All students are required to pursue a concentrated area of study in Coastal Management (12 credits), Environmental Policy and Management (12 credits), Public Policy Analysis and Management (12 credits), Marine Policy (12 credits), or NonProfit Management (9 credits). Students may also elect to design their own nine credit concentrations in areas such as health policy, gerontology, and public history. Students wishing to design their own concentrations should consult with their advisor or the MPA Coordinator.

Coastal Management (12 credits)
Coastal Management will focus on the unique challenges facing public officials with responsibility for managing local governments in coastal zones experiencing rapid population growth and the ensuing commercial and residential development. Coursework in local government administration, coastal growth management, and the politics and policy of natural resource management will equip public administrators with a blend of managerial, policy, and scientific knowledge to make informed decisions that balance competing interests and serve the long-term needs of southeastern North Carolina.

All students pursing a concentration in Coastal Management must complete the following requirements:

PLS 520 Seminar in Coastal Processes and Problems (3)
PLS 521 Legal Foundations of Coastal and Environmental Management (3)

Students must take an additional six credit hours of an approved elective.

Environmental Policy and Management (12 credits)
All students pursing a concentration in Environmental Policy and Management must complete the following requirements:

EVS 501 Introduction to Environmental Problems and Policy (3)
PLS 521 Legal Foundations of Coastal and Environmental Management (3)

Students must take an additional six credit hours of an approved elective.

Public Policy Analysis and Management (12 credits)
A concentration in Public Policy Analysis and Management recognizes the existing population of in-service practitioners and part-time students. The concentration would provide an option for students who really have no interest in either the environmental concentrations or the nonprofit concentration.

All students pursuing a concentration in public policy analysis and management must complete the following requirements:

PLS 505 Applied Policy Analysis and Cost-Benefit Analysis (3)
PLS 506 Program Evaluation (3)
PLS 541 Public Economics and Cost-Benefit Analysis(3)

Students must take an additional three credit hours of an approved elective.

Marine Policy (12 credits)
All students pursing a concentration in Marine Policy must complete the following requirements:

PLS 543 Environmental Policy Analysis (3)
PLS 544 Resource Economics (3)

Students must take an additional six credit hours of an approved elective.

Nonprofit Management (9 credits)
The Nonprofit Management concentration recognizes the importance of the nonprofit sector in serving the region as government increasingly contracts much of its work to these organizations. Coursework in the theory and practice of nonprofit management and resource development in nonprofit organizations will enhance the managerial and policy capabilities of individuals often trained in substantive specialties such as mental health, substance abuse, and child welfare.

All students pursuing a concentration in nonprofit management must complete the following requirements:

PLS 530 Management Practices in Nonprofit Organizations (3)
PLS 531 Resource Development in Nonprofit Organizations (3)
PLS 532 Issues in Nonprofit Management (3)

Customized Concentration (9 credit hours)
Students may also elect to design their own nine credit concentration in areas such as nonprofit management, health policy, or gerontology. Classes offered by the political science department, by other departments on campus, and by other universities can be part of the concentration. Students wishing to design their own concentrations should consult with their advisor or the MPA coordinator.