Master of Public Administration (Course Option)

Students entering the Master of Public Administration program build knowledge and skills to advance a career with impact. Students and graduates work in governments, non-profit organizations, and businesses, including cooperatives and credit unions.

Student performance is assessed against factors linked with success in the public sector. These factors are called competencies and they have been developed with researchers, alumni and public sector partners and they are refined over time. The development of up-to-date knowledge and competencies at Johnson Shoyama Graduate School prepares graduates for a rapidly changing world.

Students can expect assignments that approximate real-world scenarios and tasks as they build their professional competencies in these three areas:

• Evidence and Strategic Thinking – develops and applies an evidence-informed approach to policy issues and policy options; • Connection and Collaboration – communication with different audiences to build relationships and harness a diversity of perspectives to gain understanding, design, and advance policy solutions; and • Implementation and Improvement – lead self, teams, and partners to implement policy decisions, manage change initiatives, monitor progress, and support continuous improvement.

The standard program length for the Master of Public Administration is two years. However, the MPA can be completed in a period as short as 16 months (via an accelerated program).