Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration program is the management and leadership degree for those seeking to serve the public good. Courses are offered on campus and online and prepare students to innovate in a diverse range of fields. Students participate in interdisciplinary work and applied research with government and community partners, create social change, and address the emerging challenges affecting the quality of life in cities.
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The Master of Public Administration program has been forming leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors since 1969. The program is the management and leadership degree for those seeking to serve the public good. It equips its students with skills in policy analysis, program evaluation, research methods, and written and verbal communications. Students also develop competencies in budgeting and human resources, organizational management and leadership, and the interplay between ethics and accountability in a diverse society. Throughout the degree program, students gain career-oriented experience through internships, small group projects, and other interactions with professionals in the field. These experiences are designed to enable the Northeastern MPA graduate to move into a wide array of public and nonprofit sector positions at the local, state, national, and international levels. MPA students can add a graduate certificate to their degree to demonstrate specialized training in the nonprofit sector, urban analytics, urban studies, or public policy analysis. Courses taken to complete a certificate also count as MPA elective credits.
Additionally, students can concentrate in healthcare management and policy to equip themselves to better assess and act within today's complicated healthcare sector. Courses in health management, health policy, and an elective comprise the concentration.
Learn more about the Master of Public Administration program from the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, housed in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities.
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Unique Features
- Acquire hands-on experience through capstone projects, on-campus research labs and centers, and real-world work opportunities. A recent capstone group of students had the opportunity to create an innovative proposal addressing the needs of a local economic development agency. They earned second place at the 16th Annual Affordable Housing Development Competition.
- Students can participate in a one-semester exchange program with the University of Amsterdam’s Urban Studies Research master’s program.
- Students can conduct research outside of the classroom at The Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, Resilient Cities Lab, Boston Area Research Initiative, and The Social Impact Lab.
- Students can earn a graduate certificate at no additional cost in these focus areas: nonprofit sector, public policy analysis, urban analytics, and urban studies.
- Optional Concentration in Healthcare Management and Policy
This graduate concentration is available to students in the Masters of Public Administration program in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs. It is designed to enable students to develop a deeper understanding of the contemporary healthcare sector, including the intricacies of U.S. health policy and competencies in healthcare management. The concentration comprises three courses, one from each of three focus areas: health management, health policy, and health elective.
Accreditation Description
The MPA program at Northeastern University is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), the membership association of graduate programs in public administration, public policy, public affairs, and public and nonprofit management.
Program Objectives
The MPA program is directed toward developing the analytical, conceptual, and practical competencies required for successful careers in public administration. The ultimate goal is to prepare students to be effective in a dynamic and increasingly diverse professional environment. This includes assisting students in every possible way to secure internships, post-graduate employment, and overall career advancement.
Career Outlook
Our MPA graduates are empowered to make a difference across disciplines and around the world. They leave Northeastern with the theoretical and fundamental understanding needed to transition into their careers and to immediately participate in and contribute to the policy process in their chosen field. Our graduates go on to careers as town administrators, management analysts, research analysts, and program directors. A recent survey of MPA alumni concluded that 24% of recent graduates are working the nonprofit sector, 38% in the public sector, and 21% in the private sector.