Master of Public Administration (MPA)
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is ideal for students committed to public service, who want to become leaders and make a positive difference in the world. Our focus on strong analytical and communication skills ensures students are prepared for rewarding management careers in public and non-profit organizations.
The MPA program has affordable tuition, excellent academics, expert faculty and opportunities to gain real-world experience, ensuring students receive a great return on their educational investment.
What we offer students
Our MPA program helps students develop a wide range of marketable skills and translate what they are learning in the classroom into real-world settings.
Many of our students concentrate their studies on local government or nonprofit management, but our flexible program allows students to focus on other specializations too, tailoring their academics to fit their needs.
Accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), 's Master of Public Administration (MPA) program works in collaboration with community-based organizations to prepare students to be tomorrow's leaders, innovators, and public and non-profit service managers. Graduates are equipped with practical, real-world experiences and the theoretical framework needed to tackle today's toughest societal issues.
An MPA is a marketable professional degree that prepares students for management careers in public and nonprofit organizations. It is ideal for students who are committed to public service, would like to be leaders in public and nonprofit organizations, and want to make a positive difference in the world.
As organizations reshape, restructure, and respond to shifts in economic, demographic, and social realities, public servants must be trained as problem solvers. Opportunities abound for those able to think critically, creatively, and ethically. With a variety of roles to fill in every city and state, MPA students are attractive hires for positions that allow them to make positive change. Graduates can also compete for business and other private-sector openings that require management and financial analysis experience.
Degrees Offered
Dual-degrees
Complete two separate master’s degrees as the same time! By carefully structuring the sequence of courses, recognizing comparable course offerings and using courses in one program to count as electives in the other. Generally, a dual or double degree program can be completed in 3 years of full-time study, rather than the traditional 4 years (2 years per degree) that it would take to earn the degrees separately. Apply to both degree programs separately:
- MPA in Public Administration (Dual-Degree with MSW)
- MPA in Public Administration (Double-Degree with MS in Sustainable Communities)
- MPA in Public Administration (Double-Degree with MS in Systems Science)
- MPA in Public Administration (Double-Degree with MS in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention)
Certificate Programs
- Certificate in Local Government Management
- Certificate in Non-Profit Administration
- Certificate in Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention
Professional Development
This program affords students the chance to get involved in community and public affairs as soon as they begin the program. The faculty serve in a range of community organizations in advisory and management roles and lend their connections to students as they develop their own individualized courses of study.
Students are afforded more than 300 hours of professional experiences through internships with public or non-profit organizations in the greater area, across the country, and around the world. The Department of Public Administration and Policy hosts the Philanthropy Incubator, a unique program that gives students the chance to work through community issues and distribute grant money to local non-profit organizations.
These opportunities -- as well as certificates in local government management and non-profit administration and a specialization in sustainable communities -- allow students to personalize the MPA program to fit their academic and professional interests.
After You Graduate
Internships provide networking opportunities and often precipitate long-term employment. Alumni of the MPA program have gone onto various civic activities, working at the community, city, county, state, and national levels, with 40% pursuing careers in government, 30% in non-profit organizations, and 10% in the private sector. Another 10% of alumni work outside the U.S. Those completing double/dual-degree programs are qualified to pursue many careers in social work, at educational institutions, and in nursing.
Academic Performance Requirements
All students, including those with regular admission status, are required to earn a 3.0 GPA or better in their first 12 PAFF credits towards their MPA degree. PAFF credits are courses with a PAFF prefix, offered in the MPA Program, that count toward your degree. Failure to meet this requirement will result in severance from the program. Please note that basic skills courses do not count toward the MPA Degree.
Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to graduate from the program. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 after the first 12 PAFF credits must meet with their academic advisor and the Director of Admissions and Student Services to assess their performance in the program. Students whose GPA falls below 3.0 after they have completed their first 12 credits may be severed from the program. Students who remain in the program with a GPA below 3.0 may not be eligible to take Internship or The Reflective Practitioner until their GPA is above 3.0.
Students must receive a B or higher grade in all required (core) courses. Students who have met the GPA requirements described above and who have received a grade of B or lower in a core course may retake that course one time only for credit. Students who do not earn a B or better in a required course they have retaken will be severed from the program. Students who earn a B or lower in either an evidence-based decision-making course or a managing people in organizations course may use a different evidence-based decision-making or managing people in organizations course as their “retake” of the course. Students do not need to retake elective courses in which they earn a grade of B- or lower, unless they plan to use that course as a requirement for the nonprofit, GMAP, or local government certificate.
The Academic Honesty Code can be reviewed online. In the event a violation of the Honesty Code is suspected, the College of Community and Public Affairs’ procedures for resolving academic honesty cases will be followed.