Master's Degree in Public Administration
Degree: Master of Public Administration
Major: Public Administration
Hours: 36
Public Administration Degree Overview
The Â鶹AV Master of Public Administration Degree caters to graduate students interested in one of a broad spectrum of careers in public service from management of public agencies to administration of non-profit organizations.
Available programs of study prepare you with the professional training, knowledge, skills and experience needed to successfully become an integral part of the efficient and responsive operation of the government.
Graduating from this program leads to a wide variety of career opportunities in government and non-profit agencies as well as in private businesses and corporations, especially those subject to government regulation.
Public Administration Courses You May Take
Public Administration: Theory and Methods: This course focuses on defining and tracing the evolution of Public Administration; examines the individual fields of study in public administration, analyzes the concepts, theories, and practices integral to understanding the American bureaucracy and the political environment in which it operates. The course introduces the literature review process and establishes the base of knowledge and skills for successful completion of the MPA.
Ethics and Morality in Public Administration: This course is a survey of the ethical nature and dilemmas of public administration in American society. It focuses on ethical dilemmas and concerns arising from the daily exercise of legitimate discretionary power as well as the conflicts that can emerge with personal moral beliefs. The overall goal is that students will be able to assess and analyze the extent to which ethical and moral values are deeply and widely embedded in our democratic system.
Leadership in Public Administration and Nonprofits: This course is a survey of the theories and skills for leading and managing in public and nonprofit organizations. Focus is placed upon leadership and management approaches, strategy, decision making, power and organizational politics to bring about change in high performance public organizations.
Public Policy: This course is designed to introduce graduate students to the study of public policy. The course will provide a general introduction to that subfield of political science. It will also acquaint students with contemporary debated regarding collective action, paternalism, policy competition, policy learning and other issues of interest to policy scholars.
Applied Research Methods: Application of knowledge of public policy and social science methodology to the planning, execution, and reporting of public policy research.
Career Paths for Public Administration
Employment in municipal government includes positions as city managers and assistant city managers, regional transportation and metropolitan planning agency directors, and in water, drainage, hospital and housing district management positions. Other career opportunities include those of legislative assistants at the state or national level and as representatives for private organizations in the state and national capitals.
Primary Careers
Program director, analyst, city manager/councilmember
- Municipal government
- Community programming
- Non-profit development/administration
- Policy and legislation
- Municipal, state, federal agencies
- Law firms
- Research companies
- Nonprofit organizations
- Policymaking groups