The NCCU Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program is now accredited by NASPAA, the global standard in public service education!
The Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree is offered in a traditional track and executive track by the Department of Public Administration. Complete information on the Master of Public Administration program can be found on the department website.
The North Carolina Central University Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) program trains leaders in public service by enhancing their knowledge, skills and abilities through scholarship and professional development with a global lens. We advance diversity through truth and service to promote social equity. The M.P.A. is a professional graduate degree that enables graduates to be effective public sector and nonprofit agency leaders.
The Department of Public Administration offers two options to earn an M.P.A. degree through the traditional and executive tracks. Both tracks prepare students from diverse backgrounds to become professionals in government and the nonprofit sector. It equips each student with the ability to ethically apply the knowledge and skills required for leadership and management.
The M.P.A degree is a 14-course, 42-credit hour program. In the Traditional Track, with a normal three-course semester load, this degree is a two-year (five-term) program. Courses are primarily in-person on weekday evenings (6–8:45 p.m.), with a few hybrid and online course options. The Executive Track is an 18-month (five-term) program with a three-course semester load. The Executive Track is a hybrid program with one course offered 100% online, and in-person class meetings on Saturdays from 9 a.m to 4 p.m.
Specializations are offered in Law and Society, Human Resources, Non-profit Management, Public Health Policy and Urban and Regional Planning. M.P.A. students are not required to declare a specialization.
Dual-degree programs exist with the NCCU School of Law (for a J.D. and M.P.A. dual degree) and with the NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences (for an M.P.A. and M.I.S. dual degree).
The Executive Track is a hybrid program with two semesters Summer is offered 100% online and the Fall and Spring semesters will hold in-person class meetings on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Degree Title: Master of Public Administration
Organizational Relationship between program and university: The Master of Public Administration Program is located within the Department of Public Administration in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at North Carolina Central University.
Modes of Program Delivery: Face-to-face and hybrid with some online courses
Number of Credit Hours: 42 credit hours (14 courses)
Length of Degree: Five Terms
List of Dual Degrees: Dual-degree programs exist with the NCCU School of Law (for a J.D. and M.P.A. dual degree) and with the NCCU School of Library and Information Sciences (for an M.P.A. and M.I.S. dual degree).
List of Specializations: Law and Society, Human Resources, Public Health Policy, Urban and Regional Planning and Nonprofit Management
Fast-track Info: The Executive M.P.A. is a cohort-based accelerated program that is completed using an increased summer load.
Number of Students: The total number of enrolled students in the M.P.A. program in Spring 2022 is 123.
The North Carolina Central University Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) program trains leaders in public service by enhancing their knowledge, skills and abilities through scholarship and professional development with a global lens. We advance diversity through truth and service to promote social equity.
The NC Central M.P.A. program has seven core full-time faculty.
Tuition and fees for the M.P.A. program are available in the Tuition and Fees document for the University.
The NCCU Office of Scholarships and Student Aid (OSSA) aims to provide financial assistance to students through scholarships, grants, loans and work-study.
The Department of Public Administration offers two fully funded academic years (tuition and stipend) graduate assistantships, one partial summer assistantship and an M.P.A. scholarship. Funding is distributed based on merit.
The requirements for all applicants are as follows:
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
International Applicants
Learn more about NC Central graduate school admission.
Apply now to the M.P.A. or E.M.P.A. programs at NC Central!
The NCCU M.P.A. program learning outcomes are for students to be able to:
In addition to the professional development offered by the M.P.A. program, the NCCU Career and Professional Development Center is dedicated to helping NCCU students get career ready for life!
The M.P.A. traditional track internship requires students to work in a professional position for 300 hours over a semester (fall, spring or summer). Students must maintain a weekly report of activities and address four questions each week regarding their activities, problems or difficulties and also write a brief narrative highlighting an activity or event they experienced. All internship placements must have a supervisor who oversees the student and offers a midterm evaluation and final evaluation of the student in consultation with the internship instructor. Students will receive a letter grade for the internship.
Recent internship placements include:
The NCCU M.P.A. program is the second largest in the UNC system, with 61 degrees awarded in 2020–2021.
For the 53 students who started in the academic year 2015–2016, 47% (25 students) graduated within 2 years, 75% (40 students) graduated within 3 years and 79% (42 students) graduated within 4 years.
We have successful alumni in almost every public service sector. Forty-one percent of graduates in 2019–2020 began work with state or local governments, 24% entered the private sector and 18% entered non-profit work.
Detailed Employment Statistics for 2019–2020 M.P.A. and E.M.P.A. Graduates:
|
2019–2020 Cohort |
M.P.A. |
E.M.P.A. |
|
City, county or other local government in the same country as the program |
8 |
9 |
|
Government (all levels) or international quasi-governmental |
0 |
0 |
|
Military service |
0 |
0 |
|
National or central government in the same country as the program |
4 |
1 |
|
Nonprofit domestic-oriented |
9 |
3 |
|
Nonprofit/NGOs internationally-oriented |
0 |
0 |
|
Obtaining further education |
2 |
0 |
|
Private sector: research and consulting |
3 |
1 |
|
Private sector but not research and consulting |
9 |
3 |
|
State, provincial or regional government in the same country as the program |
8 |
2 |
|
Status unknown |
3 |
0 |
|
Unemployed (not seeking employment) |
0 |
0 |
|
Unemployed (seeking employment) |
1 |
0 |
|
Total |
47 |
19 |