Master of Public Administration

MPA (or M. P. Adm.) is stands for Master of Public Administration. It is a graduate degree, which prepares specialists in international development or government. Many MPA graduates start their career path in politics - this degree is useful for politicians on any level.

Master of Public Administration and Master of Art in Public Administration are mostly different study programs. This is related to the fact that they pursue different goals.

MA in Public Administration is an academic degree. That means that students will be engaged in research projects within the limits of the specialization in order to obtain a Ph.D. degree in this field and continue their academic career. Thus, the Master's degree in Public Administration conceived as one more step on the way to science (which, of course, does not mean that this is the only way for its graduates).

MPA degree is more professional rather than academic. It prepares specialists - that is why the main emphasis of most MPA study programs is on the internships and practical courses instead of research projects. MPA study programs are usually shorter than MA - students can complete their education in 12 months.
What is the most important for those who wish to receive a MPA degree is to choose the right institution. There are a lot of great MPA study programs in the world, but they are not the same - they are similar by some core characteristics. One of distinctive features of this degree is that specialization most likely will not be possible to choose. Instead of it, some universities allow students to undertake courses from other study programs (for example, MBA). But the core courses are mandatory of course, so applicants for MPA study programs need to research carefully the courses of the chosen degree - some of them make emphasis on public health or international development, many of them include mandatory internship, which can last for up to six-seven months.

2022-01-14 07:18:44
© Daria Blinova