Students can specialize in General Public Administration or Urban Management.

Master of Public Administration
The Urban Management specialization focuses on how local government area administered and managed. Courses address contemporary issues confronting urban managers, such as:

Management of scarce resources
Ethics and leadership
Effective service delivery
Students can also pursue a combined 5-year program:

Combined Bachelor’s (various majors) and Master of Public Administration

The Frank Madla Jr. and Irma Rangel Legislative Internship Program places graduate students as full-time, unpaid legislative staff for a Texas State Representative or Texas State Senator.

The program was named for two St. Mary’s alumni, the Hon. Frank Madla Jr. (B.A., ’59, M.A. ’64), 1937-2006, and the Hon. Irma Rangel (J.D. ’69), 1931-2003. Together Madla and Rangel gave Texas nearly 60 years of dedicated public service and made huge impacts on San Antonio and South Texas.

Both graduates served in the Texas House of Representatives for more than 20 years, and Madla spent another 13 years in the Texas Senate. In this competitive internship, students earn academic credit while studying the Texas Constitution, the Rules of the Texas House of Representatives and Senate, researching and drafting legislation, analyzing policies and proposed bills, interacting with constituents, and following the legislative process. The internship takes place during the Spring semesters of odd-numbered years that coincide with the regular session of the Texas Legislature in Austin.