MPA Degree With a Government and Policy Emphasis
Serve Others With a Master’s in Public Administration With a Government and Policy Emphasis
Prepare for a career in service to others by earning your Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with an Emphasis in Government and Policy, offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at GCU. Explore ways of recognizing and addressing modern issues pertaining to policy and governance, leadership and human capital development. Cultivate your leadership style, ethical decision-making and problem-solving capabilities as you examine core issues in public sector organizations.
In this program, you will study crucial competencies in the inner workings of local, state and federal government agencies. In these courses, you will be taught ways for driving reform and forward progress to better serve the diverse needs of modern society. This MPA degree with a government and policy emphasis focuses on law and administrative processes, public governance and strategic solutions.
Course Topics in the MPA Degree With an Emphasis in Government and Policy
The Master of Public Administration with an emphasis in Government and Policy includes coursework that teaches a broad range of topics, including:
- Economics for public administrators
- Public administration influence and the role politics plays
- Acquiring, developing and leveraging human capital
- Public and nonprofit administration
- Public financial management and budgeting
During your coursework for the master’s degree in public administration with a government and policy emphasis, you will explore key concepts in leadership, including best practices in human capital development. Delve into the details of far-reaching policy issues, including education, healthcare and social services. Develop critical thinking skills as you consider how policy decisions affect various populations. Other knowledge areas you will examine while earning this degree include:
- Science of organizational behavior
- Best practices in governmental transparency, participation and accountability
- Ethical use of power and effective influencing of stakeholders
- Allocation of goods and services
Career Options With a Master’s Degree in Public Administration With a Government and Policy Emphasis
In this program, you will receive the tools to help serve the public in local, state or federal government positions. Graduates with an MPA degree with government and policy emphasis have the opportunity to learn how to recognize and solve problems that affect the government programs that the public relies on. Some of the careers that may be related to an MPA in Government and Policy emphasis include the following:
- Chief executive
- General and operations manager
- Legislator
- Transportation, storage and distribution manager
- Postmaster or mail superintendent
- Social and community service manager
- Manager
A master’s degree in public administration with government and policy emphasis may prepare you to pursue a career in a variety of settings, including nonprofit agencies, government agencies and non-governmental consulting and lobbying firms.
MPA Degree With a Government and Public Policy Emphasis Program FAQs
To learn more about this master’s degree program, please read through our answers to these frequently asked questions.
An online MPA degree with government and policy emphasis is designed for individuals who want to position themselves for possible career advancement within a public or nonprofit organization. For example, someone who is looking to move into a management role, or transition from a private sector into a new field could benefit from an advanced public administration and policy degree.
Yes, the MPA with government and policy emphasis is an interdisciplinary degree that provides an education in economics, finance, psychology and political science. Particularly in today’s volatile political climate, the online master’s degree in public administration with government and policy may be the right choice for individuals who are interested in working in the world of public and government policy.
At GCU, online master’s degree in public administration with government and policy emphasis allows students the flexibility to take courses on their own schedule. How long it takes to complete the program depends on how many credit hours one takes at a time. The master’s in public administration with government and policy emphasis at GCU requires 38 credits to completion, with most courses being eight weeks in length. The program provides knowledge in public governance and administration, human capital, leadership, finance, policy and economics.
Earning your MPA degree with an emphasis in government and policy can help prepare you for a career in public administration. Throughout this degree program, you will be exposed to important concepts like managing public funds and leveraging human capital that you can apply in a future career. If you’re interested in serving others in an impactful way, this degree may be a good fit for you.
For more information, fill out the form on this page to speak to a university counselor.
Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the liberal arts. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
This course focuses on how government and public organizations serve their stakeholders, the manner in which their services are carried out, how resources are managed, and how regulatory powers are complied with and/or managed. The best practices in public governance, issues related to transparency, participation, and accountability are examined.
Course Description
This course examines the day-to-day duties of public administrators. Relationship building, political awareness, and collaborative strategies are highlighted throughout the course. How to best employ skills for the effective running of an organization is incorporated.
Course Description
The effective strategic management of human capital is the differentiator of every successful organization. This course examines talent management, workforce diversity, succession planning, employee development and motivation, and performance matrix. This course addresses human resource competencies identified by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Using the strong strategic human resource acumen provided by this course, students will be well-prepared for positions as senior human resources specialists or as general managers.
Course Description
This course examines power and political structures employed within public administration. The ethical use of power and how to effectively influence others in public administration is practiced.
Course Description
This course examines leadership practices and qualities necessary to lead an organization. A focus is given to the science of organizational behavior and how it contributes to effective leaders and managers.
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the revenue and expenditure structure of the public sector, including revenue policy, expenditure policy, and budget structure and administration.
Course Description
This course focuses on how challenges and problems facing society become policy issues. Leading theories in policy analysis and the policy-making process are examined and critiqued. The impact of policy decisions on various groups within society (related to gender, age, ethnicity, etc.) is also examined.
Course Description
In this course, the role of government in the economy is explored within the general context of market failure and social equity. Topics include allocation of goods and services, income distribution, externalities, public goods, and public choice theory. This course also examines the impact of macroeconomic events and policy decisions on the budgets and service levels of public entities.
Course Description
This course examines systematic program evaluation using various research methods. A focus is given to Local and State programs and policies.
- GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
- Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
- Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.