Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Designed for pre-career and in-career students, the master's degree program in public administration at Rutgers SPAA provides professional competencies in public administration and management and gives students a broad understanding of the field and its relevant issues. Students become competent at defining public problems, analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, developing and communicating creative solutions, and implementing ethical and practical courses of action.
Program Quick Facts
- Program: In Person | Online
- Credits: 42 (33 Core Credits | 9 Concentration/Elective Credits)
- Priority Application Deadline: Fall: July 1 | Spring: Dec. 1
MPA Core Curriculum Areas of Study
- Foundational: Provides understanding of public administration contexts and key professional competencies for public and nonprofit sectors
- Analytical: Examines quantitative and qualitative data methods and research design
- Managerial: Provides foundations in organization and human resources management
- Financial: Examines financial contexts and budgeting skills
- Applications: Provides students with the opportunity to utilize what they have learned in the program via a real world capstone project
Capstone Project
The Capstone Project serves as a culminating experience in the MPA program. It provides students with an opportunity to integrate learning from various courses with applied analysis of real-world issues. Students work individually under the guidance of a faculty member to develop a research design, carry out data collection and analysis, evaluate their findings, and provide conclusions and recommendations.
Curriculum
For course descriptions and prerequisites see Courses.
Core Curriculum (33 Credits)
MPA Concentrations/Electives (9 Credits)
Students currently enrolled in the MPA program can graduate with a concentration, a concentration and a certificate, or neither a concentration nor a certificate. Two courses taken in the same area is considered a concentration.