Master of Public Administration Public Management Online
Qualify for executive positions in civic organizations when you build the expertise to critically evaluate information and provide an evidence-based perspective. Learn methods for the ethical management of people, money, resources and programs.
Program Overview
Give back to your community with the online Master of Public Administration program
Prepare for a high-level public sector career with A-State’s online Master of Public Administration Public Management program. Learn crucial techniques for ethical operations, strategic planning, human resources practices, political analysis and public finance. You will be able to utilize your acquired skillset in your current position or during an optional hands-on internship experience.
Our industry-expert faculty will provide you with the knowledge needed to advance in a wide array of public administration roles, such as law enforcement; fire department operations; or federal, state or local government. During your capstone course, you will identify a career-relevant challenge and design a modern solution. Our curriculum balances academic concepts with real-world experience, preparing you to face modern industry challenges.
Within the MPA – Public Management, you will:
- Develop dispositions, knowledge and skills for rigorous problem analyses and successful collaborations that lead to comprehensive solutions
- Build communities and social infrastructures through the use of clear communication and ethical and effective management techniques
- Integrate theory and practice through authentic, performance-based field activities
- Examine administrative structures and patterns of behavior in public sector organizations
- Develop a theoretical and technical framework for understanding the fundamentals of policy analysis and evaluation and political processes
- Gain an understanding of administrative methods associated with governmental revenues, expenditures and fiscal control of public organizations
- Develop values that will enable you to become an ethical and effective leader entrusted with public service
- Gain fiscal management skills essential to public administration
- Learn to critically analyze policy and gain an understanding of how to navigate regulatory processes
- Develop dispositions, knowledge and skills for rigorous problem analyses and successful collaborations that lead to comprehensive solutions
- Build communities and social infrastructures through the use of clear communication and ethical and effective management techniques
- Integrate theory and practice through authentic, performance-based field activities
- Examine administrative structures and patterns of behavior in public sector organizations
- Develop a theoretical and technical framework for understanding the fundamentals of policy analysis and evaluation and political processes
- Gain an understanding of administrative methods associated with governmental revenues, expenditures and fiscal control of public organizations
- Develop values that will enable you to become an ethical and effective leader entrusted with public service
- Gain fiscal management skills essential to public administration
- Learn to critically analyze policy and gain an understanding of how to navigate regulatory processes
As a graduate, you will be prepared for various leadership roles in the public sector, including:
- Development Director
- Police Chief
- Fire Chief
- Human Resources Manager
- City Manager
- Manager, Research and Analysis
- Director of Personnel
- Departmental Director
- Policy Analyst
- Development Director
- Police Chief
- Fire Chief
- Human Resources Manager
- City Manager
- Manager, Research and Analysis
- Director of Personnel
- Departmental Director
- Policy Analyst
Additional documents
MPA Guide Online Edition (.PDF)
State Program Approvals (.PDF)
Also available:
A-State offers a variety of graduate programs in a convenient online format. Explore our full range of online graduate programs.
Accreditation
Created by working professionals seeking to give back to their community, the Arkansas State University MPA program is fully accredited through the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).
Tuition
Find out how and when to pay your tuition
Our MPA online program offers the same affordable tuition to in-state and out-of-state students. All fees are included. Tuition may be subject to change on a yearly basis.
Tuition breakdown:
Calendar
Important dates for our students
Our MPA online program is designed to be flexible and convenient for working professionals, with accelerated coursework and multiple start dates a year.
| Term | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Registration Deadline | Payment Due | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 1 | 1/13/25 | 12/16/24 | 12/18/24 | 1/9/25 | 1/10/25 | 2/28/25 |
| Spring 2 | 3/10/25 | 2/24/25 | 2/28/25 | 3/6/25 | 3/7/25 | 5/2/25 |
Now enrolling:
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Admissions
Steps to being admitted to our online public management program
A-State Online offers a streamlined admission process for both new students and transfers. Students who are interested in the MPA online program must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution. Review full admission requirements below.
Admission Requirements:
- Online application
- Official transcripts
- Bachelor's degree
Admission requirements
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with at least 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale or at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours
- 500-word Statement of Purpose
Note: If you have a 3.0 – 3.199 cumulative GPA, you must make a grade of "B" or better during the first 9 hours of graduate work at Arkansas State University.
If your transcript(s) do not reflect grades of “C” or higher in courses on American national government and Research Methods, you will be required to take these courses prior to or during the first graduate enrollment period.
Application submission requirements
- Complete online application.
- Pay the nonrefundable $30 application fee.
- Send official transcript(s) from the college/university attended. Official transcripts are sealed transcripts sent from the granting institution.
- Submit a 500-word Statement of Purpose.
Submit all documents to:
A-State OnlineP.O. Box 2520
State University, AR 72467
Fax: 870-972-3548
Email: [email protected]
Additional information
Transfer credits
Applicants with prior “F” or “D” grades at the graduate level in any graduate program will not be admitted to the A-State MPA program. In addition, students who earn failing (“F") grades in the A-State MPA program are ineligible for readmission to the program. The only exception is with the Capstone.
Up to 9 graduate hours from A-State or other higher education institutions may be credited toward a program. No course can be older than six years by graduation time. Transfer credit will be evaluated by the Director of the Program. To request prior credit be evaluated, please complete the Graduate Transfer Credit Evaluation Form.
Courses
A look at the online MPA – Public Management curriculum
Students pursuing this degree must complete 36 credit hours, which includes core courses (21 hours) and Public Management track courses (15 hours) listed below. This does not include co-requisite courses (which must be completed prior to starting graduate courses). These courses are available online at Arkansas State.
Visit the Course Registration page to view the course schedule for this degree.
Must complete 15 credit hours, including choosing between POSC 6603 or POSC 6473.
*In order to complete in 18 months, two courses must be taken each start and must begin program in the first session of the semester.