Public Administration, MPA
Master of Public Administration, Accelerated Master's
About this program
The Master of Public Administration is a nationally accredited program through NASPAA, Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs & Administration. With a strong grounding in public service values like accountability, social equity and sustainability, the program prepares you to lead and manage in public and nonprofit organizations. You’ll build skills in leadership, analysis and communication while learning how to make decisions that serve diverse communities and support the public good. The area of elective emphasis you choose will sharpen your knowledge in specific policy areas or analytic techniques. You’ll take classes in a mix of modalities, designed to fit the schedule of working adults.
Program Curriculum and Requirements
Program Scope
The SF State Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program offers students the opportunity to earn their MPA while balancing other work and life responsibilities. Designed primarily for working professionals, SF State’s MPA Program also welcomes pre-service students. We deliver our rigorous yet flexible curriculum in a mix of modalities. The MPA Program is nationally accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, & Administration (NASPAA).
Built upon high impact educational practices with courses taught by a seasoned faculty that includes long-time core MPA professors with academic qualifications and part-time practitioner faculty with professional qualifications, our curriculum offers students a balance of theoretical grounding and applied work. It is the best value for your tuition dollars in the Bay Area.
The SF State MPA alumni network is strong and multi-faceted, with professions across sectors, in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit companies.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Lead and manage in public governance/Meet challenges of rapidly changing world
- Apply a wide range of knowledge about the public service
- Apply a wide range of knowledge about an elective area within public service
- Evidence professional skills necessary for the public service
- Participate in and contribute to the public policy process
- Analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions
- Articulate and apply a public service perspective
- Communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry
- Write effectively and concisely for an audience of professionals
- Present effectively to small and large groups
- Word effectively in groups and teams
- Communicate and work to ensure social justice, equity and other public service values highlighted by the Program
Admissions Information
Requirements by the Program for Admission
To be eligible for admission to the Master of Public Administration degree program, students must have at least a 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 units of their previous coursework. The GRE is not required for admission. There is no prerequisite coursework required for admission. Successful candidates should have one to two years of work experience in the public or nonprofit sectors.
International applicants should consult the Graduate Division's International Applicants information.
Application Deadlines
- For admission to Fall: May 1, with the review of completed applications to begin on April 1
- For admission to the Spring semester: November 1, with the review of completed applications to begin on October.
Application Process
- Statement of purpose to the SF State MPA Program. This statement of purpose should address the following prompts in a coherent essay of 3 – 4 pages, double-spaced:
- Life experiences that have contributed to your interest in public administration. We are especially interested in reading about any direct experience with one or more of the following:
- Civic engagement in any way (e.g., as an organizer, as a professional tasked with engaging constituents, or as a member of a community being engaged by public or nonprofit organizations)
- Issues related to diversity , equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in any setting (e.g., school, work, community). Experiences may include having been subject to discrimination or exclusionary policies or practices, advocating or organizing for change, or working to adopt or implement DEIB initiatives.
- Working or volunteering in public or nonprofit agencies or other organizations that serve the public (e.g., program management, consulting, auditing, law, government relations).
- Career goals and professional interests or aspirations, including what informs them. We are especially interested in reading about your goals, interests, or aspirations related to one or more of the following:
- Specific issues or policy areas (e.g., affordable housing, education, environmental, immigration, regulatory).
- Subfields within public administration (e.g., financial management, human capital management, nonprofit management, public policy, urban administration).
- Civic engagement, advocacy, or community organizing (e.g., initiatives, policies, programs, research).
- Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, including any dimensions of diversity or equity (e.g., economic, environmental, gender, health, racial) that may be the focus of your interests.
- How the MPA degree will be helpful and consistent with your career goals and aspirations
- Why the SF State MPA degree program is a good fit for you and your career / professional goals. We are especially interested in reading about your alignment with any of the public service values SF State’s MPA Program elevates: accountability, civic engagement, effectiveness, equity, inclusivity, social justice, and sustainability.
- Why this is the right time in your career to seek an MPA degree.
- Life experiences that have contributed to your interest in public administration. We are especially interested in reading about any direct experience with one or more of the following:
- Your current resume.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation. These should be from individuals who know the candidate well and can address their potential for succeeding in graduate school. The letters do not have to be from faculty members at an academic institution; they can be from supervisors or others familiar with the candidate's work.
Applicants must meet all University admission requirements to be accepted into the MPA program. Applicants are judged on a competitive basis.
Potential applicants who are still completing their undergraduate work should strengthen their preparation for the program with courses in public administration, economics, politics, public policy and research techniques as well as experience working in either the public or nonprofit sectors.
- For admission to Fall: May 1, with the review of completed applications to begin on April 1
- For admission to the Spring semester: November 1, with the review of completed applications to begin on October.
Ready to apply? Visit the Graduate Students page to get started.
We’re Here to Help
Questions about the program or how to apply? Attend an online information session for prospective students or email pace@sfsu.edu. Don’t hesitate to reach out.
Jennifer Shea
- Professor/Chair