M.P.A. Program

Designed for precareer and in-career students, the master of public administration (M.P.A.)  degree program at Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) provides professional competencies in public administration 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. The M.P.A. degree at Rutgers SPAA is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).

Public administration is an academic field that addresses the implementation of public policies at all levels of government (federal, state, local, special districts) and in sectors related by virtue of their quasigovernmental structure, degree of regulation, or financial and contractual relationships to governments, such as, the nonprofit sector. The M.P.A. degree combines contexts of public policymaking with understanding of urban environments and knowledge and skills needed for operational management of government and nonprofit organizations and networks.

Rutgers SPAA M.P.A. graduates are employed in local, county, state, and federal agencies, working in human services, office of budget and management, chief of staffs, office of legislative affairs, and mayor's offices. In the nonprofit sector, graduates work for YMCAs, March of Dimes, Workforce Development Corporation, the United Way, community development organizations, and Covenant Houses. Close to 300 students are working toward their M.P.A. degree either full or part time.

The M.P.A. degree at Rutgers SPAA consists of 42 credits of coursework addressing the contexts and applications of public policy implementation, that is, design, delivery, leadership, management, performance, and results of public and nonprofit sector activity. These sectors provide over 16 million job opportunities in the United States alone.

For more information, please check the SPAA website at http://spaa.newark.rutgers.edu/mpa.