Online MPA Degree Programs


Online MPA Degree Programs

Masters of Public Administration & Public Affairs Degrees Online

Dec 26, 2009 David Harris-Gershon

Many professional and nontraditional students interested in pursuing an online MPA degree are unable to attend traditional, brick-and-mortar schools because of their scheduling demands and geographic limitations.

The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) is the academic body which accredits MPA programs in the United States. Fortunately, a number of quality distance learning programs – accredited by NASPAA – offer a Masters of Public Administration online degree as well as various public affairs degree options.

This article reviews some of the top online degree programs and explains how their distance learning platforms work.

Upper Iowa University Online MPA Degree

Upper Iowa University, ranked by Online Education Database (OEDb) as one of the top four online universities in the United States, offers a Masters of Public Administration online degree program.

Accredited by NASPAA, its distance learning program offers four areas of specialized emphasis:

  • Health and Human Services
  • Homeland Security
  • Justice Administration
  • Public Personnel Management

Students must have acquired public affairs knowledge or experience via undergraduate courses or work experience in order to be accepted into the program. Once in the program, students are required to successfully complete 42 credit hours in order to complete the degree.

The online learning platform, through which the MPA courses are delivered, is fully asynchronous, meaning students have the ability to take courses and study any time, day or night. This learning structure provides students with a high degree of flexibility and independence. In addition to syllabi, digital lectures, electronic reading materials, and access to library resources, the online learning platform also gives students a portal to academic services and personalized contact with instructors.

Tuition for graduate courses at Upper Iowa University is $399 per credit hour, and the university provides an open enrollment which allows students to enroll whenever they would like to begin their studies.

Walden University – Online MPA Degree

Walden University, ranked by OEDb as one of the top 15 distance learning institutions, offers a Masters of Public Administration online degree program.

Its distance learning program, accredited by NASPAA, has nine different areas of concentration:

  • Health Policy
  • Homeland Security Policy
  • Interdisciplinary Policy Studies
  • Law and Public Policy
  • Local Government Management for Sustainable Communities
  • Nonprofit Management and Leadership
  • Policy Analysis
  • Public Management and Leadership
  • Terrorism, Mediation, and Peace

To complete the degree, students must finish 51 credit hours, which includes a five-hour Capstone Seminar. Walden University estimates that the online degree program takes 18 months to complete.

The university's online system has a schedule of asynchronous courses, which allow students to learn whenever they choose. The system does provide access to a live chat application, through which students and professors can communicate in real-time about various educational issues.

Online courses come with assignment schedules, online readings, digital lectures, access to electronic research resources, and portals to strong student support services. In addition, each course has a dynamic discussion thread where students and instructors share insights and answer questions. This element provides a virtual learning community in which students are expected to fully participate.

Tuition for MPA courses is set at $430 per credit hour, and courses open on a rolling quarterly basis.

Strayer University – Online MPA Degree

Strayer University offers a Masters of Public Administration online degree program which is accredited by NASPAA.

Unlike most online institutions, Strayer University provides students with the option to take either asynchronous courses or live, synchronous classes. This gives students the choice to either maximize their scheduling flexibility, or balance flexibility with the opportunity to have live interactions with instructors and peers in an online classroom.

Online courses provide – along with syllabi, assignments, lectures, and research resources – access to professors' office hours and a dynamic online tutoring service.

Tuition is $2050 per course; active duty military personnel are eligible for military benefits and scholarships.

Benefits of an Online MPA Degree

NASPAA-accredited Masters of Public Administration online degree programs provide nontraditional students with the opportunity to earn a quality, accredited degree from home. With flexible schedules, student support services, and dynamic online platforms, distance learning MPA programs are a good option for students unable to attend a traditional, campus-based school.

For more information, including additional NASPAA-accredited online options, reference the NASPAA program database, from which the information for this article was gleaned.

For information on additional online graduate courses and programs, see also:

Finding an Accredited Online Graduate Course

Copyright David Harris-Gershon. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.


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