Program Requirements

Certificate Requirements

Graduation Requirements

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Full Description

The Global Issues undergraduate certificate examines a range of global issues through the framework of sustainable development, an approach to public policy-making that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable development policies seek to address the world’s most pressing "wicked problems" through cooperative action as a global community. Examples include poverty, hunger, inequality, access to education, health and well-being, climate change and sustainable communities. The certificate is an excellent complement to any major and enables students to more fully understand how their major field of study can have a positive impact on the world around them.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Communicate the basic concepts of sustainable development policy approaches to global issues and their relevance to the student’s major field of study.
2. Articulate the importance of international cooperation for addressing global issues.
3. Articulate the importance of strong local, national and international public institutions for addressing global issues.

Program Requirements

Certificate Requirements

¹

Certificate electives must be from at least two different disciplines.

Graduation Requirements

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Full Description

The Master of Public Administration degree in Public Administration is designed for students wishing to become policy analysts, managers and executives within public and nonprofit organizations. The curriculum provides students with a broad foundation in public and nonprofit management, including the scope and history of public administration, administrative theory, ethical behavior in public management, public financial management, program evaluation, methods, personnel management and information technology management.

The M.P.A. degree can be completed in two years by taking two courses each term, including summers. Courses are offered in an asynchronous online format in back-to-back seven-week sessions. Courses utilize a mix of web-based instruction supported by audio and video technologies direct to the respective student's home.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale¹
• Official transcript(s)
• Goal statement
• Current résumé
• Writing sample (single-authored paper or manuscript completed in undergraduate or graduate school that exemplifies the applicant's critical thinking skills)
• Three letters of recommendation from faculty or individuals familiar with the applicant's ability to do graduate-level work
• English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:²
  • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
  • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
  • Minimum 58 PTE score
  • Minimum 110 DET score

¹

In some cases, applicants with a GPA below 2.750 may be admitted to the program conditionally provided other supporting materials are strong.

²

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores may be considered for conditional admission.

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Spring Semester
  • Rolling admissions
• Summer Term
  • Rolling admissions

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate ability to lead and manage in public governance.
2. Participate in and contribute to the policy process.
3. Analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions.
4. Articulate and apply a public service perspective.
5. Communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Students without substantive full-time administrative experience in a public service organization ("pre-service students") must complete minimum 3 credit hours of internship; they will earn the M.P.A. degree with a total 39 credit hours. Students with substantive full-time administrative experience in a public service organization ("in-service students") may be waived from the internship requirement with the approval of the M.P.A. coordinator. Pre-service students or students wishing to gain experience in a new area will also be placed in an agency for at least 300 hours of experience.

²

Elective coursework outside of the program may be selective based upon the student’s needs and advisor approval.

Graduation Requirements

• No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
• Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

• Delivery:
  • Fully online