Master of Public Administration

About Public Administration

Since its establishment in 1987, Albany State University’s NASPAA Accredited MPA program has produced over three hundred graduates who work in local, state, federal and non- profit organizations across the United States and in International agencies around the world. Such an accomplishment can be attributed, in large measure, to the institutional, alumni and Advisory board support that the program has enjoyed over these many years.

Specifically, the program’s graduates include but are not limited to Police Chiefs, department and program managers in the city, local, State and federal governments, military officers, FBI agents, Human Resources managers, community and economic development specialists, senior administrators in higher education and college professors.

The program’s faculty consists of highly educated individuals who are committed to preparing students from diverse and underrepresented groups, for managerial and leadership positions in public agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. To that end, faculty members are involved in a range of research and community engagement activities in health administration and policy, human resources management and community and economic development. The program has also been involved in a virtual collaborative endeavor with the MPA program at Binghamton University, in effort to strengthen and enhance the infusion of diversity and cultural competence in its curriculum.

Taken together, the curriculum and academic training of the faculty of Albany State University’s MPA program are designed to assist students to learn how to synthesize theoretical concepts into practical applications and to embrace the values that undergird the field of public administration as they prepare for future careers in public service. We, therefore, welcome students from diverse groups and cultures who are interested in pursuing graduate education in public administration at Albany State University.

Requirements

• Program completion requires successful completion of 36 semester-hours of academic credit.
• Graduation requirements include completion of an internship and completion of an exit process including a portfolio and Capstone report (project report in the case of the Water Resources Management concentration).

Length of Degree

• Full-time students can generally complete the degree within two years.
• Part-time students can generally complete the degree within three years.

Regular Admission

• Hold an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 or better.
• A minimum score of 44 on the Miller Analogies Test(MAT) or 800 on the Aptitude test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• A written statement of career goals.

Tuition

The listed tuitions for the 2017-2018 academic year for graduate education are as follows:

• In-state full-time (12 semester hours): $3,149 per semester
• In-state part-time (6 semester hours): $2,019 per semester
• Out-of-state full-time (12 semester hours): $9,938 per semester
• Out-of-state part-time (6 semester hours): $ 5,415

Financial Aid Availability

Eligible graduate students can receive up to $20,500 in student loans for the fall, spring, and summer, of which $8,500 can be made up subsidized loans and $ 12,000 can be unsubsidized loans. Students must be accepted to the graduate school as either provisional or regular graduate students in order to eligible for financial aid. Students who are classified as non-degree students are unable to receive financial aid. Students must be seeking a degree or working on a teaching certification in order to receive financial aid. At the present time, the ASU MPA program does not offer assistantships.

Albany State University will be a world-class comprehensive university and a powerful catalyst for the economic growth and development of Southwest Georgia. ASU will be recognized for its innovative and creative delivery of excellent educational programs, broad-based community engagement and public service, and creative scholarship and applied research, all of which enrich the lives of the diverse constituencies served by the University.

Albany State University, a proud member institution of the University System of Georgia, elevates its community and region by offering a broad array of graduate, baccalaureate, associate, and certificate programs at its main campuses in Albany as well as at strategically-placed branch sites and online. Committed to excellence in teaching and learning, the University prepares students to be effective contributors to a globally diverse society, where knowledge and technology create opportunities for personal and professional success. ASU respects and builds on the historical roots of its institutional predecessors with its commitment to access and a strong liberal arts heritage that respects diversity in all its forms and gives all students the foundation they need to succeed. Through creative scholarship, research, and public service, the University’s faculty, staff, students, and administrators form strategic alliances internally and externally to promote community and economic development, resulting in an improved quality of life for the citizens of southwest Georgia and beyond.