Master of Public
Administration
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree is the
professional degree for people who want a public service career in management.
These degree programs develop the skills and techniques used by leaders and
managers to implement policies, projects, and programs that resolve important
societal programs while addressing organizational, human resources, and
budgetary challenges. MPA graduates work in a wide variety of public service
fields and in all levels of government (federal, state, local, and regional),
in nonprofits, in the international arena, and in the private sector.
Master of Public
Health
The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is the most widely
recognized professional credential for leadership in public health. The program
emphasizes active, student-directed learning, problem solving, and the
acquisition of skills essential to the practice of public health. The MPH
program is mainly geared towards professionals who hold a doctoral degree in
medicine (or foreign degree equivalent), dentistry, veterinary medicine, or
other fields related to public health (for example, biology, behavioral
sciences, or natural and social sciences) or a master’s degree in nursing.
Master of Health
Policy and Management
The Master of Public Administration in Health Policy and
Management (HPAM) provides students with the concepts and skills needed to shape
the future of health policy and management. This degree prepares individuals to
manage a wide array of health care programs and analyze and craft thoughtful,
forward-thinking health policy. HPAM graduates can be found playing significant
roles in hospitals, nonprofits, consulting firms, managed care organizations,
pharmaceutical companies and government health agencies.
Master of
Environmental Policy and Management
Environmental Policy and Management is a course of study that integrates skill-based courses in public policy, management, and environmental affairs with training in the environmental sciences. The degree demands core coursework in data analysis and modeling, environmental economics and policy, management, environmental resource management and policy, and environmental law. Master degree graduates who concentrate in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management assume management positions in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in local and state agencies, federal government, corporations, consulting firms, international and intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental and community-based organizations.
Master of Social Work
The Master of Social Work degree provides an individual with
an understanding of scientific principles, the practice methods, and the
ethical and social values of professional social work. This Master’s program
prepares students for entry into advanced social work practice. Students
complete courses in human behavior and the social environment, social welfare
policy and services, research, social work practice and the practicum. Typical
MSW programs emphasize promoting social and economic justice, particularly for
populations at-risk; practicing with diverse populations; and evaluating
practice outcomes. Social workers can be seen in variety of roles within the
community.
Master in Urban
Studies/Urban Planning
This degree program is dedicated to the training of
professionals and managers in public agencies, community-based organizations,
and other institutions committed to working for the betterment of urban
communities and their residents. It provides students with an understanding of
the economic, technological, and social forces that shape metropolitan areas at
home and abroad; it also equips them with the tools needed to confront the key
challenges facing urban communities across the globe. Urban Studies programs
use a variety of instructional approaches including actual policy and
management problems posed by public officials, case analyses, and computer-based
problem sets.
Master of
International Affairs
The Master of Internal Affairs is designed to develop
international affairs experts, consultants, and executives who understand the
issues that transcend national boundaries. Students may concentrate in a
variety of areas such as Economic and Political Development, Environmental
Policy Studies, Human Rights and Humanitarian Efforts, International Economics,
International Energy Management, Science, or Technology.
MA in Public
Administration
The MA in Public Administration degree provides training in
research methods and an in-depth knowledge of public administration and public
policy-making. The focus of this degree is to examine the complex issues
surrounding the formation, implementation, and evaluation of public policy; to
encourage students to develop specialist theoretical and empirical knowledge of
political problems from within a political science perspective; to work in a
team of researchers with a common research goal and cultivate research skills
which will benefit data collation and analysis for the dissertation component
of the degree; and to stimulate intellectual and professional self-awareness.
Master of Public
Affairs in Nonprofit Management
The Master of Public Affairs in Nonprofit Management is designed for individuals who have or wish to assume leadership positions in nonprofit organizations. It is an excellent graduate option if an individual works in the nonprofit sector, serves in a government agency that deals extensively with nonprofits, or wishes to be in the philanthropy field. This degree provides a strong management and policy base and addresses the distinctive features and practices of nonprofit organizations and emphasizes management techniques helpful to nonprofit leaders.
Master of Arts in
Policy Studies
This degree program provides an opportunity for students to
investigate and evaluate the theory and case practice of public and private
sector policies within the context of economic and social restructuring. The
critical, analytical, and evaluative skills involved in the program as a whole
are appropriate to those with an interest in personal development or career
enhancement and those who wish to pursue academic research at a more advanced
level.
Master of Management
in Human Services
The Master of Human Services degree program is designed to
meet the needs of professionals in the social, community, and human services
sector who have moved, or who wish to move, from direct practice into a
managerial role. The program offers a unique focus on exploring the role,
function, and responsibilities of the human service organization in rural,
regional, and urban environments.
Master of Science in
Public Service/Community Leadership
This degree program will enable individuals to collaborate
creatively with diverse stakeholder groups, to inspire and lead volunteers, to
serve the greater good of the various publics they serve, and to foster growth
and development of other leaders. Individuals will be provided with the skills
and perspectives necessary to have the vision of leadership, a sensitivity to
challenges that arise in communities, and the skills and knowledge to translate
the leadership vision into reality.
Master of Business
Administration
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a degree that
is internationally recognized as a business management qualification. The MBA
is preparation for careers in business management involving a combination of
practical training and theoretical learning. What managers, executives and
other types of business professionals are being prepared for are the complex
managerial tasks which may sometimes need non-standard solutions for them to
succeed in the highly competitive business environment today. The core
component of the MBA features courses in finance, economics, accounting,
marketing, organizational behavior, operational management (logistics),
business law, information management and technology and human recourse
management amongst others.
Other degrees
relevant to public service careers:
Juris Doctorate
MD
Master of Psychology
Master of Education
For more information on graduate school programs in the public service sector, visit Idealist.org for their list of academic programs, as well as Naspaa.org.