Public Administration (M.P.A.)

The Online Master of Public Administration program (MPA) offers you the opportunity to learn the skills you need in all aspects of public and nonprofit management including leadership, program evaluation, budgeting, planning, personnel management, collective bargaining, and policy analysis. Professionals with five or more years of relevant work experience can enroll in the 12-month Executive MPA program with reduced degree requirements and lower tuition cost.

Our MPA graduates are prepared to engage with their communities, ensure accountability, and have the administrative skills to achieve their organization's mission in an effective and sustainable manner.

• The MPA program is fully online and is ideal for working professionals
• Study with public service professionals and professors who bring strong analysis and best practices to your learning
• Start in the fall or spring and graduate in as little as 12 months (Executive MPA) or 16 months (MPA)
• Choose your MPA Capstone Experience Track: Management and Leadership or Program Planning and Development
• The GRE is not required to apply for this degree program

Program Delivery & Location:  Core academic courses for the MPA program are offered entirely online with choices for taking optional elective courses in person on the UNH campuses.

Executive MPA Requirements

Students enrolled in the Carsey School's Executive Master of Public Administration program are required to complete a thirty (30) credit program, consisting of:

• Three (3) BASIC Core Curriculum Courses
• Three (3) ADVANCED Core Curriculum Courses
• MPA CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE Track:
  • Management and Leadership Track: Two (2) Capstone Project Courses + Two (2) Elective Courses
    OR
  • Program Planning and Development Track: Four (4) Capstone Project Courses

These provide students with a strong foundation in theory and the applied skills necessary to foster democratic involvement, accountability and administrative competency in the provision and delivery of public services in towns, cities, state agencies, and a wide range of nonprofit and non-governmental organizations. Further opportunities for depth and specialization are provided through a broad range of ADVANCED Core and ELECTIVE courses which vary by semester. For a culminating graduate experience, students choose an MPA capstone experience to match their interests in Management and Leadership or Program Planning and Development, enabling students to directly apply what they've learned throughout their MPA program.

¹

A range of MPA ADVANCED Core courses are offered each term and vary each year. ADVANCED Core courses can also be taken as ELECTIVE courses. Students may also propose relevant ELECTIVE courses based upon their interests. Consult with your Graduate Academic Advisor for guidance and course selections.

²

As a culmination of their graduate work, students in the Master of Public Administration's Management and Leadership Track are tasked with reflecting upon the professional applicability of their MPA skillset and drawing from the ePortfolio that they built throughout the program. Students are presented with a real-world problem in public administration and asked to write a paper exploring the problem and proposing recommended solutions.

³

Students in the Master of Public Administration's Program Planning and Development Track complete a four-term capstone project as the culmination of their graduate work. This capstone experience is designed to provide an opportunity to directly apply theories learned in the classroom to a major applied project within a community.

MPA Requirements

Students enrolled in the Carsey School's Master of Public Administration program are required to complete a thirty-six (36) credit program, consisting of:

• Three (3) BASIC Core Curriculum Courses
• Three (3) ADVANCED Core Curriculum Courses
• MPA CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE Track:
  • Management and Leadership Track: Two (2) Capstone Project Courses + Four (4) Elective Courses
    OR
  • Program Planning and Development Track: Four (4) Capstone Project Courses + Two (2) Elective Courses

These provide students with a strong foundation in theory and the applied skills necessary to foster democratic involvement, accountability and administrative competency in the provision and delivery of public services in towns, cities, state agencies, and a wide range of nonprofit and non-governmental organizations. Further opportunities for depth and specialization are provided through a broad range of ADVANCED Core and ELECTIVE courses which vary by semester. For a culminating graduate experience, students choose an MPA capstone experience to match their interests in Management and Leadership or Program Planning and Development, enabling students to directly apply what they've learned throughout their MPA program.

¹

A range of MPA ADVANCED Core courses are offered each term and vary each year. ADVANCED Core courses can also be taken as ELECTIVE courses. Students may also propose relevant ELECTIVE courses if they make sense in terms of the student’s interests and academic plan. Discussion with your MPA Graduate Academic Advisor should inform this choice.

²

As a culmination of their graduate work, students in the Master of Public Administration's Management and Leadership Track are tasked with reflecting upon the professional applicability of their MPA skillset and drawing from the ePortfolio that they built throughout the program. Students are presented with a real-world problem in public administration and asked to write a paper exploring the problem and proposing recommended solutions.

³

Students in the Master of Public Administration's Program Planning and Development Track complete a four-term capstone project as the culmination of their graduate work. This capstone experience is designed to provide an opportunity to directly apply theories learned in the classroom to a major applied project within a community.

EXECUTIVE MPA Sample Degree Plan (30 Credits)

CAPSTONE TRACK: MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

¹

A range of MPA ADVANCED Core courses are offered each term and vary each year. ADVANCED Core courses can also be taken as ELECTIVE courses. Students may also propose relevant ELECTIVE courses based upon their interests. Consult with your Graduate Academic Advisor for guidance and course selections.

²

As a culmination of their graduate work, students in the Master of Public Administration's Management and Leadership Track are tasked with reflecting upon the professional applicability of their MPA skillset and drawing from the ePortfolio that they built throughout the program. Students are presented with a real-world problem in public administration and asked to write a paper exploring the problem and proposing recommended solutions.

EXECUTIVE MPA Sample Degree Plan (30 Credits)

CAPSTONE TRACK: program planning AND development

¹

A range of MPA ADVANCED Core courses are offered each term and vary each year. ADVANCED Core courses can also be taken as ELECTIVE courses. Students may also propose relevant ELECTIVE courses based upon their interests. Consult with your Graduate Academic Advisor for guidance and course selections.

²

Students in the Master of Public Administration's Program Planning and Development Track complete a four-term capstone project as the culmination of their graduate work. This capstone experience is designed to provide an opportunity to directly apply theories learned in the classroom to a major applied project within a community.

MPA Sample Degree Plan (36 Credits)

CAPSTONE TRACK: MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP

¹

A range of MPA ADVANCED Core courses are offered each term and vary each year. ADVANCED Core courses can also be taken as ELECTIVE courses. Students may also propose relevant ELECTIVE courses based upon their interests. Consult with your Graduate Academic Advisor for guidance and course selections.

²

As a culmination of their graduate work, students in the Master of Public Administration's Management and Leadership Track are tasked with reflecting upon the professional applicability of their MPA skillset and drawing from the ePortfolio that they built throughout the program. Students are presented with a real-world problem in public administration and asked to write a paper exploring the problem and proposing recommended solutions.

MPA Sample Degree Plan (36 Credits)

CAPSTONE TRACK: PROGRAM PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

¹

A range of MPA ADVANCED Core courses are offered each term and vary each year. ADVANCED Core courses can also be taken as ELECTIVE courses. Students may also propose relevant ELECTIVE courses based upon their interests. Consult with your Graduate Academic Advisor for guidance and course selections.

²

Students in the Master of Public Administration's Program Planning and Development Track complete a four-term capstone project as the culmination of their graduate work. This capstone experience is designed to provide an opportunity to directly apply theories learned in the classroom to a major applied project within a community.

This graduate program is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis in articulation with certain undergraduate degree programs.

General Accelerated Master's policy, note that some programs have additional requirements (e.g. higher grade expectations) compared to the policy.

Please see the Graduate School website and contact the department directly for more information.

Accelerated Master's Progam Eligible: Yes-MPA Only (not applicable for the Executive MPA program)

The Master of Public Administration program allows eligible undergraduate seniors to enroll in graduate level courses which can fulfill requirements for both their undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Students can apply to the Accelerated MPA program during their junior or senior year. Please review details on eligibility requirements for admission.

Eligible students who are admitted to the Accelerated Master's program may complete up to 12 credits at the 800-level during their undergraduate senior year, earning dual credit toward both their undergraduate and MPA degree. Accelerated Master's students should always consult with their Graduate Academic Advisor for guidance.

The MPA program is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis with the following undergraduate programs. The listed MPA courses have been approved for credit in these undergraduate programs:

• Develop in-depth understanding of the structure of public sector organizations and common issues faced by public and nonprofit managers
• Communicate effectively with public managers, policymakers, and the general public
• Manage organizations, processes, and people in the public and nonprofit sectors
• Apply critical thinking skills to address public issues and solve problems
• Collect and analyze data to inform public decision-making