Sociology AB/Public Administration MPA(non-thesis)

This Double Dawg program will give high-achieving undergraduate students the opportunity to earn their M.P.A in a top-ranked program (4th in the U.S. News and World Report’s 2016 rankings of more than 250 public affairs masters programs nationwide). In this program, students will learn both the theoretical and practical aspects of public management and policy in order to prepare them for careers in public service with government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The M.P.A degree greatly expands the employment outlook for graduates, with over 96% of UGA M.P.A alumni finding employment within 6 months of graduation. Furthermore, many government positions now prefer and even require a master’s degree for entry. Graduates from M.P.A programs nationwide have increased earning potential by $18,000 per year over those who only possess a bachelor’s degree.

While the academic opportunities within the program are unmatched, the professional relationships that Double Dawg students will be able to forge outside the classroom cannot be underestimated. Students will interact and network with employers and public sector professionals through UGA M.P.A alumni events, internships, as well as with the department’s cosponsor, the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. While most students seek the M.P.A as their final professional degree, the Double Dawg program will also allow students to earn their M.P.A with the ability of later entering a Ph.D. or other advanced degree program and to pursue careers in academia.

Sources:
http://publicservicecareers.org/career-resources/employment-salary-trend/
http://spia.uga.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Employment_Fact_Sheet-1-1.pdf

Admission to Program

To be admitted into the dual degree pathway, students must have at least 60 hours completed or in progress of resident credit at UGA, at least 9 hours of the 27 required sociology credit hours completed or in progress, and hold at least a 3.5 UGA GPA at the time of application. We expect that most students meeting the admission requirements (above) will apply for the program in the fall semester of their third year at UGA. To be approved, a preliminary plan of study must be approved by the sociology undergraduate advisor and the Public Administration and Public Policy graduate coordinator.

Curriculum

Graduate-level courses that may be used to satisfy undergraduate and graduate program requirements.

Although both programs have an interest in similar social themes and issues, the two curriculums provide complementary rather than overlapping knowledge and skills. No courses in the Master of Public Administration program are equivalent in content or focus to the required sociology courses. To complete the Bachelor’s degree in Sociology (A.B.), students will need to satisfy the existing required courses (27 credit hours) in sociology and take 12 credit hours in graduate-level public administration courses that would count toward the 33 credit hours of general electives required by the major. Any four (3 hour) 6000- or 7000-level graduate course may be used to satisfy the undergraduate requirements, but at least two of the four courses must be from the following list of the public management core courses:

PADP 6910 Public Administration and Democracy
PADP 6920 Public Personnel Administration
PADP 6930 Public Financial Administration
PADP 6950 Economic Foundations of Policy Analysis
PADP 6960 Public Management

Additional requirements that are unique to this Double Dawgs program:

To complete the 120 credit hour Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and the 41 credit hour Master in Public Administration in 5 years, students will either have to dually enroll in the spring semester of their 4th year and/or take M.P.A courses during the summer at the end of their 4th or 5th year.

Students may also count up to three graduate-level Sociology courses, based on their substantive academic interests and intended career trajectory, as electives in the Master of Public Administration program of study. Suggested courses appear below, though students may also take other graduate-level Sociology courses with approval of the Master of Public Administration advisor.

SOCI 6150 Criminal Punishment and Society
SOCI 6260 Sociology of Higher Education
SOCI 6470 Deviance and Social Control
SOCI 6800 Sociology of Work and Industry
SOCI 6810 Sociology of Crime
SOCI 6830 Sociology of Law
SOCI 8820 Communities and Crime
SOCI 8840 Gender, Crime and Justice

Admission to Graduate Program

Students will apply to the M.P.A program during the summer or fall after their junior year so that they are admitted and dual enrolled as both an A.B./M.P.A student before the spring of their 4th year at UGA. Students will follow the same guidelines and procedures as required for the current M.P.A students (http://spia.uga.edu/degree/master-of-public-administration-mpa/). The admission application requires completing a Graduate School application that includes a resume, statement of purpose (conveying how this program is a good fit with your career and educational goals), and three letters of recommendation. The application also requires the students to submit their transcripts and Official GRE general test score report. TOEFL scores will also be required from any applicant whose primary language is not English.

Program Advisor

  • Name: Aaron Redman
  • Email: aredman@uga.edu
  • Phone: 706-542-1098
  • Address: 188 Baldwin Hall

Undergraduate Major Information

  • Major: Sociology A.B.
  • Department/College: Sociology

Advising Contact

  • Name: Kathy Lou
  • Email: klou@uga.edu
  • Phone: 706-542-3192
  • Address: 113D Baldwin Hall

Graduate Major Information

  • Major: Public Administration M.P.A.
  • Department/College: Public Administration and Policy

Advising Contact

  • Name: Aaron Redman
  • Email: aredman@uga.edu
  • Phone: 706-542-1098
  • Address: 188 Baldwin Hall