Founded in 1992, the Department of Public Administration is located in the College of Public Affairs  and  Community Service. The department’s three programs predate its founding however. The Emergency Administration and Planning program began in 1983 as one of several  degrees in the center for Public Service and became part of the Department of  Public Administration  in 1994. The master of public administration  traces its origins to 1961 where  its predecessor was established in the Department of Political Science. The PhD program began in the 1970s as a specialization in political science. In 2004, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating board approved moving the specialization to the Department of Public Administration as a stand-alone degree.
   
Today the department’s eleven faculty and five professional staff serve more than 350 majors in these three programs. Student-centered  education is hallmark of this dedicated faculty,  who take personal interest in every students’ progress from the first day they enter and beyond graduation to their professional  career. Our commitment to student-centeredness also includes the services of an internship coordinator who assist EADP and MPA majors in securing a quality internship, then monitoring the student’s progress throughout internship appointment.