Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The public administration graduate program at Mississippi State is being reaccredited for six more years.
In a recent letter to Edward Clynch of the university's department of political science and public administration, Jeffrey Raffel said the master's degree curriculum in public policy and administration "has been found to be in conformity with NASPAA standards" and continues on the organization's roster of accredited programs. Six years is the standard time between the organization's required reviews and assessments.
Raffel is peer review/accreditation commission chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. Clynch, a veteran professor and government budgetary specialist, coordinates the MSU program.
Established some two decades ago, the MPPA degree program currently enrolls nearly 30 full-time students. Slightly more than that number participate on a part-time basis, many in an intense weekend-class section.
During the 2003-04 academic year--the period cited in the review process--the program awarded some 21 degrees. African-Americans and women each numbered a dozen in this group.
"Our program serves both pre- and in-career students," Clynch said. "We are especially proud that our graduates work at all levels of Mississippi government, with several serving as legislators and senior state officials.
"As examples," he added, "they range from Columbus fire chief Ken Moore to state gaming commission director Larry Gregory to Lt. Gov. Amy Tuck."
Clynch said MSU also has launched the federal careers of many graduates, a number of whom were selected for highly coveted Presidential Management Fellows positions (formerly the Presidential Management Intern Program).
In addition to 30 credit hours of required courses, participants also must complete a
12-hour elective concentration in one of several areas, among them public finance, human resources management and environmental policy.
The department of political science and public administration is a part of the College of Arts and Sciences, MSU's largest academic unit.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information on the MPPA program, contact Dr. Clynch at (662) 325-7852 or ejc1@ps.msstate.edu.