The College of Public Service (CPS) and the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences (LAS) have partnered to offer a dual graduate degree program in Public Administration and Sociology.

This innovative program allows students to earn both a Master of Public Administration (MPA) and a Master of Arts (MA) in Sociology simultaneously, providing a strong foundation for a career in public service and social justice.

The MPA degree is a generalist program that prepares students for a range of roles in public and nonprofit management and policy analysis. The MA in Sociology, on the other hand, equips students with the methodological and theoretical frameworks to better understand social life and promotes a vision of social justice.

By completing both degrees together, students can earn their dual MPA and MA in Sociology in just 53 credit hours, as opposed to the 66 credit hours required if each degree were pursued separately. The program includes foundation coursework in both disciplines and allows students to choose elective courses based on their interests and career goals.

Graduates of the program will be well-equipped to take on leadership positions in public and nonprofit programs that tackle important social issues. The program's culminating experience is a collaboration between the two programs, and students without significant professional experience in public service will be required to complete a 3-credit-hour internship.

With the Dual MPA and MA in Sociology, students can better understand key social phenomena using multiple lenses and work collaboratively to address the challenges facing society today.

While the MPA courses of this dual degree can be taken on campus, online, and in hybrid modalities, the MA Sociology courses of this dual degree can only be taken on campus.  The entire dual MPA and MA is Sociology cannot be taken fully online.

Prerequisites

MPA:

A bachelor's degree from a college or university of accredited standing, with grades sufficiently high to indicate the ability to pursue graduate work. The applicant may have majored in any field for the undergraduate degree. Students should have a 3.00 (or better) undergraduate grade point average.

MA/SOC:

A bachelor’s degree from a college or university of accredited standing or have completed work equivalent for such a degree and equivalent to the degree given at this University. The applicant should have at least a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average, adequate preparation to begin graduate study in sociology, and show promise for advanced study and research, as judged by the applicant’s previous scholastic record. Students may be admitted as provisional degree students due to the following reasons:

• An undergraduate major in a field other than sociology
• Undergraduate record shows strong potential but struggled with core classes essential for successful completion of a graduate degree in Sociology at UCCS
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA is below 3.0

Students admitted provisionally may have additional specific requirements that must be met prior to being admitted as regularly admitted students.

Application Materials

• Online Graduate School Application
• $60 non-refundable application fee
• Unofficial transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended (official transcripts will be collected by the graduate college prior to the end of the first semester)
• Current resume
• Goal statement:
  • Approximately 2 pages
  • Describe your interest in the dual MPA/MA SOC program
  • Explain how the program relates to your current qualifications, education, and experience in a way that helps you meet your academic and professional goals and objectives.
• Contact information, including email address, for three qualified references that establish the applicant's qualifications for graduate work (professors, employers, and/or others acquainted with the prospective student's professional and/or academic work)

Deadlines

The application deadline for Fall admission is April 15^th and the application deadline for Spring admission is November 15^th.

Additional Resources for Admissions:

• Tuition Rate
• Cost of Tuition Estimator
• Financial Aid
• Scholarships

Please visit the UCCS Academic Catalog for course descriptions and detailed program requirements.