Public Policy and Administration
MPA Program
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) is the most widely recognized educational degree focused on public and nonprofit management. The Master of Public Policy and Administration degree reflects the nature of the discipline of public administration, a mixture of theory and practice.
Graduate Certificates
The Nonprofit Administration Certificate draws upon interdisciplinary coursework to assist working professionals and students hone management and leadership skills and policy development expertise.
The Certificate in Applied Public Administration assists working professional and students hone their management and leadership skills and policy development expertise in the unique environment facing public service organizations.
The Certificate in Environmental Governance assists working professionals and students within the context of the unique challenges that emerge for public, private, and non-profit sectors in governing the environment.
The Certificate in State, Local, and Regional Governance assists working professionals and students within the context of the unique governance challenges that emerge for public, private, and non-profit sectors at state-, local-, and regional-levels.
The Certificate in Policy Research assists working professionals and students with additional training and coursework to further develop their expertise and skills for research within the context of public policy formulation, analysis, and evaluation.
What can I do with an MPA?
MPA graduates serve in all levels of government in a variety of administrative, research, and policy positions.
Potential careers include:
- Agency Management
- City Management
- Consultant
- Director of Operations
- Dispute Resolution,
- Legislative Staff
- Nonprofit Director
- Policy Analyst
- Researcher
Public Policy and Administration, Ph.D.
The Public Policy and Administration Ph.D. program in the School of Public Service prepares students for senior level positions as managers and policy analysts in public and non-profit organizations at the state, national, and international level.
Prepared | Practical | Applied
The PPA Ph.D. program provides extensive, rigorous training in policy analysis. Graduates will take courses in public administration, the policy process, methods, and research design, and will write dissertations that prepare them to apply theory to real-world environments.
Our PPA Ph.D. is ideal for both traditional students and for working professionals. Classes are often held in the evenings, and small class sizes ensure one-on-one attention from faculty.
Our faculty work closely with students as they navigate coursework, comprehensive exams, and the dissertation writing process.
The majority of our students are enrolled part-time and already work in policy and public administration positions. Similarly, our faculty are engaged in research and outreach with policymakers and public administrators. Cohorts of students and faculty thus bring a wide range of professional experience and applied policy and administration knowledge with them to class, and both serve as valuable professional resources for future graduates.
Spotlight on Assistantships and Scholarships
The Ph.D. program offers full-time students the opportunity to apply for Graduate Assistantships (GAs). GAs receive tuition waivers and stipends for part-time work completed with a faculty advisor. These competitive assistantships provide an excellent opportunity for students to become part of the PPA research culture at Boise State.
Scholarships are also available to interested applicants.