Public Administration Department Overview

The Department of Public Administration prepares professionals to lead and serve effectively in government, nonprofit organizations, and other public-serving institutions. The NCCU Master of Public Administration is a 42-credit, 14-course professional graduate degree that combines rigorous study with applied learning and professional development. The degree is offered in both face-to-face traditional and accelerated online executive tracks. The NCCU Master of Public Administration Program is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) Commission Peer Review and Accreditation and listed on the Annual Roster of Accredited Programs in conformity with NASPAA standards.

The Mission of 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 prepare students to serve effectively throughout governance and policy environments, upholding principles of ethical leadership, public accountability, and service to all communities.

Students develop skills in policy analysis, management, budgeting and finance, organizational leadership, communication, ethical decision-making, and evidence-informed problem solving. NCCU offers pathways designed for students at different career stages, including the Traditional M.P.A. and Executive M.P.A. options, along with graduate-level study in nonprofit management.

The Public Administration department traces its origin to the establishment of an undergraduate Public Administration concentration. Under the leadership of Dr. Tyrone Baines, this concentration was created within the Department of Political Science in 1973 and grew to produce an impressive array of public sector professionals. The Master of Public Administration program was established in 1985 and was led by Dr. Clarence Brown. 

In 2001, under the guidance of Dr. William Lewis, Public Administration became an autonomous department. Four years later, in 2005, under the direction of Ronald Penny, Esq., the department established the Executive Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) program. In 2014, Dr. Emmanuel Oritsejafor became the chair of the Public Administration department, and under his leadership, the M.P.A. program added concentration areas in Human Resources, Non-Profit, Public Health Policy, and Urban and Regional Planning. Dr. Zaphon R. Wilson served as chair from 2017–2024, leading NCCU’s M.P.A. program to NASPAA accreditation, as well as developing new partnerships and an online Executive Fast-Track M.P.A. In 2024, Associate Professor Dr. Christopher J. Paul, who had worked as the M.P.A. director under Dr. Wilson to achieve the initial NASPAA program accreditation, was named department chair.