Public Administration, MPA
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New York City
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Online
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White Plains
This Master of Public Administration appears on the NASPAA Annual Roster of Accredited Programs in conformity with standards established for professional masters degrees in public affairs and administration.
Become a Leader
Our Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is designed to train you to acquire strong analytical and administrative skills, and gain the management expertise you will need to succeed in the most rewarding and demanding areas of the national economy: government, healthcare, and nonprofit administration. The program’s mission is to prepare our students to become value-driven public service leaders, managers, and analysts by offering you the knowledge of roles, values, skills, and practices that will help you become competent global professionals capable of ethical, innovative, and creative leadership in public service, government, health care, and nonprofit organizations. The interdisciplinary curriculum enables you to occupy public service management and analyst positions across sectoral boundaries, as the program takes into account career and industry sector flexibility.
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The mission of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program is to prepare pre-service and in-service students in the New York City metropolitan area, the state of New York, the U.S. and internationally to become value-driven public service leaders, managers and analysts by providing our graduates with the knowledge of roles, values, skills, and practices that will help them become competent global leaders and professionals capable of effective, ethical, innovative, and creative leadership in public service, in government, heath care and nonprofit organizations. Our MPA program draws on and values the diversity of our students, faculty, alumni and community – which contributes to the advancement of the practice and scholarship in public administration, affairs and policy.
The mission is realized through the pursuit of five goals:
- Graduate competent professionals, leaders and analysts with effective, ethical, innovative and creative management and leadership skills in public service.
- Demonstrate a research-based and community-based impact through generation, application and dissemination of knowledge that articulates, incorporates and balances economic public service values (e.g. efficiency, effectiveness, accountability, professionalism) with democratic ones (e.g. equity, fairness, transparency, responsiveness) to guide the actions of successful public administrators.
- Emphasize the importance of practical experience through a) the use of analytical, managerial and research-based learning, b) opportunities for students to work with faculty on research both inside and outside the classroom, c) fostering the need for work experience in the application of public administration knowledge through Capstone projects and Internship experiences;
- Nurture a sense of service to the community and the profession by a) partnering with key organizations and specialized research institutes, b) engaging with a wide, diverse and connected alumni network, and c) collaborating with world-class universities in the United States and abroad;
- Promote a diverse and inclusive learning environment by aligning the MPA program with Pace University's motto of Opportunitas by providing access to quality education for all students, including those from all backgrounds (ethnic/race, gender, country of origin, economic, cultural) and first generation college students.
Over 40 Years of Success
- Our students can complete their MPA degree with a concentration in one of three management tracks: Government, Healthcare, and Nonprofit.
- The Pace MPA program serves both pre-service and in-service students who learn from faculty experts in their disciplines: recognized scholars and strong practitioner adjuncts who enhance the classroom experience for our students through a research-based and a practical community-driven learning approach.
- This program is STEM designated, which means you will be trained in areas of technology that are in high demand with United States employers. International students studying in person on student visas will be eligible for an Optional Practical Training (OPT) extension of 24 months, for a total of 36 months.
- Our MPA program offers a flexible study schedule to our full–and part-time students with classes available in the evenings and online.
Take Courses Like…
This 42-credit MPA program is designed to prepare you to obtain public service positions in government, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations. Full-time students can complete course work in two years and part-time students typically in four years. The program consists of required core courses, track/specialization courses, and elective courses.
The MPA program prepares you with core-competencies and adds to that preparation with additional specialized managerial and analytical competencies to help you get ahead of the competition in the job market. Selected courses that teach our students effective management skills to excel in public service positions include: Administration of Hospitals and Healthcare Facilities, Financial Resource Development for Not-for-Profits, Intergovernmental Relations, Municipal Management, and the United Health Care system. Examples of courses that teach in-demand analytical skills are: Applied Data Analysis, Program Planning and Evaluation, Qualitative Data Analysis, Research Design for Administrators, and Survey Design for Administrators.
- PAA 630 Intergovernmental Relations
- PAA 673 Financial Resource Development for Not-for-Profits
- PAA 650 The United States Health Care System
Add Opportunities and Experiences
The MPA program operates and partners with engaged academic professional networks and research institutions to provide candidates with access to research opportunities, key industry conferences, field-specific internships and fellowships, and other valuable learning and networking opportunities.
- Master of Public Administration Student Association (MPASA) creates new opportunities for students to strengthen their leadership, enhance their current professional networks, build civic engagement, and create community with each other, faculty, staff, alumni, and senior public managers and officials. The MPASA provides career-related information, tools, and events in the NYC, Westchester, and surrounding areas for students, recent graduates, and new and mid-career professionals.
- Internships and fellowship opportunities are provided through collaborative partnerships between the faculty and staff in the MPA program, our engaged alumni network, and our partners in the professional and local community.
- The Helene and Grant Wilson Center for Social Entrepreneurship serves the nonprofit and social enterprise community and Pace University. It is devoted to honing the risk-taking spirit and managerial skills of nonprofit organizations and social ventures and provides students with internships, education, research, communication, and advisory services, with the goal of promoting social change through entrepreneurship.
- The International Study Abroad course to Oxford, United Kingdom provides our MPA candidates the opportunity for 10 days in July to build practical and cultural knowledge while conducting comparative coursework in health care, government, and nonprofit management.
- Pi Alpha Alpha recognition through the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. Every year, MPA students with high academic achievements are invited to be inducted into Pi Alpha Alpha.
- Professional and development opportunities developed in house or in partnership with our professional associations through guest speakers, career/alumni panels, and current topic events.
“The MPA program had a tremendous and lasting impact in my professional career. The professors were always accessible and set the high standards I hold for myself. I am grateful to Pace for enabling my success as a student, as a chief of staff for the New York Department of Parks and Recreation and now, as a New York State Assembly member.” —Charles D. Fall, MPA ’14, New York State Assembly Member, 61st Assembly District, Staten Island
Choose your tailored path
Track 1: Government Management Track (NYC, Haub Law Campus, and Online Government Management Track)
The Government track is ideal for pre-service and in-service professionals interested in pursuing a public service career in the local, state, and federal government. This track is also suitable for individuals who are interested in pursuing political careers. Our Government Management track graduates are employed as municipal and assistant municipal managers, chiefs of staff, school district business leaders, elected officials, budget analysts, and directors, as well as executive and program directors and coordinators in various public sector agencies.
Track 2: Healthcare Management Track (NYC, Haub Law Campus, and Online Healthcare Management Track)
The Healthcare Management track is ideal for individuals occupying administrative positions in the healthcare industry, who are interested in advancing into leadership positions in organizations that provide public health services as well as in regulatory agencies in the healthcare field. Our Healthcare Management track graduates are employed with state and local health agencies, and non-profit/for-profit healthcare organizations such as hospitals in the NYC metro area including NYC metro area Presbyterian, Mt. Sinai, Lenox Hill, Montefiore etc.
Track 3: Nonprofit Management Track (NYC, Haub Law Campus, and Online Nonprofit Management Track)
The Nonprofit Management track is geared toward public managers in the nonprofit sector with previous management experience or with advanced professional degrees. Students pursuing this MPA track can focus on three areas: managerial skills enhancement (for those in or preparing for a career as a manager or administrator of a non-profit organization); leadership development (designed for those interested in planning for and implementing social change); and social entrepreneurship (ideal for those in the private sector who have a particular interest in the social impact of for-profit business activities). Our Nonprofit Management track graduates are employed with varied sized-organizations in the areas of education, parks and recreation, community services, healthcare, immigration, etc.
Choose Your Career
Alumni of the Pace MPA program serve in various public service positions in government, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations. Our Government Management track graduates are employed as municipal and assistant municipal managers, chiefs of staff, school district business leaders, elected officials, budget analysts, and directors as well as executive and program directors and coordinators in various public sector agencies. Our Healthcare Management track graduates are employed with state and local health agencies, and non-profit/for-profit healthcare organizations such as hospitals in the NYC-metropolitan area. Finally, our Nonprofit Management track graduates are employed with varied sized-organizations in the areas of education, parks and recreation, community services, healthcare, immigration, and more.
Where Graduates Are Employed
Public Administration alumni are placed across a wide range of professional institutions. The breakdown of 2020–2021 graduates is as follows:
- 41% in Nonprofit Organizations
- 24% in the Private Sector (Research/Consulting)
- 11% Continuing Education
- 10% in the Private Sector (other)
- 7% in Local Government
What You Need To Know
MPA Admission: The MPA Program requires an application form, payment of an application fee to the Graduate Admission Office, a resume, personal statement, two letters of recommendation, official transcripts, and TOEFL score, if applicable. GRE is NOT required. Candidates are required to hold a four-year undergraduate degree or its equivalent from a regionally-accredited institution. A 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required, but students with a lower GPA can apply and be admitted provisionally through a review of the MPA nuclear faculty of other potential success indicators such as achievement in any relevant undergraduate or certificate work, appraisals from their reference letters, work-related experiences, an interview with the MPA program director, and other relevant criteria. Learn more about the MPA admission process.
Stats
average salary for graduates with a Master of Public Administration Degree (Source: PayScale.com)
of Dyson College of Arts and Sciences graduates from the class of 2018 are employed, continuing their education, or are doing volunteer or military service. (Source: Pace University Career Services)
An engaged alumni network of over 1,200 MPA graduates