Public Administration, M.P.A.
The Master of Public Administration degree is the gold standard for public service careers. It is a transformative journey that equips students with the skills and knowledge to effect real change in the community and a chance to leave a legacy of positive impact for generations to come.
Visit the program website for more information.
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Program Overview
Accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration, the M.P.A. degree consists of 39 credit hours (plus an additional three credit hours of internship for pre-career students). Whether the goal is the lead or manage government, nonprofit, health, or private sector organizations, with only 18 credits of core courses, students can tailor most of the degree to complement their career goals and schedules.
Why Study Public Administration at Grand Valley?
- Multi-Sector Opportunities. Tailor your degree to fit a career in any sector.
-
Flexible Learning. Courses offered in the evening
and online.
- Leadership Development. The NASPAA-accredited curriculum builds essential skills to lead, innovate, and inspire.
- Real-World Experience. Impactful internships and projects with community leaders, alumni, and faculty.
-
Diverse Network. Connect and network with a vibrant
student body, influential professionals, and faculty experts.
- Affordability. Graduate assistantships, scholarships, and credit transfers are available to make the degree more affordable.
Career Insights
This tool shows an overview of potential career opportunities for this major. Actual salaries, employment opportunities, and job titles may change over time.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) for over twenty years, starting in 1995. This accreditation recognizes that our programs maintain rigor and currency for tomorrow's public leaders.
Location & Format
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.
Format:- Face To Face
Coursework
Through rigorous coursework, collaborative projects, and hands-on experiences, students cultivate a deep understanding of the issues and emerge as professional and visionary leaders ready to inspire change and foster innovation. Students engage a variety of topics that focus on leadership and management including strategic planning, organization theory, policy development and implementation, law and ethics, financial management, research and program evaluation, philanthropy and social responsibility, and the dynamics of the built environment.
Application Deadline
Deadline for fall semester is August 1; winter is December 1; and spring/summer is April 1. The nonrefundable application fee is waived if the applicant has previously applied to GVSU.
Admission Requirements
For general requirements for graduate admission, visit Grand Valley State University’s admission section of the online catalog.
Admission into the public administration program has additional requirements, which are available on this page.
If you have additional questions, please contact our graduate admissions office.
Helpful Links
For More Information
School of Community Leadership and Development288C DeVos Center
[email protected]
(616) 331-6575
Program Director
Donijo Robbins, Ph.D.
(616) 331-6740
"The M.P.A. program at GVSU offers a great blend of academic and practical experience that helps us to be better leaders. The lessons learned not only helped me get a job as a city manager but also are the lessons I see myself using daily for the next 40 years of my career. This is one of the reasons why GVSU's M.P.A. program is considered by many to be the best in the state."
CITY ADMINISTRATOR, FENNVILLE, MI