Master of Public Administration at Pennsylvania State University

The mission of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is to advance the knowledge and skills necessary to manage and lead organizations engaged in public service in democratic and diverse societies. As the MPA program intends to assist those interested in public service careers in public management, public policy, and nonprofit fields, the curriculum balances theoretical and applied concepts to build students' abilities to understand, analyze, and manage environments with real-world experiences. The MPA program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).

The mission of the Ph.D. program in Public Administration is to provide advanced graduate education in theory and research in the field to prepare students for academic, research, and advanced professional careers in public administration. Each student is expected to graduate with:

1. Research experience working with public administration faculty
2. Experience in presentation of scholarly papers and posters at national and regional conferences
3. Experience in developing, authoring, or co-authoring with a faculty member, and submitting at least one article for a refereed publication
4. Teaching experience at the college/university level

1. Graduates will demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the foundations (major concepts and theories) of public administration and policy processes.
2. Graduates will demonstrate in-depth knowledge of relevant research methods to be used in their dissertation studies and publications.
3. Graduates will demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the specialization area of their choice.
4. Graduates will demonstrate their ability to apply relevant research methods in their class papers and dissertation studies.
5. Graduates will demonstrate their ability to communicate their conceptual knowledge of foundational topics, specialization area topics, and research methods in written and oral forms.
6. Graduates will demonstrate their analytical and critical thinking abilities on the topics relevant to public policymaking and public administration processes.
7. Graduates will demonstrate their knowledge of the rules of ethics and professional conduct in public policy and administrative processes and the knowledge of ethical research practices and apply them in their studies in the program.