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The management degree for career advancement in the public and non-profit sectors:

  • Public Safety
  • Government
  • Healthcare Management
  • Nonprofit Leadership
  • Public Policy
  • Public Services

The MPA is offered in multiple locations:

At the School of Public and Global Affairs, we think public service is a calling, public administration is a necessity, and public-minded citizens are essential to a healthy society. As a member of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration, we seek to provide well-educated leaders for public and nonprofit agencies and to improve the knowledge and credentials of administrators already employed in these organizations. The MPA is accredited by the International Commission on Accreditation of Public Administration Education (ICAPA).

The curriculum of 39 to 42 credits is designed to provide graduates with conceptual, analytic, and managerial skills for a range of public and non-profit employment.

The program is enriched with a project-based curriculum. The project-based MPA emphasizes group work, problem-solving, and building a portfolio of accomplishments. It integrates accomplished practitioners with accomplished academics to give you the best of both worlds. Many of these courses take place on weekends, where you and your cohort are asked to work together to offer policy recommendations, map solutions, and collaborate on research.

  • Working students can find like-minded professionals in our project-based classes.
  • Our traditional weeknight program is offered at both FDU’s Florham and Metropolitan Campuses.
  • We offer the MPA to defined cohorts at off-campus locations in the USA, including:
    • Jersey City, NJ
    • NYNJ Port Authority at Newark Airport
    • NYNJ Port Authority at JFK Airport
    • Valley Health System, Paramus, NJ
    • Newark, NJ

Program Outcomes

We expect certain professional competencies of our MPA graduates:

  • Communication — Students will demonstrate their ability to interpret, analyze, and summarize key information, which they will portray in oral and written form using style, grammar, mechanics, and format appropriate to the audience.
  • Critical Thinking — Students will demonstrate their ability to critique, evaluate, and apply theory to interpret and explain events and issues.
  • Information Literacy — Students will demonstrate their ability to source, evaluate, analyze, and classify information from traditional print, digital, and internet sources to explain events or to prescribe recommendations.
  • Strategic Orientation — Students will demonstrate their ability to collaborate with others to dissect and interpret internal and external factors, devise potential solutions or opportunities, and formulate strategic recommendations.

Admission Requirements

The credentials required for admission to the Master of Public Administration degree program as a matriculated student include the following:

  • A graduate application for admission and a non-refundable application fee.
  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative grade point ratio (CGPR) of 2.70. Applicants with a CGPR of less than 2.70 may be admitted as matriculated students on probation.
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities previously attended. Applicants who are unable to provide official documents at the time of enrollment may register as non-matriculated students with a graduate faculty adviser.

Degree Plan

The MPA degree is granted for 39 to 42 credits, of which at least 30 credits must be taken at Fairleigh Dickinson University. The 39 credits total must contain:

Required foundation courses in management (18 credits)

Elective Courses (18 credits)

  • MPA elective courses are designed to offer students the opportunity to pursue in-depth study in a variety of management areas.

MPA Project Report or MPA Thesis (3 credits)

  • An accepted MPA project or MPA thesis.

Internship or Independent Study (3 credits)

  • In addition to the 39-credit degree requirement, students are required to participate in a 3-credit internship (or, in the case of working professionals, an independent study) that enhances the MPA curriculum and prepares them for career advancement in the public and non-profit sectors.  NOTE: Waiver of the internship requirement is possible with review and approval of comparable public and non-profit experience.

A cumulative grade point ratio of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) is required for graduation. Students who receive more than two grades of C or lower will be dismissed from the program.

Students are required to consult with their assigned academic advisor to assess overall academic performance and plan for their program of study.

Specializations

Students may specialize within the MPA by taking 4 of their 6 electives in:

  • Global Affairs: Examines administrative structures, policy, and management issues in the arena of international relations, stressing comparative analysis, leadership, and cultural perspectives.
  • Healthcare Management: In addition to the MPA core management curriculum, students investigate a range of healthcare management topics — from managing the continuum of care and global health issues to comparative health systems and health finance and control systems.
  • Public Management: Offers a broad range of management studies from Employee Relations and Delivery of Public Services to Organizational Performance Assessment.
  • Public Policy:  Emphasizes project-based learning to assess problems and devise solutions for leaders called on to analyze, evaluate, and devise policy for others to implement.

MPA PharmD Dual Degree Option

Students enrolled in the University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program can enhance their career trajectory by mastering non-profit and public sector administration. PharmD students can complete the MPA with a specialization in healthcare management and graduate on time with both degrees.

MPA-MPH Dual Degree Option

Dual Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Public Health

Overview

Gain the highest-level management and leadership skills in public health with Fairleigh Dickinson University’s dual MPA/MPH. You can earn two master’s degrees in two and a half years, and then sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam.

Career-Enhancing Competencies and Program Outcomes

In this dual master’s degree program, you’ll study foundational competencies in the following subjects:

  • Communication
  • Evidence-Based Approaches to Public Health
  • Interprofessional and/or Intersectoral Practice
  • Leadership
  • Planning and Management to Promote Health
  • Policy in Public Health
  • Public Health and Healthcare Systems
  • Systems Thinking

Enhance your career with skills in:

  • Budget and Resource Management
  • Cross-Collaboration
  • Cultural Awareness
  • Epidemiology Methodology
  • Governance, Negotiation, and Mediation
  • Program Proposal
  • Policy Evaluation
  • Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis
  • Strategic Communication

Our expert faculty will help you practice these competencies so you can shape your individual approach to leadership in public administration and public health careers. With your expertise, you can choose to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam.

MPA/MPH coursework culminates in a hands-on practicum, which allows you to put your knowledge into practice at a site convenient for you. Upon graduation, you can seek a leadership career in:

  • Community Health
  • Health Education
  • Hospital Management
  • The Department of Health
  • Local, county, and state government
  • The FDA
  • The CDC

Courses and Requirements

The dual MPA/MPH degree comprises a total of 60 credit hours, divided into eight-week course sessions.

MPA Courses

MPH Courses

  • PUBH6001 Foundations and Issues of Public Health
  • PUBH6002 Intro to Biostatistics and Data Analysis
  • PUBH6004 Fundamentals of Epidemiology
  • PUBH6005 Principles of Environmental Health
  • PUBH6006 Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health
  • PUBH7202 Population Health Research Methods
  • PUBH7501 Public Health Practicum
  • PUBH7901 Public Health Capstone
  • PUBH7301 Politics and Practice of Public Health and Health Policy
  • PUBH7103 Mental Health Advocacy
  • PUBH7303 Health Disparities and Cultural Issues
  • PUBH7304 Comparative Health Systems

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission into the dual MPA/MPH degree program, please submit the following:

  • A completed graduate admissions application
  • All official transcripts (must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.0)
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • A personal statement
  • Your resume

How to Get Started on Your Public Health and Public Administration Dual Degree

Ready to take the next step towards your degree? Apply now or use the form to request more information. You can also visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

MPA also offered at
MPA Newark
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