The public sector needs strong, educated leaders who can make decisions that make a difference. Kaplan University’s Master of Public Administration is designed to help practicing and aspiring administrators develop the skills and techniques needed to provide leadership in a wide variety of public service fields.* The program focuses on teaching you management and decision-making skills; knowledge you need to become a successful leader in the public sector.

 Program Highlights 

The core curriculum teaches you how to evaluate, implement, and manage policy and spans diverse topics including public administration and management, ethics and leadership, budgeting and the administration of public funds, strategic planning, and applied research. Additionally, the program offers you the flexibility to pursue a general Master of Public Administration or to focus on an intensive study area in health care management, governmental management, or criminal justice.

The Master of Public Administration emphasizes:

  • Public Value: Apply knowledge of practice in public administration to make effective decisions that create public value in diverse and dynamic situations
  • Ethical Decision Making: Evaluate the social and ethical implications of decisions made in the public interest
  • Innovation: Innovate to address issues and opportunities in the public sector
  • Knowledge Base: Evaluate theoretical foundations, current knowledge, and trends in public administration and public service
  • Finance: Apply financial knowledge to make sound and ethical decisions in the public interest
  • Diversity: Assess cultural, individual, and role differences of constituents and stakeholders
  • Leadership: Apply principles of leadership to shape change and improve the governance and management of public policy

 Intensive Study Areas for the Master of Public Administration 

To further develop your expertise, you may choose electives that focus on one of the following intensive study areas:
    Explore theories and practices related to justice management, critical legal issues facing the criminal justice field, and employment and policy law.
    Explore the organization, function, and interaction within state governments. Examine American local, state, and federal legislative institutions and the processes used to enact new legislation. Study to gain an understanding of how administrative agencies produce administrative rulings and supporting memoranda.
    Explore the roles and relationships between federal and state governments in the delivery of health care services. Study federal statutes related to Medicare, Medicaid, Stark, and HIPAA and the contractual, legal, and procedural aspects of the relationship of professionals to health care institutions.

 Curriculum for the Master of Public Administration 

    Courses Credits
    Applied Research in Legal Studies 5
    Public Administration and Management 5
    Leadership in the Public Sector 5
    Finance and the Administration of Public Funds 5
    Human Resource Management in the Public Sector 5
    Applied Research Project 5
    Courses Credits
    Intensive Study Area Courses 25
    Courses Credits
    Administrative Law 5
    Balancing the Budget—Budgetary Process 5
    Political and Economic Forces 5
    Public Policy Analysis 5
    Legal Studies Elective 5
    Courses Credits
    Organizational Behavior 5
    Employment and Policy Law 5
    Theoretical Applications of Justice Management 5
    Legal Studies Elective 5
    Choose one
    Critical Legal Issues in Criminal Justice 5
    Critical Issues in Criminal Justice 5
    Courses Credits
    Organization and Function of State Government 5
    Legislative Process 5
    Gubernatorial and Administrative Process 5
    Public Policy Analysis 5
    Legal Studies Elective 5
    Courses Credits
    Health Care Organizations and Finance 5
    Federalism and the Health Care Delivery System 5
    Professionals and Health Care Institutions 5
    Public Policy and Health Administration 5
    Legal Studies Elective 5
    Total Program Requirements 55

 What Are the Career Opportunities? 

When you graduate with a Master of Science in Public Administration you may qualify to serve in a variety of leadership roles in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, nongovernmental organizations, public sector organizations, and nonprofit and voluntary sectors.*

For more information, chat live or call an Admissions Advisor at 866.527.5268 (Toll Free).

  

Tuition and Fees

Cost per credit hour$368.00
Total program requirements55
Total cost of tuition$20,240.00

This program requires a $100.00 technology fee per term. Effective June 5, 2010, a minimum tuition deposit, depending on your program and as described in the Tuition and Fees Supplement, is required at the time of enrollment. The deposit will be credited toward your tuition when you begin classes. Qualifying transfer credit may reduce your total costs. Refer to the University Catalog for transfer of credit policy. We encourage you to explore the availability of financial aid and scholarships. For more information, chat live or call an Admissions Advisor at 866.527.5268 (Toll Free).

Kaplan University offers tuition discounts to active-duty military servicemembers and veterans. Call 866.583.4412 (Toll Free) to speak to a military Admissions Advisor.

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*This program is designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in the field, or for jobs in related fields, the specific job titles of which may not be represented in the program title. Although the University will assist students with job placement, finding a job is the individual responsibility of the student. The University does not guarantee that any student will be placed in any particular job, or at all.