Graduate School of Public and International Affairs—Master of Public Administration (MPA)

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program stresses the interplay of public policy and management processes. The course of study encompasses the examination of political, social, economic, bureaucratic, and regulatory areas, focusing on urban and regional, state, federal, and international issues. Students are exposed to substantive course work in managing organizations and in analyzing and evaluating public policies.

This program is designed to enhance students' knowledge of the political, social, economic, bureaucratic, and regulatory climate in which decisions are made both in the United States and in other countries. Above all, the objective of the instruction in this degree program is to help students not only to understand what is, but also what can be.

Students who have international interests are encouraged to take courses that have an international focus.

Requirements for the Master of Public Administration

The MPA degree requires a minimum of 48 credits, distributed as follows:

MPA students are required to select a major from among the three listed below. These three majors (policy research and analysis, public and nonprofit management, and urban and regional affairs) are also offered as minors for the MPA, MPIA, and MID degree programs.

Policy Research and Analysis (PRA)

The PRA major builds skills in quantitative, economic, political, and organizational analysis. It is designed for those who want to help design public policies, to evaluate how well they are working and to figure how feasible improvements can be made. Graduates may employ these skills while working in government, advocacy organizations, think tanks, or consulting. Students will have opportunities to apply these skills to substantive policy areas of their choosing. Faculty within the School specialize in environmental policy, health policy, local public finance, and emergency response. Other relevant courses are available at the Schools of Public Health, Social Work, Education, Law, and Information Sciences, as well as at Carnegie Mellon University.

The major curriculum, comprising 15 credits, follows:

Required courses:

Two additional courses from the following:

To qualify for a minor in PRA, students must complete a minimum of 9 credits, which must include the required courses for the major.

Public and Nonprofit Management (PNM)

This major fills the needs of students who want to assume general management positions in government and nonprofit organizations. The major builds on advanced skills in: management of human resources; management and control of financial resources; development and implementation of organizational direction and strategy; understanding the unique issues and opportunities facing public and private nonprofit organizations; and using and interpreting advanced analytical techniques to address issues of organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

The major curriculum, comprising 15 credits, follows:

Required courses:

Two additional courses from the following:

To complete a PNM minor, students must complete a minimum of 9 credits, which must include the required courses for the major.

Urban and Regional Affairs (URA)

URA majors gain expertise in urban and regional governance theory and practice, spatial analysis, technical skills, and regional problem-solving applications to prepare them to help improve metropolitan and urban environments and the lives of those living in them. Students acquire skills that include managing regional institutions, planning and managing economic development activities, sustaining public-private linkages, delivering regional services, implementing neighborhood and community development, managing nonprofit agencies and organizations, etc.

Students engage in participatory research with regional and urban governments, nonprofit organizations, and community-based groups. And as graduates, they will qualify for a wide variety of professional positions, including economic and community development specialists, managers and staff administrators in regional governance institutions, regional policy analysts, local government administrators and financial analysts with a regional perspective, city managers, and managers of regional services.

The 15-credit URA major includes:

Required courses:

Two courses from the following:

To complete a URA minor, students must complete a minimum of 9 credits, which must include the required courses for the major.

Civil Security and Disaster Management

The occupational outlook for experts in civil security and disaster management is expected to grow as every city, county, and state government - as well as virtually every branch of the federal government - has or will soon require resources to deal with security and disaster management. This minor will provide a coherent program of study for student who are interested in the unique combination of civil security, intelligence, information management, national security, and disaster management that, until now, has not been available. The minor is excellent preparation for students considering employment at any level of government including disaster management, customs, immigration, and justice-related professions, as well as the fields of education and public policy.

The following set of courses provides a critical introduction to three critical aspects of civil security and disaster management, and will be available to students in all degree programs in GSPIA. These aspects include: (1) an introduction to the concepts of risk, security and disaster management and the organizational networks that are involved in implementing public policy; (2) the laws, policies, and programs that mark the evolving concepts of civil security in democratic society; and (3) information security and management in a complex, dynamic environment. The required courses for the minor will include:

Additional courses that could be taken as electives:

MPA Program Course Listings