Overview
Master of Public Administration (MPA) is the flagship degree program of IAS. University of the Punjab was the first to launch MPA degree in Pakistan in the year 1962. The Institute of Administrative Sciences has revamped and upgraded this program. The upgraded program is specifically designed as a blend of the theoretical and practical knowledge which equips students with the nuanced skills and perspectives to pursue the public interest. The upgraded MPA program counts as 18 years of education and hence is equivalent to MS/MPhil degree. Moreover, the upgraded MPA degree is in line with the HEC’s road map for management education.
Requirement
The applicant must have sixteen years of education (MA/BS 4 years in Management/social sciences or equivalent as per university criteria) for admission in MPA degree program. The minimum CGPA / percentage / division requirement is 3.0/70%/1st respectively as per HEC criteria for admission in MS/MPhil degrees.
The maximum duration for completion of MPA degree is 4 years. However, it is important to note that the students exceeding 2 years will not be entitled to facilities such as hostel accommodation, medical care and transportation, which are normally available to the regular students of the Punjab University.
| Academic Qualifications | 40 marks |
| Admission Test | 40 marks |
| Interview | 20 marks |
| Total | 100 marks |
Career
MPA is a professional postgraduate degree which is designed to produce future managers and leaders of government, civil society, third sector and market organizations. MPA graduates are well accepted in the market and are also eligible for admission to the PhD program of IAS.
Structure
MPA is a two-years program. The maximum duration for completion is four years. However, the students exceeding two years will not be entitled to any facility normally available to regular students such as hostel accommodation, medical care and transportation. Students of self-supporting programs are not entitled to hostel accommodation.
Credit Hours
The MPA degree shall be awarded upon completion of coursework (30 credit hours) and an internship based dissertation (6 credit hours). The coursework consists of core, management competencies and elective courses. The following are the requirements for MPA degree:
Core Courses
- Governance, Public Administration & Development
- Public Policy and Management
- Human Behavior in Public Organizations
- Public Financial Management and Budgeting
- Program and Policy Evaluation
- Social Research Methods
- Designing Social Research
- Quantitative & Qualitative Data Analysis
Elective Courses
- Comparative Public
- Administration/Public Policy
- Organizational Theory & Public Management
- Government & Politics
- Modeling and Operations Research
- Governance and Public Management in Pakistan
Core Courses 06
| Management Competencies Courses | 09 |
| Elective Courses | 09 |
| Dissertation | 06 |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 |
Medals & Awards
The first position holder of MPA degree program is/are awarded with three gold medals: Punjab University Gold Medal, Shaikh Laique Ali Gold Medal and Mirza Book Agency Gold Medal.