The Master of Public Administration prepares students from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds to excel in careers with a public policy, public management, or nonprofit management orientation. The MPA provides students with an academic credential appropriate for employment in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.
The MPA program has two key objectives. First, through a set of core courses, the program provides a strong foundation of practical and theoretical training for professional work in public service. Second, through free electives or the selection of a concentration, the MPA program offers students the opportunity to fashion a curriculum linked directly to their individual career and academic interests.
The Baruch MPA is fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). Baruchs School of Public Affairs is the only nonprivate school of public affairs in New York City.
All students in the MPA program complete seven required courses and are required to earn a minimum grade point average of 3.0. This ensures that all students achieve a basic understanding of fundamental public administration principles and practices together with a foundation in communication skills, economic analysis, and statistical analysis. In addition to the required courses, students complete six elective courses chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor. Students without prior professional experience will also complete an internship in a public, nonprofit, or private-sector organization. In their final semester, all students take the Capstone Seminar, which emphasizes the application of students knowledge and skills to specific professional situations.
Full-time and part-time MPA students (but not students in the NUF or Executive MPA programs) may choose to focus 12 of their 18 credits of elective course work in one of the four specializations: nonprofit administration, public management, policy analysis and evaluation, and health care policy. All four specializations participate in the shared MPA core, which does not vary from specialization to specialization. Specializations must be chosen in consultation with a School of Public Affairs advisor.
Selection of a specialization is not required. Students who choose not to take a specialization must structure their 18 elective credits in consultation with an advisor.
Core (21 credits) | ||
| Introduction to Public Affairs | 3 credits | |
| Communication in Public Settings | 3 credits | |
| Public and Nonprofit Management I | 3 credits | |
| Economic Analysis and Public Policy | 3 credits | |
| Budgeting and Financial Analysis I | 3 credits | |
| Research and Analysis I | 3 credits | |
| Research and Analysis II | 3 credits | |
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| Administration of Not-For- Profits and Voluntary Organizations | 3 credits | |
| Budgeting and Finance for Nonprofits | 3 credits | |
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| Ethics and Public Decision Making | 3 credits | |
| Communication and Information Technologies | 3 credits | |
| Government Contracting | 3 credits | |
| Program Evaluation | 3 credits | |
| Urban Economic Development | 3 credits | |
| Communication Strategy | 3 credits | |
| Community Development | 3 credits | |
| Housing Policy | 3 credits | |
| Greening and Growing Cities | 3 credits | |
| Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector | 3 credits | |
| Fund Raising and Grants Administration in Not-for-Profits and Voluntary Organizations | 3 credits | |
| Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery | 3 credits | |
| Introduction to Philanthropy | 3 credits | |
| Religion, Nonprofits, Politics, and Policy | 3 credits | |
| Public and Nonprofit Management II | 3 credits | |
| Human Services Administration | 3 credits | |
| Comparative Public Administration | 3 credits | |
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International Nonprofit Organizations |
3 credits | |
| Selected Topics in Nonprofit Management | 3 credits | |
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Health and Health Care |
3 credits | |
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Social Entrepreneurship: Concepts and Cases |
3 credits | |
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| Public Personnel and Human Resources Management | 3 credits | |
| Public and Nonprofit Management II | 3 credits | |
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| Ethics and Public Decision Making | 3 credits | |
| Communication and Information Technologies | 3 credits | |
| Government Contracting | 3 credits | |
| Administrative Law and Regulation | 3 credits | |
| Intergovernmental Relations | 3 credits | |
| Labor Relations in the Public Sector | 3 credits | |
| Program Evaluation | 3 credits | |
| Urban Services Delivery | 3 credits | |
| Communication Strategy | 3 credits | |
| Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery | 3 credits | |
| Privatization and Market-Based Government | 3 credits | |
| Human Services Administration | 3 credits | |
| Program Auditing and Performance Measurement | 3 credits | |
| Comparative Public Administration | 3 credits | |
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| Health Care Delivery in the United States * | 3 credits | |
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| Political Analysis | 3 credits | |
| Health Care Policy | 3 credits | |
| Population-Based Health Planning | 3 credits | |
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or |
Health Program, Policy, and Performance Evaluation or Program Evaluation |
3 credits |
| Comparative Health Systems | 3 credits | |
| Health Politics and Policymaking | 3 credits | |
| Health Care Costs and Financing | 3 credits | |
| Selected Topics in Health Policy | 3 credits | |
Other courses relevant to the track offered at other schools of Baruch College and/or other CUNY campuses, with advisor approval | ||
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Free ElectivesStudents must complete 6 additional elective credits of their choice. These may be any two electives consistent with a students academic program for which the student has satisfied prerequisites. All courses must be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor. Specialization in Policy Analysis and EvaluationStudents who wish to concentrate their MPA studies in policy analysis and evaluation must take 12 credits (four courses), 6 of which (two courses) are required. Mandatory Courses in Policy Analysis and Evaluation (6 credits) | ||
| Program Evaluation | 3 credits | |
| Economics of the Public Sector and Public Finance | 3 credits | |
Elective Courses in Policy Analysis and Evaluation (6 credits)select two courses from the following | ||
| Selected Topics in Advanced Analytical Methods | 3 credits | |
| Telecommunications Policy | 3 credits | |
| Social Welfare Policy | 3 credits | |
| Business and Public Policy | 3 credits | |
| Program Auditing and Performance Measurement | 3 credits | |
| Human Resources Policy | 3 credits | |
| Policy Analysis | 3 credits | |
| Issues in Educational Policy | 3 credits | |
| Environmental Policy | 3 credits | |
| Selected Topics in Public Policy | 3 credits | |
Free ElectivesStudents must complete 6 additional elective credits of their choice. These may be any two electives consistent with a students academic program for which the student has satisfied prerequisites. All courses must be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor. Internship (3 credits) | ||
| Internship in Public Affairs (required of students without prior professional experience) |
3 credits | |
Capstone (3 credits) | ||
| Capstone Seminar (Prerequisite: Completion of the MPA core plus 15 additional credit hours or permission from the Office of Graduate Admissions and Student Services) |
3 credits | |