Master of Public Administration The MPA program is a professional degree for the public sector and it prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, Master of Public Administration state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization (NGO) and nonprofit sectors; it places a focus on the systematic investigation Master of Public Administration of executive organization and management. Instruction includes the roles, development, and principles of public administration; public policy management and implementation. Through its history, the MPA degree has become more interdisciplinary by drawing from fields such as economics, sociology, law, anthropology, political science, and regional planning in order to Master of Public Administration equip MPA graduates with skills and knowledge covering a broad range of topics and disciplines relevant to the public sector. A core curriculum of a typical MPA program usually includes courses on microeconomics, public finance,Master of Public Administration research methods / statistics, policy process and policy analysis, public financial management, managerial accounting, ethics, public management, leadership, planning & GeographicMaster of Public Administration Information Systems (GIS), and program evaluation/performance measurement. Depending on their interest, MPA students can focus their studies on a variety of public sector fields such as urban planning, emergency management, transportation, health care (especially public health), economic development, urban management, community development, education, non-profits, information technology, environmental policy, cultural policy, and criminal justice, etc.
In recent years, there has been a gradual convergence between the MPA and the Master of Public Policy (MPP) degrees. Today, the course offerings of most MPA and MPP programs overlap to some degree, but MPP programs tend to provide more focused training in policy analysis and policy design, while MPA programs usually still provide more focused coursework in program implementation and public management.
Many educational institutions are now offering MPA degrees via online instruction, such as the highly regarded program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha . There are also Executive MPA programs for professionals who have prior work and management experience.
Outside the United States, the MPA degree increasingly includes a substantial element of management education sitting alongside public policy and Master of Public Administration public administration thereby bringing it closer to the MBA degree. However, some MPA programs in the United States are housed in Business schools (see BYU's Marriott School of Management and LSU's E. J Master of Public Administration Master of Public Administration . Ourso College of Business). In other cases, they bring together multidisciplinary approaches and methodologies as to give their students a more comprehensive overview of the current challenges of public administration Master of Public Administration . (see School of Government, LUISS Guido Carli)
A Master of Public Administration can be acquired at various institutions. See List of schools offering MPA degrees.
See also
Master of Public Affairs
Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Policy
Master of Nonprofit Organizations
Public policy schools
Master of Business Administration
Doctor of Public Administration
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