Public administration
Master of Public Administration
Prepare for community management
Leadership in the public sector demands a broad understanding of management. The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree is for students interested in careers in the management of local governments and communities. However, the skills you’ll gain will make you competitive for careers in non-profit, state and federal agencies.
In this program, you can expect to improve your practical and analytical skills while earning real-world experience you need to land a job and successfully manage public organizations. On-campus and online MPA degrees are offered.
This is a non-thesis program. You will be required to complete a public service internship if you have not previously worked in the public or nonprofit sectors. If you have public service experience, you’ll complete field-based research in lieu of an internship.
Program core courses include:
- Public Administration Theory
- Government Budgeting
- Public Personnel Administration
- Local Government Law, Politics and Administration
- Research Methods for Local Government and Community Administration
Overview
Related Topics
Serve with confidence
Application information
Applicants for the MPA in public administration must meet the degree-specific admission requirements below:
- Education level: Bachelor’s degree
- GPA: 3.0
- GRE: No
- TOEFL/IELTS: 96/7.0
- Number of references: Three
Program availability
Concentration: non-thesis
Semester intake: Summer, Fall, Spring
- Eligible for 4+1 admission for U of I undergraduates
- Eligible for Expedited admission for U of I undergraduates
- Eligible for WRGP award
- Eligible for international admission
Deadlines: General application deadlines
Visit Graduate Admissions to learn more and start your application.
Contact information
Politics and Philosophy contact: Florian Justwan; fjustwan@uidaho.edu
Graduate Admissions contact: graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu, 208-885-4001
Tuition and fees
To learn about various ways to fund your graduate degree, check out Graduate Funding.
For detailed information about the cost of attendance, visit Financial Aid.
Degree fit
This program could be a good fit if you:
- Are interested in public service.
- Want to work for the public or nonprofit sector.
- Enjoy working with people.
- Have strong leadership and management skills.
Clubs and involvement opportunities
Internships are required as part of the degree program; a waiver is possible for relevant work experience.
Career outcomes
Current job openings
2,189 in ID, WA, OR, MT and HIPotential careers and mid-career salaries
- General and Operations Managers
$104,946 - Transportation and Storage Managers • Supply Chain Managers
$109,551 - Postmasters and Mail Superintendents
$88,983 - Social and Community Service Managers
$84,050 - Regulatory Affairs Managers • Compliance Managers
$97,250
* Career data provided by Lightcast.