Is This Program for You?

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a graduate degree program for professionals currently employed in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors who wish to improve their administrative skills and knowledge.

Typically, our students have experience in such areas as:

• Business or healthcare administration
• Finance
• Human resources
• Public safety
• Social welfare

The MPA Program seeks applicants who have demonstrated their commitment to professional career advancement. Factors considered in the admissions process include:

• Successful undergraduate degree from an accredited university with at least a 2.5 GPA in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units;
• Graduate Record Exam required for applicants whose GPA is below 3.0 (must be taken before completing twelve units);
• Successful completion of the Writing Proficiency Exam (WPE) before completing twelve units;
• Two years of appropriate work experience in a relevant field
• Mandatory application to the university (click the "Apply" tab above); and

Students are expected to excel at working independently and as members of the group. It is important that applicants carefully weigh their ability to balance the demands of their careers and personal lives with the requirements of an intense academic program.

A working knowledge of current information technology is very important. Almost all of our students enter the program with basic computer and technology skills. Students are expected to use the computer to:

• Make presentations (PowerPoint),
• Communicate (e-mail), and
• Research assignments (Internet and library research)

Workshops are offered on specific topics such as data analysis software and presentation software through the University Library's media department.