Students may choose to study either full time or part time:
normal full time load is 9.0 - 15.0 credit hours of courses per term
normal part time load is 6.0 credit hours of courses per term (maximum load is 7.5 credit hours of courses)
MPA 1 and MPA 2 courses are offered at the Keele Campus.
September or January admission is possible.
PROGRAM LENGTH
The length of time required to complete the MPA will depend on a number of factors, including a student's previous educational and work experience, and choice of study options:
FULL-TIME STUDY
minimum of 16 months over 4 consecutive terms
average of 20 months with summer off
maximum of 24 months over 6 terms
PART-TIME STUDY
minimum of 40 months over 10 consecutive terms
average of 48 months over 12 terms (using possibility of taking time off during studies)
maximum of 72 months over 18 terms (using possibility of taking time off during studies)
ADVANCED STANDING/WAIVER WITH REPLACEMENT
For students with a previous 4-year honours under-graduate degree in political science and at least two years of employment experience in the public sector, it may be possible to obtain advanced standing for the Required MPA Core Courses: SB/PUBL 5500 3.00, SB/PUBL 6200 3.00 and SB/PUBL 6800 3.00. Students without two years of suitable experience may receive waiver with replacement and must use Optional MPA Core Courses as their replacements. Decisions on advanced standing and waiver with replacement will be made by the MPA Program Director upon petition by an applicant at the time of application.
For students with a previous 4-year honours under- graduate business degree (e.g. BComm; BBA) and two years’ full-time work experience, it is possible that the total required MPA courses can be reduced from 60.0 credit-hours to as few as 30.0 credit-hours. This is the result of the awarding of advanced standing for previous undergraduate business courses (each applicant’s case is considered individually and advanced standing requests must be made at the time of application to the MPA).
FULL-TIME STUDY
minimum of 8 months over 2 consecutive terms
average of 12 months
maximum of 24 months over 6 terms (using possibility of taking time off during studies)
PART-TIME STUDY
part-time study is possible
WAIVER WITH REPLACEMENT
For students with some prior undergraduate business courses but no undergraduate business degree, it is possible that MPA 1 individual course requirements may be waived and elective courses substituted in their place (each applicant’s case is considered individually and waiver with replacement requests must be made at the time of application to the MPA).
FULL-TIME STUDY
minimum of 16 months over 4 consecutive terms
average of 20 months with summer off
maximum of 24 months over 6 terms (using possibility of taking terms off during studies)
PART-TIME STUDY
part-time study is possible
GRADING SYSTEM
Letter Grade
Index
Interpretation
A+
9
A
8
Excellent
A-
7
B+
6
B
5
Good
B-
4
C+
3
C
2
Acceptable
C-
1
F
0
Fail
P
0
Pass (Courses taken on exchange)
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
overall grade point average (GPA) of 4.4 (B-)
successful completion of 60 credit-hours of courses, consisting of:
~
27.0 credit-hours of Required Foundations of Management Core Courses
~
3.0 credit-hours of Required MPA 1 Core Courses
~
12.0 credit-hours of Required MPA 2 Core Courses
~
6.0 credit-hours of Optional MPA Core Courses
~
12.0 credit-hours of Optional Recommended Schulich School (or) Faculty of Arts electives
ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Explanation of Terms
MPA 1 = the first half of the MPA program
MPA 2 = the second half of the MPA program
3.00 = the code used for courses of one term (13 weeks in length) which are worth 3.0 credit-hours
1.50 = the code used for courses of one half-term (6 weeks in length) which are worth 1.5 credit-hours
LAUNCH WEEK
required at the beginning of Term 1
MPA 1
REQUIREMENTS:
27.0 credit-hours of Required Foundations of Management Core Courses
at least 6.0 credit-hours of Optional MPA 2 Core Courses, and
12.0 credit-hours of Optional Recommended Schulich School (or) Faculty of Arts graduate-level electives. Students may apply to take other graduate-level electives outside Schulich by special arrangement with the MPA Program Director.
