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Master of Public Administration

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The objective of the Master of Public Administration program (MPA) is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective public sector and not-for-profit program management. The MPA curriculum offers students new to the field, the insight and background needed to begin successful careers, while preparing seasoned in-service professionals to assume managerial and administrative positions of ever-increasing responsibility. The Master of Public Administration program is available on our Poughkeepsie campus, the Fishkill Center as well as online in regularly scheduled cohort formats.

The MPA Program

Marist's MPA Program is especially relevant for health care, criminal justice, and human service professionals, as well as those interested in public sector and non-profit administration.

The MPA curriculum, based on standards from the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), stresses:

• understanding the political, legal, ethical and social context of administration with respect to pertinent processes and theories;
• achieving proficiency in understanding and developing positive organizational behavior, as well as in effectively utilizing a full range of management and administrative techniques;
• developing the ability to apply appropriate methodologies to solve important problems and issues. These methods include quantitative and qualitative approaches to policy analysis and to program evaluation.