Overview
The University of Kentucky offers a 2-year, 45 credit-hour professional Master of Public Administration degree through the Graduate School. The University's College of Engineering offers a 4-year, 132 credit-hour Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree. The dual degree program allows students to complete the requirements for both degrees in five years.
A typical student in this program will enroll in the College of Engineering as a freshman and take required Engineering courses for three years. In the fourth year, the student will begin to take MPA courses. In the fifth year, the student will take only MPA courses. An internship takes place in the summer following the fifth year of coursework. At the end of five years, the student has completed the requirement for the BS in Engineering and the Master of Public Administration.
Admissions
A student desiring admission to the dual degree program is required to apply formally and independently to both programs. Admission standards are the same as if the student were applying solely to one program. To be admitted, the applicant is required to meet the independent admission standards of the College of Engineering, the Martin School, and the Graduate School.
For the MPA program, application is made to the Graduate School. Students who do not hold an awarded Bachelor's Degree must have at least 90 hours of undergraduate credits to apply to the Graduate School. An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required. In addition to course grades, the applicant's performance on the GRE and letters of recommendation are considered to establish admission eligibility.
For the College of Engineering, application is made to a specific department within the College. All departments specify prerequisite courses with a minimum GPA of 2.25 or above. The cumulative grade point average includes all college-level work taken at the University of Kentucky or elsewhere.
The MPA Director of Graduate Studies and the College of Engineering Undergraduate Advisor serve as an advising team, each in their respective schools, for all prospective and newly admitted students.
The dual degree program is suitable for full-time students only. Students independently pursuing the BS in Engineering who wish to enter the dual degree program will typically apply during the third year of study. At minimum, the student must have completed 90 credit-hours prior to beginning MPA coursework.
Curriculum
The Master of Public Administration degree requires 27 credit-hours of core courses plus a 3 credit-hour internship and 15 credit-hours in an area of concentration. Core courses are taken by all MPA students regardless of their area of concentration interests.
The College of Engineering offers a 4-year curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Science in Engineering. University Study and elective courses constitute some of the required hours for completion of the Engineering degree.
Under the dual degree program, MPA elective courses (15 hours) can be satisfied by College of Engineering courses that are taken after admission to the Graduate School. These courses must be at the 400G level or higher. All 400G and 500 level courses will count toward the graduate grade point average. A maximum of 12 credit-hours of these elective courses can be taken prior to the receipt of the Bachelor of Science degree and count toward both the Bachelor's and Master's degrees.
The required internship is with an administrative agency that engages in engineering activities. There is a 400-hour work requirement with the internship. Most students satisfy the internship requirement during the summer.
For additional information, please contact:
Sarah O. Lee, Student Services
Martin School of Public Policy and Administration
413 Patterson Office Tower
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0027
Phone: (859) 257-5594
Fax: (859) 323-1937
Email: solee@uky.edu