{"id":10328,"date":"2015-03-26T09:06:38","date_gmt":"2015-03-26T14:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/academics\/?post_type=program&#038;p=10328"},"modified":"2026-10-19T12:20:00","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T17:20:00","slug":"master-of-public-administration","status":"publish","type":"program","link":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/program\/master-of-public-administration\/","title":{"rendered":"Master of Public Administration"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The\u00a0<strong>Master of Public Administration<\/strong>\u00a0at Southern Arkansas University prepares students for leadership and management careers across the public, nonprofit, healthcare, education, and community development sectors. Whether you want to influence public policy, lead a nonprofit organization, manage municipal operations, advance in higher education or healthcare administration, work in emergency management, or strengthen local communities through effective leadership, the MPA provides the practical skills, administrative knowledge, and ethical foundation needed to succeed in a wide variety of professional roles.<br \/>\n<style id=\"sau-am-css\">\n.sau-am{box-sizing:border-box;margin:24px 0;padding:36px 40px;border-radius:15px;color:#fff;font-family:\"Nunito Sans\",Nunito,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:17px;line-height:1.55;background:linear-gradient(135deg,#003DA5 0%,#001436 100%)}\n.sau-am *{box-sizing:border-box}\n.sau-am__logo{display:block;width:340px;max-width:100%;height:auto;margin:0 auto 18px}\n.sau-am--box .sau-am__logo{width:280px}\n.sau-am__eyebrow{display:inline-block;margin:0 0 12px;font:800 13px\/1 Montserrat,\"Nunito 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ul.sau-am__progs{gap:8px;margin-bottom:16px}.sau-am ul.sau-am__progs a{padding:6px 14px;font-size:13px}}\n<\/style><aside class=\"sau-am sau-am--box\" aria-label=\"Accelerated MPA pathway\"><img class=\"sau-am__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/files\/2026\/09\/acc-masters-dark.png\" alt=\"Southern Arkansas University Accelerated Master's Program\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"><h2 class=\"sau-am__title\">Start your MPA before you finish your bachelor's.<\/h2><p class=\"sau-am__text\">Eligible SAU undergraduates can take approved graduate courses now, up to 12 graduate credit hours depending on the pathway, and apply them toward the Master of Public Administration later.<\/p><p class=\"sau-am__btns\"><a class=\"sau-am__btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/accelerated-masters\/#pathways\">See the MPA pathways<\/a><a class=\"sau-am__btn sau-am__btn--ghost\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/accelerated-masters\/#how-it-works\">How it works<\/a><\/p><\/aside><\/p>\n<h3>Program Format &amp; Flexibility<\/h3>\n<p>We understand the demands of today\u2019s workforce. Our MPA is built for versatility:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Online<\/strong>:\u00a0Access 100% of your coursework from anywhere in the world.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Program Duration &amp; Start Dates<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Duration<\/strong>:\u00a0Can be completed in as little as 12\u201324 months\u00a0depending on course load.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Start Dates<\/strong>:\u00a0Rolling admissions with intakes for Fall, Spring, and Summer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Accelerated Master\u2019s Option<\/strong>:\u00a0SAU undergraduates in a variety of undergraduate degrees\u00a0can fast-track their education by starting MPA courses during their senior year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Why Choose SAU for your MPA?<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Affordability<\/strong>:\u00a0One of the most competitively priced MPA programs in the region, ensuring a high return on your investment.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mission-Driven<\/strong>:\u00a0Focuses on the unique challenges of rural politics, civic engagement, and sustainable public service.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Comprehensive Support<\/strong>:\u00a0Small class sizes ensure direct access to faculty mentors who are experts in public policy and administration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Skills You Will Gain<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Public Budgeting and Financial Management<\/strong>:\u00a0Learn how to manage budgets,\u00a0allocate\u00a0public resources, and support financial decision-making in government and nonprofit organizations<\/li>\n<li><strong>Policy Analysis and Decision-Making<\/strong>:\u00a0Develop the ability to evaluate public policies, analyze data, and recommend solutions to complex community and organizational challenges<\/li>\n<li><strong>Leadership and Organizational Management<\/strong>:\u00a0Build practical leadership skills for managing teams, leading organizations, and improving public and nonprofit services<\/li>\n<li><strong>Grant Writing and Program Development<\/strong>:\u00a0Gain hands-on experience in writing grants, securing funding, and managing projects that support community initiatives and organizational goals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Faculty &amp; Digital Learning Environment<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Expert Practitioners<\/strong>:\u00a0Learn from faculty\u00a0who are vested in\u00a0local, state, and federal governance, bringing years of real-world administrative experience into the digital classroom.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mission-Driven Instruction<\/strong>:\u00a0Our curriculum is specifically tailored to the unique challenges of public service, focusing on ethics, rural politics, and sustainable community development.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Collaborative Online Platforms<\/strong>:\u00a0Utilize\u00a0modern learning management systems that\u00a0facilitate\u00a0meaningful debate and networking with fellow public service professionals.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Applied Capstone<\/strong>:\u00a0Solve a real-world public or non-profit challenge using administrative theory to build your professional portfolio.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The\u00a0Master of Public Administration\u00a0at Southern Arkansas University prepares students for leadership and management careers across the public, nonprofit, healthcare, education, and community development sectors. Whether you want to influence public policy, lead a nonprofit organization, manage municipal operations, advance in higher education or healthcare administration, work in emergency management, or strengthen local communities through effective&#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/program\/master-of-public-administration\/\"> Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":18479,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_genesis_title":"","_genesis_description":"","_genesis_noindex":"","_genesis_nofollow":"","_genesis_noarchive":"","_genesis_canonical_uri":"","_open_graph_title":"","_open_graph_description":"","_twitter_title":"","_twitter_description":"","_social_image_url":"","_social_image_id":"","redirect":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"college_department":[18307,18317,18304],"delivery":[28834],"types":[28851,71780],"class_list":["post-10328","program","type-program","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","college_department-school-of-graduate-studies","college_department-history-political-science-and-geography","college_department-college-of-liberal-and-performing-arts","delivery-online","types-graduate","types-masters","entry"],"acf":{"page_layout":"standard","landing_page_url":"","department_college":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/lpa\">College of Liberal &amp; Performing Arts<\/a>","badge_text":"","Number_of_Hours":"36 (21 core + 12 electives + 3 professional project)","tuition_instate":"","tuition_outstate":"","estimated_total_tuition":"","start_dates":"Rolling admissions (Fall, Spring, and Summer)","duration":"12-24 months","Degree Plans":"<ul>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/catalog.saumag.edu\/preview_program.php?catoid=11&amp;poid=2702&amp;returnto=407\">2026-2027<\/a><\/li>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/catalog.saumag.edu\/preview_program.php?catoid=9&amp;poid=2092&amp;returnto=346\">2025-2026<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>","Program_Contact_Info":"[dirswitch contacts=\"overholser-amber\"]","Catalog Entry":"<h4>Core Courses (21 hours)<\/h4>\nPA 6003 - Principles of Public Administration\nPA 6053 - Public and Non-Profit Budgeting\nPA 6063 - Public Policy\nPA 6073 - Research Methods\nPA 6083 - Organizational Leadership\nPA 6153 - Human Resources in Public Organizations\nPA 6263 - Program Evaluation\n<h4>Elective Courses (12 hours)<\/h4>\n<strong>Select 12 hours from the following*:<\/strong>\nPA 6033 - Rural Politics\nPA 6043 - Legal Issues in Public Administration\nPA 6133 - Nonprofit Organizations\nPA 6183 - Special Topics I\nPA 6193 - Special Topics II\nPA 6253 - Civic Engagement in Public Administration\nPA 6273 - Planning, Grant-Writing, and Implementation\nPA 6283 - Public Technology\nPA 6293 - Global and Comparative Public Administration\n*With advisor approval, courses outside of the PA program may also be used as electives.\n<h4>Professional Project (3 hours)<\/h4>\nAll students are required to complete a professional project. This project is expected to incorporate the skills learned in the MPA program in a written product that is of use to a particular agency or organization. The student must receive prior approval in writing from the director of the MPA program before proceeding on the project. The student must be registered for PA 6113 - Professional Project during the term in which the project is completed. If a project is not completed during the term for which the student is enrolled, a grade of NC will be assigned. In order to complete the project the student must be enrolled for the credits during the term in which it will be completed. If the student is successful in completing the project a grade of CR will be assigned for the term during which the project was completed. However, any previous NC grades will not be changed and only the credits the student earned while enrolled in the semester that the project was completed will be awarded.","minor_requirements":"","Admission Requirements or Deadlines":"<ol>\r\n \t<li><strong>Online Application<\/strong>:\u00a0Submit\u00a0your\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/apply.saumag.edu\">Graduate Studies Application<\/a>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Transcripts<\/strong>:\u00a0Provide official transcripts from all previously attended institutions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>GPA Requirement<\/strong>:\u00a0Minimum\u00a0cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (Conditional admission may be available for those with 2.5+).<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<h3>Prerequisites:<\/h3>\r\nA bachelor\u2019s degree from an accredited institution is\u00a0required. Students from non-related fields\u00a0are welcome to apply.","careers":"An MPA degree prepares graduates for leadership and management careers across government, nonprofit, healthcare, education, emergency management, and community development organizations. Career pathways may include:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>City and County Management<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Nonprofit Leadership and Administration<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Public Policy Analysis<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Human Resources Management<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Emergency Management and Public Safety Administration<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Community and Economic Development<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Healthcare and Higher Education Administration<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Grant and Program Management<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3>Career Outlook<\/h3>\r\nThe Master of Public Administration is a versatile degree that supports career advancement across multiple sectors. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, many public service and management-related\u00a0careers, including\u00a0social and community service managers,\u00a0are projected to experience steady or faster-than-average job growth over the next decade.","career_outlook":"jobs","career_cip":"44.0401","career_earnings_cip":"44.04","career_earnings_label":"SAU public administration graduates (master's)","faq":[{"faq_question":"Do I need a background in Political Science to apply?","faq_answer":"No. While a basic understanding of American government is helpful, we welcome students from all undergraduate backgrounds who are committed to public service."},{"faq_question":"Are the online classes live or self-paced?","faq_answer":"Online courses are asynchronous, allowing you to complete your work at times convenient for you while meeting weekly deadlines."},{"faq_question":"How does the Accelerated Master\u2019s work?","faq_answer":"SAU undergraduates can take up to 12 hours of graduate courses during their senior year, counting toward both their bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees."},{"faq_question":"Can I transfer credits?","faq_answer":"Up to 9 credit hours of graduate work may be transferred from an accredited institution, pending review."}],"Accreditations":"","Testimonials":"[su_youtube_advanced url=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=p4eZKz7gQcI\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" rel=\"no\" modestbranding=\"yes\" theme=\"light\" https=\"yes\"]\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n\r\n[su_testimonial name=\"Sterling Penix\" photo=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/files\/2015\/03\/MPA-John-Penix.jpg\" company=\"Associate Criminal Justice Professional\"]After evaluating a number of MPA programs, I chose SAU. The SAU program and professors provide an excellent foundation for learning and student growth. The campus family works to ensure that each student is successful. Having graduated SAU Tech with an associate\u2019s degree, it is a great honor to continue my story at SAU.[\/su_testimonial]","student_information":"","Advisors":"","rankings":"<h3>#2 Ranked MPA Program in Arkansas<\/h3>\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/publicadministrationpolicy.org\/public-administration\/arkansas\"><img class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-17026\" src=\"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/files\/2015\/03\/public-policy-300x74.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"74\" \/><\/a>","keywords":"public service, community, government, administration, leadership, bureaucracy, politics, organization, non-profit","custom_tab_title":"Course Offerings","custom_tab_text":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Schedule subject to change<\/strong><\/p>\r\n<strong>Fall<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>PA 6003 Principles of Public Administration<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6033 Rural Politics (elective, odd years)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6053 Public and Non-profit Budgeting<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6063 Public Policy<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6083 Organizational Leadership<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6113 Professional Project<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6183 State and Local Government (elective, even years)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Spring <\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>PA 6003 Principles of Public Administration (on as-needed basis)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6043 Legal Issues in Public Administration (elective, even years)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6153 Human Resources<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6263 Program Evaluation<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6073 Research Methods<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6113 Professional Project<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6273 Planning, Grant-Writing, and Implementation (elective, odd years)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Long Summer <\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>PA 6073 Research Methods<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6113 Professional Project<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Summer I <\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>PA 6133 Nonprofit Organizations (odd years)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6253 Civic Engagement in Public Administration (even years)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Summer II 2026<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>PA 6283 Public Technology (odd years)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6293 Global and Comparative Public Administration (odd years)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n*SE students will have additional course requirements through the Business College while in the program","rfi_shortcode":"[gf_embed site=\"1\" id=\"88\" prog=\"Master of Public Administration\" type=\"Graduate\" comments=\"true\" notify_emails=\"aroverholser@saumag.edu\"]"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs\/10328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/program"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs\/10328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18408,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs\/10328\/revisions\/18408"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"college_department","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/college_department?post=10328"},{"taxonomy":"delivery","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/delivery?post=10328"},{"taxonomy":"types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types?post=10328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}