Master of Public Administration

The program in public administration is offered by the School of Public Policy and Administration. The mission of the Master of Public Administration program is to provide diverse, talented graduate students with specific competencies for leadership and management, including the knowledge, skills and values essential to accountable and effective practice. The MPA program contributes directly to solutions to public challenges of our times through research and public service projects that involve students in experiential learning. The program also seeks to develop relationships with practitioners, fostering a professional focus and approach to public administration and non-profit management and furthering the values of the field. The 36-credit curriculum is divided into core subjects, areas of specialization, an internship and a writing assignment. The core curriculum deals with ideas and concepts related to the field of public administration, human resources management, public financial management, management decision making, and quantitative analysis, information technology for public managers, organizational leadership, administrative /employment law, and public economics. Specialization areas include Nonprofit Management, Public Management, and Policy and Program Development. Within these broad specializations, students focus in a topic area such as state/local management, educational policy, environmental and energy management, planning and infrastructure, international affairs, public policy analysis, financial management, and health policy and management. With the approval of their academic advisor and the MPA program director, students may design their own area of specialization.