What is an MPA Degree?

Often I get asked, "what is an MPA degree?" and then I go into a long winded explanation. For those pursing an MPA or have already received theirs, we know that it is not easy to simply define the degree. I recently found this good explanation of an MPA and wanted to share it will all of you. Next time someone asks, you'll be able to summarize this post or send them directly here!

What is an MPA Degree?

Defining the MPA is quite difficult and very few people truly understand it. One of the reasons for this is that not many people hold the degree because people often choose the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Secondly, the degree is so broad that it can be difficult to really give it a definition. However, there are a few specific characteristics of the program:

• The degree is professional and not academic. This means that a lot of career options are available as well, including government agencies, non-profit organizations, social enterprises, international NGOs, financial institutions, private businesses, and more.
• The curriculum of the MPA is a mixture of the MBA and the Master of Public Policy (MPP) degrees. Usually, you will learn about various management topics, such as human resource management, finance, and strategy, while focusing on nonprofit organizations and government. That said, public policy issues, such as policy analysis and economics, will also be covered.
• You can usually specialize in your MPA degree in areas, such as healthcare, international affairs, education, environment, finance, human rights, urban policy, finance, specific geographic regions, management, and so on (NKU has homeland security options as well!)
• It usually takes two years to complete the program, although there are now also a number of accelerated degree programs available, as well as online programs, which means it can be completed in between 12 and 18 months.