College of Social Sciences & Humanities

Public Administration

Master's : Boston
Master's : Anywhere
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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.

Boston
Location
Full-Time
Part-Time
Commitment
2-3 Years
Duration
Classroom
Program Format
NASPAA
Accreditation
Overview

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. The program 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 Informatics, Urban Studies, or Public Policy Analysis. Courses taken to complete a certificate also count as MPA elective credits.

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.

More Details

Unique Features

  • Acquire hands-on experience through capstone projects, on-campus research labs and centers, and real-world work opportunities. For example, a 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 Universiteit van 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 Informatics, and Urban Studies

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.

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.

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Admissions

Admissions Dates

Fall Term

February 1: Priority deadline

June 15: International applicants

August 15: Non-international applicants

August 25: Special Student applicants (non-international only) 

Spring Term

October 1: International applicants

December 1: Non-international applicants

December 15: Special Student applicants (non-international only) 

Summer 1 Term

April 1: Non-international applicants

Summer 2 Term

June 1: Non-international applicants

Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.

Requirements

  • Application
  • Application fee – US $75.00
  • Personal statement
  • Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended
  • English proficiency for international applicants
  • GRE General Scores
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Special questions
  • Resumé
Are You an International Student?
Find out what additional documents are required to apply.
Global Engagement
Learn how our teaching and research benefit from a worldwide network of students, faculty and industry partners.
Curriculum

General Requirements

Quantitative Techniques 

Take one of the following: 

LPSC 7305 - Research and Statistical Methods 
3.00 
POLS 7202 - Quantitative Techniques 
3.00 
 

Analysis

PPUA 6506 - Techniques of Policy Analysis 
3.00 
PPUA 6502 - Economic Institutions and Analysis 
3.00 
  

Administration and Management

PPUA 6500 - Principles of Public Administration 
3.00 
PPUA 6503 - Public Personnel Administration 
3.00 
PPUA 6504 - Organizational Theory and Management 
3.00 
PPUA 6505 - Public Budgeting and Financial Management 
3.00 
PPUA 6507 - Institutional Leadership and the Public Manager 
3.00 
  

Capstone 

PPUA 7673 - Capstone in Public Policy and Urban Affairs 
3.00 
    

Internship Requirement

Choose one from the following:

Internship Waived

Complete 15 semester hours from the following:

LPSC 5000 to LPSC 7999 

PPUA 5000 to PPUA 7999

CRIM 5000 to CRIM 7999 (by advisement only)

ECON 5000 to ECON 7999 (by advisement only)

ENGL 5000 to ENGL 7999 (by advisement only)

HIST 5000 to HIST 7999 (by advisement only)

POLS 5000 to POLS 7999 (by advisement only)

SOCL 5000 to SOCL 7999 (by advisement only)              

 

Internship Complete for Course Credit

Internship

PPUA 6407 - Internship in Public Policy and Urban Affairs 
3.00 

Electives 

Complete 12 semester hours from the course list below: 

LPSC 5000 to LPSC 7999

PPUA 5000 to PPU 7999

CRIM 5000 to CRIM 7999 (by advisement only)

ECON 5000 to ECON 7999 (by advisement only)

ENGL 5000 to ENGL 7999 (by advisement only)

HIST 5000 to HIST 7999 (by advisement only)

POLS 5000 to POLS 7999 (by advisement only)

SOCL 5000 to SOCL 7999 (by advisement only) 

Experiential Learning
  • In-Class Case Studies – Professors integrate case studies, small group exercises, and applied projects into the classroom to add a real-world perspective to the coursework.
  • Capstone — Students must complete a “Capstone in Public Policy and Urban Affairs,” a semester-long project where student teams work in partnership with local, state, or federal agencies or nonprofit institutions, to assess a problem, produce a thorough policy analysis, and recommend solutions to the client.
  • Opportunities Abroad — Students can participate in a one-semester exchange program with the Universiteit van Amsterdam’s Urban Studies Research Master’s Program or KU Leuven. This is an academic, research-oriented program that will be complementary to our professionally-focused Master of Public Administration Program.
     
Faculty

Our Faculty

Our faculty represents a wide cross-section of professional practices and in fields ranging from finance to education to biomedical science to management to the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors, and collaborate alongside students to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.

View Public Administration Department Faculty

Thomas J. Vicino

Associate Professor of Political Science, Public Policy and Urban Affairs; Director, Master of Public Administration Program

Michael Dukakis

Distinguished Professor of Political Science

Linda Kowalcky

Professor of the Practice in Public Policy and Urban Affairs

Laurie Dopkins

Director, Academic Programs, Public Policy and Urban Affairs

Christopher Bosso

Professor of Public Policy; Director, Master of Public Policy Program

Alicia Sasser Modestino

Associate Professor of Public Policy and Urban Affairs and Economics; Associate Director, Dukakis Center

Alan Clayton-Matthews

Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy; Director, PhD Program in Law and Public Policy; Senior Research Associate, Dukakis Center
Students

By enrolling in Northeastern, you gain access to a network of more than 230,000 alumni and 3,000 employer partners, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global NGOs. Our current students and faculty across strategically located regional campuses further foster that lifelong global community of learning and mentoring.

Below is a look at where our MPA alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organizations.

 

  • Where They Work

    • Commonwealth of Massachusetts
    • Boston Children’s Hospital
    • Massachusetts General Hospital
    • City of Boston

  • What They Do

    • Community and Social Services
    • Business Development
    • Education
    • Healthcare Services
    • Research

  • What They're Skilled At

    • Research
    • Public Speaking
    • Community Outreach
    • Public Policy
    • Nonprofit Organizations

 

Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on Linkedin.

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