MPA Online - Program Overview

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is designed to provide a quality graduate professional education for individuals entering or currently employed in public service and non-profit professions.  It has been structured to prepare students for careers in management of public sector or non-profit organizations, promote research, and enrich performance in consulting and teaching.  The MPA curriculum is developed on a theoretical foundation for the practice of effective public management in a wide range of public service functional areas at all levels of government.

The MPA program, begun in 1973 at California State University Dominguez Hills, is open to full-time and part-time students, immediate post-baccalaureates, and experienced practitioners. The MPA program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs/Administration (NASPAA), the professional association responsible for evaluating the quality of MPA degree programs.

The faculty of the Department of Public Administration is composed of full-time faculty who have earned doctorates from major universities, and adjunct faculty, many of whom are practicing public managers in their areas of specialization.

The MPA degree provides graduates with the educational background and professional competencies needed to secure administrative or managerial positions in a variety of public sector and non-profit organizations or as preparation for doctoral study and careers in teaching and research.

MPA Online

For many students the choice of location to further their educational objectives remains restricted. The demands of career, family, and scheduling logistics imposed by a fixed time and place do not permit them to make educational choices uninfluenced by distance.

The College of Business Administration and Public Policy offers the MPA degree in an interactive online mode to afford an anywhere, any time alternative to traditional classroom instruction. This asynchronous learning model reproduces the basic elements of a classroom teaching experience outside of the classroom. As such, the MPA Online program incorporates the traditional classroom components of a teaching faculty member, course materials, and the shared experiences of a group of classmates. These elements are mediated electronically outside of the campus, outside of the classroom, and without the necessity for the student to be at a fixed place at a fixed time.

Classes begin and end on specific dates and are taught by a faculty member who interacts with individuals through email or group conferencing software. Interaction with faculty and among students is regular and continuous.

Most classes in the MPA Online program combine text materials, lecture videos, case studies, threaded discussions, interactive net meetings, and video conferencing.

The MPA degree can be completed entirely online through the MPA Online program; it follows a similar format to the MBA Online program launched in 1997. In that year, Forbes magazine identified CSUDH as one of the top 20 cyber universities in the United States, recognizing its leadership in distance learning.