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Program Overview

Target Audience

Our Executive MPA Program is designed for busy, ambitious and forward-looking public professionals who have been working for 10 years or more. The program is intended to prepare individuals for advanced leadership, with an assumption that they have already "earned their wings" as successful managers of people, programs and organizational units.

We are looking for mature students with a clear commitment to public service and strong personal motivation to deepen their knowledge, sharpen their skills, and prepare themselves for bigger challenges.

How the Program Works

The 24-month program will follow a cohort model that allows students to move through the core program requirements as a group of peers. When you meet in class you will find that you are interacting with other professionals who are facing real-life challenges and are well-positioned to share "best practices" across organizational and jurisdictional boundaries. This heightened level of experience in multiple policy settings brings to the classroom a sophisticated and effective learning environment.

Cohort members will customize their curriculum by selecting an area of specialization based on a policy field or level of government. Students will complete their specialization requirement in consultation with advisor. Common specialization areas include natural resource management, public safety and federal/state/local government. Additional specialization areas can be custom designed to fit the needs and interests of students.

Capstone Project

Prior to completing the Executive MPA, participants complete a Capstone project that addresses a contemporary leadership, management, or policy challenge confronting a public or non-profit organization. The project requirement provides participants with considerable latitude in the selection of topics. The program actively encourages participants to select problems of immediate relevance to their own professional practice or communities of interest.

Successful completion of the project involves two elements: a case analysis and a reflective practice essay. Focusing on the specific elements of problems affords participants the opportunity to hone their technical and analytical skills. The reflective practice component encourages participants to draw upon the experiences and information gained across the entire curriculum to craft novel yet practical solutions to these problems that add value to their organizations, communities, or the profession as a whole.