Public Administration (M.P.A.)

The Master of Public Administration program (MPA) is a 36-credit hour program designed for individuals employed or interested in service in federal, state, local, regional, and international government, non-profits, and non-governmental organizations. Non-profit organizations include museums, membership associations, and other 501 (c) (3) institutions, as well as hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes. The curriculum is based on the standards of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). The MPA Program seeks to create competencies for the student in line with those of NASPAA.

Students in the program tackle critical social issues affecting people around the world as well as close to home and work to find solutions. Courses focus on management areas such as financial administration and organizational management as well as larger concepts like ethics and global awareness. Graduates go on to employment in a broad range of organizations from local municipalities and state agencies to working as government policy analysts and fundraisers.

At the completion of the degree students should be competent to:

1. manage in public organizations
2. participate in and contribute to the policy process
3. analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems, and make decisions
4. communicate and interact with diverse groups and in diverse settings

The degree program will also emphasis the following public service values:

1. Accountability
2. Transparency
3. Respect for citizen privacy
4. Ethical actions and values
5. Participatory process

Courses within the curriculum are grouped into four areas: core courses, areas of concentration, research/internship, and capstone experience. The six-course core sequence provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to become effective public managers. Students then pursue a greater depth of study in a four course concentration in either public management or health care administration. Following the core course sequence and the chosen concentration, students complete either an internship (pre-service students) or a research course (in-service students). The 36-credit hour curriculum is completed with a capstone project of the student’s own design guided by faculty advisement. As students’ progress through the Program they are encouraged to draw on the full array of research opportunities available through the MPA and allied resources as they consider their capstone project.

If you are a first responder (police/fire/EMS), active duty U.S. service member, or a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, you qualify for a 20 percent tuition discount on graduate programs in the School of Justices Studies. 

RWU Public Administration graduates have gone onto successful careers at:

• The ALS Association
• R.I. Department of Health
• American Heart Association
• R.I. Department of Human Services
• Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island
• R.I. Department of State
• Brown University
• RIHousing
• Care New England
• State of Connecticut
• City of Providence
• Town of Dennis (MA)
• Junior Achievement of Rhode Island
• United Healthcare
• Lawrence & Memorial Hospital
• United Way of Rhode Island
• Portsmouth Fire Department
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Providence Community Health Center
• Wrentham (MA) Police

RWU is the home of the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration.