to complete the degree
to complete the program
students in each cohort
Degree Requirements
The M.P.A. degree requires 40 credits of graduate coursework:
- 19 credits of required core coursework,
- 9 credits of required coursework in a chosen Track, and
- 12 credits of elective coursework.
Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Please see the Course Catalog for complete requirements.
Core Coursework
PAI 600: Public Affairs Colloquium
PAI 712: Managing and Leading Public Organizations
Compare attributes of the nonprofit sector with public (government) and private (business) sectors, explore public policy relationships that intertwine these sectors, and learn distinctive skills and talents needed for effective leaders in the nonprofit sector.
PAI 721: Introduction to Statistics
Students learn basic inferential statistics (point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing) and descriptive statistics (measure of central tendency, variation, bivariate and multivariate association).
PAI 723: Economics for Public Decisions
Application of microeconomic analysis to public policy problems is the focus of this course. Students use basic economic reasoning to help untangle complex real-world policy problems.
PAI 734: Budgeting and Fiscal Policy
Learn about the role of the modern budget in determination of policy, administrative integration, control of government operations and intergovernmental relations, and in relation to private economy. Other topics include unit costs, work programs and budgetary analysis.
PAI 752: M.P.A. Workshop
Students serve as consultants on a project for a real client that addresses current topics in public management. The objective of the team project is the application of M.P.A. subject matter and techniques.
PAI 755: Public Administration and Democracy
Learn public policy and administration in the context of a constitutional democracy and study relationships between administrative and constitutional values.
Tracks (9 credits)
In addition to the required core courses, students choose a track. The M.P.A. tracks allow students to develop specialization in one of four primary fields of public administration.
Some students may not know which track is best aligned with their career goals or may wish to pursue a more generalist approach to their education. In these cases, students may choose the “Integrated Track” option, which includes selecting three courses (9 credits) from the courses required for the four tracks. One of the courses must be PAI 722 Quantitative Analysis.
Electives (12 credits)
Students round out their M.P.A. degree by choosing the electives that further support their career goals. The remaining 12 credits can be selected from the department, other graduate programs in the Maxwell School or other divisions of Syracuse University.
Students also have the option of using their electives to build depth in an Area of Study or earn a Certificate of Advanced Study.
Areas of Study
Whereas tracks support field expertise, areas of study support expertise in particular topical domains. Students interested in a particular topic can choose their electives based on an area of study with this focus.
Certificates of Advanced Study
Students enrolled in our M.P.A. programs are eligible to earn a Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.) in the following areas of specialization as they work toward their degree (concurrently).
Conflict and Collaboration
12 credits
Data Analytics for Public Policy
12 credits
Postconflict Reconstruction
12 credits
Security Studies
12 credits
For Complete Courses and Requirements
I am Maxwell.
In her previous role as policy team lead for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and in prior roles at the CDC and the NIAID, Liz Fomegne says she has drawn on her Maxwell leadership training almost daily—including an exercise from the opening M.P.A. Colloquium. “The point of the exercise was that there has to be delegation. There have to be roles assigned. There has to be clarity about how you manage this process.”
Elizabeth Fomegne ’04 B.F.A./'09 M.P.A.
Director, Office of Policy and Planning, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
