MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION - MPA

 

Overview of our MPA

The purpose of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is to provide professional education for leadership and management by offering a core curriculum that covers the essentials of both leadership and management in social, economic, political, and increasingly international contexts. The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation originally accredited the FAU MPA in 1986 and re-accredited the program in 1993, 2000, 2007, 2014 and 2022. The MPA is housed in the School of Public Administration (SPA), which is part of the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters at Florida Atlantic University. Our MPA has been ranked 72 in the nation in the most recent US News ranking of public affairs programs.

The mission of the Master of Public Administration Program at Florida Atlantic University is to prepare pre-service and in-service students in southeast Florida to be leaders, managers, and analysts for all levels of government by providing intellectual, analytical, technical, and practical education via a curriculum that students can customize to meet their professional goals.

• We value the diversity of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community and we foster inclusiveness, participation, and cultural competence in our MPA courses and other educational activities.

• We strive to create inclusive environments in which MPA students are respected and supported, while they improve their professional and ethical competence and become accountable public leaders, managers, and analysts.

• We advance the state of knowledge in public administration through research activities and collaborations with internal and external partners that examine and address local, regional, state, national, and international matters of public concern.

• We enhance ethical public service by encouraging ethical deliberation and decision-making in our MPA courses and through other educational activities.

Find information in our MPA website about our MPA Course of Study, the Admission Requirements and the steps of the Application process. Also check our Frequently Asked Questions with detailed information about requirements, application materials, process of application, international applicants etc. For more information please submit the form below.

Careers and Job Placement

On average, 40-60 students are enrolled in our MPA program and the majority of our MPA students (75%) graduate within three years.

The majority of our current MPA students are employed full-time. 65% of the students work in the Public Sector, 23% work in the Private Sector and 12% in the Non-Profit Sector.

For those students who graduated in the past two years, 48% currently work in a city or county government agency or other local entity, 21% work in state government, and 18% work in the private sector. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021), the average (mean) salary for someone in a management occupation within local government is $ 102,460.

Based on our 2022 survey of current students, 100% indicated that they were very satisfied or satisfied with their FAU MPA educational experience. Based on our 2022 survey of FAU MPA alumni, 91% indicated that they were very satisfied or satisfied with their FAU MPA educational experience.

 

 

For any questions regarding the Master of Public Administration degree program, please contact Dr. Robin Larson (Program Coordinator) via email at rlarson2@svenmeier.com .