The Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a professional degree that prepares persons interested in public service for administrative and leadership positions in governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations. The program’s student and teaching oriented faculty seek to contribute to the development of professional individuals with an ethos of democratic administration by providing them with a combination of solid academic learning and concrete practical experiences. The MPA Program is located in the School of Government and International Affairs.
Accreditation
The Master of Public Administration Program is formally accredited by Network of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA).
Mission Statement
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a professional degree that prepares persons interested in public service for administrative and leadership positions in governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Program Purposes
- Program Purpose 1: Prepare graduates of the program to think critically and creatively about public issues.
- Program Purpose 2: Prepare graduates to possess the administrative and leadership skills to enter a professional position in a public organization.
- Program Purpose 3: Provide a rigorous core curriculum that examines the theoretical underpinnings of public service.
- Program Purpose 4: Inspire commitment to public service values and ethical behavior.
- Program Purpose 5: Sustain a welcoming environment that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Public Service Values:
- Public Service Value 1: Public Service professionals emphasize integrity, accountability, honesty, fairness and ethical behavior in personal and professional relationships and activities.
- Public Service Value 2: Public service professionals should reflect the highest ideals of citizenship and service to the community and develop professionalism by emphasizing competence, excellence, efficiency, objectivity, and impartiality to their community, the nation, and the world.
- Public Service Value 3: Public service professionals exhibit democratic values, respect for the Constitution and the rule of law.
- Public Service Value 4: Public Service professionals commit themselves to equity and diversity by recognizing that their exercise of authority and responsibility must always be tempered by a respect for human dignity, fairness, and social equity.
Graduation and Employment Data Here
View MPA Handbook
MPA Student of the Month
Sarah Leming
"I discovered the MPA program at Kennesaw State during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and applied right away. What I have learned throughout this program has shaped my career trajectory and how I view and analyze current events and issues whether local, state, or national. I have grown to become a more productive citizen and employee with helpful guidance from professors and other MPA students. This program turned out to be everything I was looking for by providing an education that gave me the power to make a difference in my government, my community, and most importantly myself."
