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x remove Public Administration, M.P.A. x remove Combined Degree: Journalism, Broadcasting, and Digital Media B.A., B.S. and Communications, M.S.
Credits Required
39 - 42
144
Format
Face To Face
Location

Classes are a combination of online and in-seat. In-seat classes are held in downtown Grand Rapids at the Richard M. DeVos Center, the LV Eberhard Center, and the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences.

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All undergraduate students begin their academic career at Grand Valley's Allendale Campus; classes for graduate students in this major meet downtown on the Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus.

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Coursework

Students study a variety of public, nonprofit, health, and criminal justice topics including strategic management, grant writing, sustainability and planning, financial management, philanthropy, legal and ethical issues, research, policy, and organizational theory.

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Students accepted into the program may take up to four, three-credit graduate-level communication courses for a total of 12 credits their senior year. Taken in lieu of free electives, they will count toward the fulfillment of requirements for both their baccalaureate and graduate degrees.

  • COM 600
  • COM 634
  • COM 620
  • COM 642
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Career Options

MPA graduates are employed in a variety of professions, including:

  • City managers
  • County administrators/controllers
  • Community planners and developers
  • Nonprofit executive directors
  • Diversity, equity, and inclusion managers
  • Grants managers
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The program is designed to enhance effectiveness and leadership skills central to various applications of professional communication in fields such as advertising, broadcasting, public relations, media, health communication, and research.

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Application Deadline
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Skills Employers Want

The Master of Public Administration at GVSU will improve the skills necessary to have a successful and rewarding career as a public servant. The curriculum is designed to advance skills students need to build a resume of qualifications that are sure to attract employers, such as:

  • Critical thinking
  • Communications
  • Data analytics
  • Strategic
  • Ethical decision-making
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The M.S. in Communications degree at GVSU will develop the skills you need to land the job you want. Whether the skills are advanced or general, you will build a resume of qualifications that are sure to attract employers. The following skills correlate with those pulled from actual job postings.

  • Strategic Planning
  • New Product Development
  • Forecasting
  • Business Development
  • Product Management
  • Public Relations
  • Marketing Strategies
  • Budgeting
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Marketing Communications

Source: EMSI, 2022

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