Overview | Foundations | Curriculum | Faculty

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is a dynamic, forward-looking, and transformative degree that enables graduates to drive change in the social and public sectors.

MPA Program Overview

Today’s urgent and complex economic, social, and environmental realities require a new type of leadership. Our public leaders must rethink policy and administration and engage business, nonprofit, and community constituencies like never before. We have designed this cutting-edge program to empower you with the mindset, tools, and network to address our most pressing sustainability and social justice challenges and opportunities. Built for changemakers seeking to build solutions, our program will prepare you to lead in the public and nonprofit sectors with boldness and vision.

Our public administration degree is unique because we integrate principles of sustainable and equitable solutions into all coursework and empower students to think and act holistically. Whether we’re discussing climate change, racial justice, healthcare, or urban planning, for example, you’ll learn how to apply a powerful systems-thinking lens to understand how to create true, lasting impact. You’ll emerge with the confidence and competencies to transform policy, program implementation, and public service that creates equitable social change.

Online MPA Program Format

Presidio’s online MPA program is a 45-credit curriculum with 10 required courses and a Capstone that center pressing, real-world issues like climate change, inequity, and public health. The part-time program (two courses per trimester) can be completed in 24 months, and the structure is supportive to professionals who need to balance multiple responsibilities.

You’ll experience your online courses in both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments, interacting with your professor, your peers, and critical information. You’ll benefit from the flexibility of interactive distance learning in an environment that employs cutting-edge, best-practice online learning techniques that engage and empower you to create communities, grow your network, tailor your learning experiences, and focus your passions.

In your MPA program, we utilize student-centered, inquiry-based experiential learning and case studies. You’ll master the ability to analyze real-world challenges like climate change, inequity, and public health effectively and be able to apply these learnings in real time. You’ll also benefit from personalized mentorship and career coaching throughout your program in order to prepare for an exciting change-making career in the social sector.

Please consult this State Authorizations web page to see if we are currently enrolling students from your state.