Master of Public Administration (MPA) Programs
MPA programs provide you with the necessary education that can prepare you to enter a variety of public service fields. By instilling you with a knowledge set specific to your area of interest, you have the opportunity to take what you learn from your MPA program and use it to positively affect an organization or community. We offer three different emphasis areas for our MPA, in government and policy, nonprofit management and healthcare management.
A Degree That Ignites Passion and Purpose
If you’re passionate about providing leadership in areas such as public policy, nonprofit management, policy analysis, healthcare management or government administration, then one of our Master of Public Administration degree options may be ideal for you. This degree can provide you with the opportunity to gain advanced administrative knowledge of specific industries that you can translate into effective solutions, valuable insights and measurable outcomes within an organization or community.
A Quality Online Education
We offer our students the opportunity to earn an MPA degree online. Our online courses can provide you with a quality education that comes with convenience. You can study and interact with other MPA students from virtually anywhere through our e-learning platform, as well as take advantage of the numerous online resources available.
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Master of Public Administration Degree: MPA Types
We offer various MPA programs that cater to your interests and career goals. From government to nonprofit management to healthcare management, our programs can help you advance your knowledge of your career field and position yourself for potential high-level opportunities.
Government and Policy
As you pursue your MPA in policy and government, you will work to evaluate and strengthen your leadership style as you explore various methods of modern policy and government issues. You will work to gain competence regarding the processes of different government agencies, including local, state and federal. Other topics you will cover include economics for public administrators, public administration influence, public and nonprofit administration and public financial management and budgeting, to name a few.
Nonprofit Management
In this program, you will be taught to serve the public by contributing your administrative knowledge and skills to benefit an organization or community. As you deepen your knowledge of nonprofit management, you will study administrative practices and their influence on the success of an organization. You’ll also have the opportunity to strengthen your effective communication and leadership skills.
Healthcare Management
In this healthcare emphasis, you will have the opportunity to gain the skills needed to lead as a public health professional. This includes studying policies, analyzing ethical dilemmas and exploring legal compliance, safety and quality in patient care. You will be taught to understand the crossroads between healthcare and administration and work to apply these concepts to the field.
Earn Your MPA From an Accredited University
GCU is an institutionally accredited university, which is a reflection of our commitment to providing quality education to all students. To learn more about our accreditation, visit our university accreditation page.
Online MPA Degree Coursework
Your online courses will cover numerous topics relevant to a career in public administration. Depending on which MPA focus you choose, you will have specific courses related to that industry. Some topics you may cover include:
- Public governance
- Public and nonprofit administration
- Human capital
- Influence, power and politics
- Leading public organizations
- Policy and economic studies
- Public budgeting and financial management
- Community development
To gain entry into our graduate programs, you must fulfill certain admission criteria to be considered eligible, including degree, GPA and testing requirements. To learn more about gaining admission to the MPA program of your choice, visit our admission requirements page.
MPA graduates will have been taught various concepts related to managing human capital, leadership, operations management, public affairs, and other areas relevant to their intended industry. Some careers related to this degree that you may explore include:
- Chief executive
- General and operations manager
- Legislator
- Social and community service manager
- Transportation, storage and distribution managers
- Postmasters and mail superintendents
- City manager
![MPA student smiling while working on computer and writing on paper](https://res.cloudinary.com/grand-canyon-university/image/fetch/ar_16:9,c_fill,g_auto/w_auto,dpr_auto/f_auto,q_auto:eco/https://www.gcu.edu/sites/default/files/media/MPA%20careers.jpg)
1 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Social and Community Service Managers, retrieved July 31, 2024.
2 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Social and Community Service Managers, as of May 2023, retrieved July 31, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as social and community service managers, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
Prepare To Make a Difference Through Public Service