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Dept. of Public Administration Student Bulletin 202210.2
College of Public Service, Tennessee State University
Registration is open - are you on track?
Summer and Fall registrations are both available now -- do you have an advising question? Please first take a moment to read through the rest of this email, and then take this quick "check-in" survey where you can submit your question(s) - they will be given to your advisor based on your current program(s), and the advisor will contact you with more information or to arrange a virtual appointment.
If you are planning to complete a program (degree, certificate, or both) this semester, you must apply to graduate in myTSU by March 15. It only takes a minute, so go ahead and do it now to let the Graduate School and department know you are planning to finish this Spring! [myTSU>Banner Services>Student>Student Records>Apply to Graduate]. If you do NOT see the correct program or programs as you create your application(s) to graduate, get in touch with your advisor immediately because this needs to be fixed. Degree completers interested in participating in Commencement should stay alert to updates from the Registrar. Those completing a certificate do not walk in Commencement ceremonies.
Finishing the MPA? Program Graduation Requirements
The items listed below are in addition to all TSU and Graduate School requirements for receiving a graduate degree or completing a graduate certificate. Those requirements include, but are not limited to, maintaining a 3.0 or better graduate GPA at the University (Graduate Catalog).
CAPSTONE COURSE - all students admitted to the MPA for Fall 2020 and after: You must successfully complete the PADM 6700 Capstone Course (including the individual capstone project) in either your final or second-to-last semester as part of your required MPA coursework. You can read about the capstone course requirement in the MPA Handbook (Section XI). You do NOT take a comprehensive exam.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAM - students admitted to the MPA for semesters prior to Fall 2020: Instead of the Capstone course, you are subject to the MPA comprehensive exam requirement (along with your required MPA coursework). Contact Dr. Stanley immediately if you are in this group and you plan to take the comp exam this semester. This semester the MPA comprehensive exam is scheduled for Friday, March 25, 2022, from 9 am to 12 pm. The exam is virtual and administered by Dr. Stanley. Students in this group may elect to follow the newer Capstone plan instead of the original comprehensive exam requirement, but be aware this requires 3 credits for the Capstone course. Consult your advisor to discuss how this would affect your program of study.
All Spring 2022 MPA graduates must complete the reflective statement of purpose requirement and email it to their advisor by April 8, 2022 (good news - it's a shorter version of the former "writing portfolio" requirement!)
MPA graduates for Spring 2022 who are seeking exemption from the 6-credit internship requirement based on relevant professional experience must also complete the internship exemption application and paper and submit it to their advisor by April 8, 2022.
Any student interested in finding a summer internship for credit must contact Dr. Streams as soon as possible. The MPA degree includes a 6-credit internship requirement for all students who do NOT have at least one year of professional-level experience in public, nonprofit, and/or healthcare administration settings; read about this requirement and access needed forms in the MPA Handbook (Section VIII). Those students who do have at least one year of such experience should discuss the internship exemption approval process with their advisor and make sure that their experience qualifies; the exemption process is also covered in Section VIII of the MPA Handbook.
If you're not sure what classes to take to make progress in your program, just get in touch with your advisor! Please note if relevant to you that graduate students must take at least two 3-credit courses in a semester to qualify for Federal financial aid, and those courses must be in your program of study. For any financial aid questions, you must contact the Financial Aid office; for tuition-related questions, please contact the Bursar.
If not, it's time to get in touch with your advisor! Please don't "self-advise" - we are here to help you make choices that keep you on track and on time for your specific curriculum.
TSU eRate Information (for our students residing outside of TN; to obtain the TSU eRate for our completely online programs you must verify your residency each semester at the link provided on that page (Spring 2022 deadline is 2/11; Summer 2022 deadline is 6/17). The TSU eRate, which applies to fully online out-of-state students only, is lower than the cost of regular out-of-state tuition.
Career Development Center (be sure to activate your Handshake account to hear about career fairs and other CDC services, and be found by potential employers - you can still use your account after you graduate!)
Password Reset set-up at the Office of Technology Services (you need to set this up when your password is working so that when a reset is needed you can easily manage it yourself)
PA Department Main Phone Number: 615-963-7241
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