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Master of Public Administration (On-猫咪社区app)

Arielle Baldwin, SPA/MPA '21
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Leading with Integrity and Distinction

The mission of the nationally-ranked Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the AU School of Public Affairs is to prepare students to lead with distinction in programs that serve the public good, both in the U.S. and abroad. Accredited by the , our program delves into the prime components of leadership in public and nonprofit organizations, the realm of public policy, and the analysis of issues critical to public administration today.

Tailored to Your Goals

AU鈥檚 MPA program offers a flexible learning environment that allows you to align your degree with your interests. Some of our听eight concentrations听offer optional focus fields that allow for even further specialization. These personalized toolkits听build upon and showcase areas of expertise听on your resume, online portfolios, LinkedIn, and other social media profiles.

Access Powerful Networks

You鈥檒l learn from world-renowned scholars whose expertise spans public administration, management, and policy. Our students master contemporary administrative, management, and leadership best. They听hone their analytical, decision-making, and communication skills,听and learn to navigate organizational, human resource, and budgetary challenges while managing听complex programs. What鈥檚 more, AU鈥檚 prime location in the nation鈥檚 capital offers students singular access to internship opportunities and听policy makers. These direct connections to the nation鈥檚 change-makers, along with our extensive alumni network, will quickly open doors.

Get Ready to Lead

Ranked 4th in Public Management and Leadership by U.S. News and World Report, the MPA program positions you for leadership听and executive roles in public agencies, national and international nonprofit organizations, and private firms. If you want a degree that will equip you to drive change and craft solutions to today鈥檚 most pressing challenges in public administration, AU鈥檚 MPA is the one for you.

Concentrations

Nonprofit organizations play a substantial role in the formulation and delivery of public services. This concentration introduces students to a variety of general management practices used in the nonprofit sector: defining organizational missions; building effective governance structures; acquiring resources; maintaining high standards of fiscal, legal, and professional accountability; managing human resources; and thinking strategically. More broadly, this concentration educates you in the many administrative challenges faced by small community-based or large professionalized organizations in today's "networked economy," where organizations increasingly interact, compete, and collaborate with other service providers, policymakers, and regulators.

Global Governance and Management provides a comparative perspective on how policies are made and services are delivered in non-猫咪社区app contexts. With a specific focus on low and medium income countries, the concentration helps students understand the nature of management responsibilities that bridge different cultures, focusing on how public and nonprofit organizations interact to identify, understand, and address problems within or across different national contexts. The courses provide the students with the management and analytical skills necessary to take leadership and management roles in governments, or organizations abroad, or any organization that delivers services globally.

This concentration strengthens the knowledge and skills of people called upon to work as line managers or administrative support staff in public service or related organizations. 听It draws upon the strengths of the department as a national center for the teaching of public management.

  • Human Resources Management Focus
    Successful leaders of public service organizations recognize the importance of managing and motivating their workforces. 听They know that developing human capital is critical for promoting organizational effectiveness. 听This concentration helps students to understand the strategic role of human resources planning, develop skills to prepare employees for change, and improve management and employee relationships.

The State and Local Administration concentration prepares students for the political and administrative intricacies of delivering public services in an increasingly intergovernmental context. Students are encouraged to include at least one relevant policy course and as many budgeting/finance courses as possible.

Program analysts, financial officers, budget officers, and financial analysts are found throughout, and at all levels of government (national, state, and local). 听They administer and design programs, prepare and analyze budget proposals, evaluate programs, forecast revenues, collect taxes, allocate monies, advise legislators, inspect programs, and prepare financial statements. The Public Financial Management concentration helps to prepare students for the many responsibilities involved with the management of public programs, operations and funds.

This concentration aims to equip MPA students with a set of cutting-edge, quantitative skills that can be used to conduct policy-relevant data analysis. Coursework includes training in advanced quantitative methods, program evaluation, and/or cost-benefit analysis. Students who wish to work in roles such as research assistants, research associates, program evaluators, data analysts, or who are considering advanced study in public policy or a similar field, may find this concentration to be of interest.

This concentration combines the management and leadership strengths of the MPA program with policy courses for students interested in general policy or a particular policy area.

  • Social Policy Focus
    The social policy focus teaches students how to utilize governmental and nongovernmental tools to address challenges imposed by poverty, hunger, educational deficiencies, unemployment, and discrimination.听
  • Health Policy Focus
    This focus allows students to gain an appreciation for the issues confronting policymakers and analysts working on health and related issues in the U.S. and abroad.听
  • Environmental Policy Focus
    This focus allows students to gain an appreciation for the issues confronting policymakers and analysts working on environmental issues in the U.S. and abroad.听
  • Education Policy Focus
    The education policy focus allows students to gain an appreciation for the issues faced by policymakers and analysts working on education and related issues in the U.S. and abroad. Coursework teaches students how to use relevant tools and techniques from policy analysis and management to address these challenges.

The Applied Politics concentration incorporates two fields offered through the school鈥檚 Department of Government. The first field covers politics, campaign management, and lobbying and serves students aiming to involve themselves as managers in the effort to influence the course of government through the electoral or political process. It draws upon the educational programs offered by the school鈥檚 Campaign Management Institute and Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. The second field encourages students to think strategically about the challenges confronted by policymakers concerned with women鈥檚 issues. It addresses women, public policy, and political leadership and draws upon course work offered through the school鈥檚 nationally renowned Women & Politics Institute. Students are welcome to choose courses in one field or the other, or from a mix of both areas.听

This concentration enables students to examine the role of race and ethnicity in public policy and administration. Topics of study include: racial disparities in policy making, implementation, public management, and outcomes for citizens at the local, state, and federal levels; diversity and inclusion strategies in policymaking and public administration; and the role of race in key policy areas (including urban, housing, justice, health, and education policy). Several courses also explore race as a social construct and the political, historical, and economic roots of racialization.

This concentration prepares students to understand, analyze, and manage the dynamics of the cyber policies that are critical to effective governance across public agencies, levels of government, and in nonprofit organizations and contracting agencies. 听The concentration courses will include the history, development, and management of U.S. cyber policy, and a range of frameworks that can be used to facilitate and protect the flow of information and communication through sound cyber policies designed to enhance the success of organizations and public services. 听

MPA students may also develop a customized concentration with the approval of their academic advisor. This can be a 鈥渕ixed concentration鈥, with courses drawn from suggested courses of two or more concentrations listed above, and/or a 鈥渃reate-your-own鈥 concentration, a set of any four elective courses approved by their advisor. Students may self-title their customized concentrations. In addition, by including courses taken through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, students may be able to develop a concentration in an area not offered at AU.

Selected
Degree Requirements
Admissions
Financial Info

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) requires 39 credit hours of approved graduate work for students entering the program with a bachelor's degree. 12 credit hours are electives that can comprise an area of concentration. Required core courses comprise 27 credit hours, including a class. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in all coursework is required to remain in good standing and to earn the degree. Full-time status is considered to be 9 credit hours per semester. Students are expected to complete the degree within two years, including one summer.

The tests students' abilities to integrate and synthesize MPA coursework and apply it to significant public management challenges. The course requires students to apply curriculum content, critical thinking, research, and writing skills through a substantial management analysis project. The Capstone is taken in the final semester of study, and is offered in fall and spring semesters only.

Internship

Students without significant professional work background participate in either a for-credit or non-credit internship. Students electing the internship for credit register for the course as part of a concentration. Students electing the non-credit internship are required to complete a survey about the experience.

More information about course requirements can be found here.

For more information, please contact the SPA Graduate Admissions Office at 202-885-6230 or spainfo@american.edu.

The School of Public Affairs operates on a rolling admissions basis for our graduate programs. This means that applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis until programs reach capacity for either Spring or Fall entry. While previous academic or professional work in the career field is not required, your application file should demonstrate a serious commitment to a career in this field. Please consult the following web resources to learn more about building an application file for the program:

Deadlines
Application Requirements
FAQ(s)
International Student Application and Admission

For more information, please contact the SPA Office of Graduate Admissions at 202-885-6230 or听spaapp@american.edu.

Please consult SPA鈥檚听Tuition and Funding page听to gain an understanding of the cost of tuition, student fees, and associated discretionary costs.

All admitted students鈥攄omestic and international--who meet the priority deadlines for Spring and Fall entry (November 1 and February 15, respectively) are considered for merit aid as part of a separate review process. An admitted student鈥檚 application file is the basis of review. There is no separate application required for consideration. Merit aid options consist of partial tuition remission, graduate assistantships, and a limited number of named scholarships.听All inquiries about SPA merit aid should be directed to听spagrad@american.edu.

础濒濒听domestic听students are encouraged tosubmit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid () if they wish to apply for Federal student Loans. 猫咪社区app University's FAFSA code is 001434. The听Office of Financial Aid听(OFA) at 猫咪社区app University will review this information and will notify you of your eligibility. Questions may be directed to听financialaid@american.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree delves into leadership in public and nonprofit organizations, the organizational environment, and the analysis of public management issues. Our Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree emphasizes evidence-based ideas and approaches and the use of data and research methodologies to find solutions to policy challenges. As an example, the Social Policy focus area in the MPA program and the Social Policy concentration in the MPP program may cover similar topics and may even offer some of the same courses and faculty, but the courses will have different emphases depending on the program you鈥檙e pursuing.

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