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC ADMINSTRATION3
PA 8090ORGANIZATION THEORY AND BEHAVIOR3
PA 8100ADVANCED MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP FOR PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT PROFESSIONALS3
PA 8400PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT BUDGETING3
PA 8300POLICY DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION3
PA 8530PLANNING AND EVALUATION3
MS in MIS Core Courses
ISQA 8210MANAGEMENT OF SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT3
ISQA 8220ADVANCED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN3
ISQA 8310IT INFRASTRUCTURE & CLOUD COMPUTING3
ISQA 8380ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE AND SYSTEMS INTEGRATION3
ISQA 8410DATA MANAGEMENT3
ISQA 8420MANAGING THE I.S. FUNCTION3
Methods Course
PA 8120ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING3
or ISQA 8060 RESEARCH IN MIS
MPA/MIS Electives
Select one of the following:12
Take a minimum of six hours each of ISQA elective courses and PA elective courses
Or select a MPA/MIS Specialty Area (see below)
Select one of the following (see below):6
Capstone Option
Thesis Option
Total Credits57

MPA/MIS Specialty Areas

Students may choose to specialize in the following areas (see details below), or in another area with the approval of their faculty advisor (all courses must be at the 8000-level):

Program Management

PA 8450SEMINAR IN ADVANCED MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS IN PUBLIC AGENCIES3
ISQA 8810INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT FUNDAMENTALS3
ISQA 8820PROJECT RISK MANAGEMENT3
PA/AVN 8480SEMINAR IN PUBLIC FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION3
Total Credits12

Financial Management Information Systems

PA/AVN 8480SEMINAR IN PUBLIC FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION3
ISQA/CYBR 8570INFORMATION SECURITY POLICY AND ETHICS3
Total Credits6

Health Care Information Systems

ISQA/CYBR 8570INFORMATION SECURITY POLICY AND ETHICS3
Advisor approved course3
Integrative Experience (Required)3-6
Total Credits9-12

MPA/MIS Exit Requirements

Capstone Option

MPA Capstone Course:

PA 8990CAPSTONE PROJECT IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION3

The MPA Capstone Course is taken at the end of the program, with no more than nine credit hours remaining. All Public Administration core classes must be completed prior to taking the Capstone Course.

MIS Capstone Course:

ISQA 8950CAPSTONE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS3

Six credit hours or fewer may be left in the program. All MIS core courses must have been completed. 

Thesis Option

To take this option, a student will be required to enroll in six hours of thesis credit.

ISQA 8990THESIS6

The thesis must be in an area that relates to both the public administration and information systems domains.

Total Credit Hours: 57