Upon recommendation of the faculty, the chairperson may grant Probationary Admission to applicants who have undergraduate GPAs of at least 2.4 and who meet all other requirements for Regular Admission. Such applicants must possess baccalaureate degrees and must meet Requirement B of the —Regular Admission Requirements. As described above, Requirement B can be fulfilled using related coursework, professional experience, or a test score. Students admitted in a probationary status are subject to initial performance requirements more stringent than those imposed upon others, as described below under Probation and Dismissal.

To enroll in MPA classes on non-degree basis, each prospective student must submit documentation that he/she is currently enrolled in good standing in another graduate program, either at Kentucky State University or elsewhere, or submit a transcript demonstrating that he/she possesses an earned bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with an undergraduate GPA of 2.4 or higher.

Up to 12 semester credit hours of appropriate graduate-level course work may be transferred into the Master of Public Administration program from Kentucky State University another college or university, provided that work has not been used to fulfill requirements for a degree earned at the institution.

The Master of Public Administration program is designed to serve both in-service students (those with work experience) and pre-service students (those without work experience), and focuses on problem-solving methods. The academic component is supported by a variety of applied research activities. Each of the research activities is designed to provide the student with research skills, as well as a body of knowledge and information needed by practicing public administrators. Master of Public Administration degree requirements may be completed with 42 semester credit hours of graduate-level coursework. A 3 credit hour internship is a suggested for all pre-service Master of Public Administration students.

A professional core of knowledge is expected of each Master of Public Administration candidate. It includes perspectives on public administration, quantitative methods, research methods and policy analysis, public sector economics, organization theory, computer applications, public personnel management, public sector economics, and budgeting in government agencies. Upon completion of these core courses, the student must choose a specialty area for advanced coursework. Students newly admitted to the Master of Public Administration program must take PUA 500 (Perspectives on Public Administration) during their first semester of enrollment.

The Master of Public Administration program offers four specialty areas in response to the various needs for public sector expertise. These specialty areas include: Human Resource Management, International Development, Management Information Systems, and Nonprofit Management and Community Development. Students may select their final 9 semester credit hours from two different graduation options: thesis or coursework. All students must take a comprehensive examination over the core and specialty areas. An oral defense of the thesis is required of those students who elect to undertake that option.

A 3 semester credit hour background course, PUA 600 (Seminar on American Political Institutions and Public Policies), is required of international students and others with limited academic backgrounds in American public administration.

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