Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg Campus

Program Information

Degree Offered

M.P.A.-Public Administration, Ph.D.-Public Administration

Format: Campus

Program Description:

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is intended for those with career interests in public management, health and human services, government, and other public service and nonprofit organizations. The curriculum blends theoretical and applied concepts and assures “real-world” experiences for the novice administrator. In addition, it requires that students devote attention to general professional development. The MPA program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration provides a broad-based academic program combining conceptual foundations with research and analytical skills. The goal of the program is to educate professionals with the ability to create and apply knowledge through teaching, research, consulting, and management.
Graduates of the program work in such occupations as:
* university or college professor
* president, community hospital
* senior positions, state and federal government
* senior training officer, national executive development institute
* health care consultant
* president, nonprofit organization
The program retains the traditional requirements of the Ph.D. degree – advanced course work, comprehensive examinations, residency, a research dissertation, final oral examination, and standards of excellence – in a program that allows students to combine study and work. Students may pursue the program on a full- or part-time basis. The emphasis is placed in critical thinking, research, writing, and mastery of a broad body of literature. In the emerging “information age,” public administrators are both producers and consumers of research. The roles of administrator and scholar are increasingly blurred, as scientific reasoning and data gathering increasingly permeate public managerial decision-making.

Accreditation:

National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration.

Tuition & Financial Aid

Financial Aid Offered: No

Classification: Doctoral/Research Universities - Extensive

Institution Sector: Public

Locale: Small City

Size & Settings: 20,000 and above