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A professional degree program, the MPA includes applied work in several related disciplines: Public Administration, Communication, Management, and others. The conceptual and analytical skills developed through the MPA curriculum are critical to the effective management of public agencies and programs. Contemporary public officials are required to make complex choices and implement programs and policies within difficult financial, legal, political, and organizational constraints. More than ever, it is important that administrators be able to work with a variety of people, both within and outside the public sector. Professional education in public administration thus encompasses fiscal control, quantitative analysis, organization management, decision analysis, and a working understanding of government institutions and legal procedures.

In addition to the academic coursework, students may gain important experience in supervised field work and applied research, while a choice of emphases within the curriculum makes it possible to pursue intensive training in a specific subfield of public administration. MPA graduates will be uniquely prepared to understand the responsibility and accept the challenge of managing in the public sector.

The MPA is considered a terminal degree frequently sought by professionals entering or pursuing a career in the public or nonprofit sectors.   SUU will require students to complete 36 graduate credit hours while maintaining a minimum 3.2 GPA to earn the degree.  Students can complete the degree by enrolling full-time for two years.  Graduate hours are divided between required core courses (18 hours) and emphasis courses (15 hours).  Students must complete a major research project (MRP), an internship or a thesis for an additional three credit hours.