Introduction to EMPA

The Executive Master of Public Administration is a midcareer degree program that prepares managers for the challenges of leading dynamic organizations in the public and nonprofit sectors. By combining rigorous study in public management, leadership, and policy, the degree is uniquely suited to the needs of experienced professionals.  Coursework invites students to examine issues from comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives.  As a result, the 30-credit program attracts officials from around the globe, resulting in an exciting and unique learning environment. Designed for completion in one calendar year of full-time study, the program is open to part-time students as well.

Begun in 1964, Maxwell’s Executive MPA is one of the nation’s first midcareer degree in the field.  It is also highly flexible. Eligible applicants must have 7 or more years of mid-level professional experience, including management responsibilities and some public sector work preferred.  Students select courses based on their professional and organizational needs, with the assistance of an academic advisor.  Only three of the ten courses are required so that the program of study is individualized and relevant. Within the Department of Public Administration, courses are offered in six areas of study to guide students in their thinking:

• Environmental Policy and Administration
• International Development and Administration
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• State and Local Government Financial Analysis and Management
• Social Policy
• Technology and Information Policy
• International and National Security Policy

While some choose to complete all of their coursework in Public Administration, the EMPA allows students to select four of the ten courses in another social science discipline or even another school of the university.  Midcareer students have pursued concentrations in economics, anthropology, information sciences, law, and other fields as part of their master’s program. 

Required Courses

The three required courses are especially designed to prepare students for leadership. Fundamentals of Policy Studies (PPA 730) engages students in considering the rationale for and the limits to public sector politics.  It also introduces students to how these policies can be analyzed prior to implementation.  The Midcareer Seminar (PPA 895) focuses on organizational leadership concepts and tools.  Highly interactive, the course immerses students in current thinking and challenges them to apply new concepts to specific situations. The Master’s Project (PPA 996) meets the University's comprehensive requirement for a master’s program. The course is an opportunity for students to apply knowledge acquired through study to a policy or organizational issue of professional relevance. Students meet as project teams to solve a public management or policy analysis problem defined by a sponsoring organization (e.g. The United Nations, US Congressional Research Service). Sessions on project management and group dynamics support the teams as they work over the semester with sponsors and faculty advisors to complete their project.