{"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":"2026-08-11T09:58:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T14:58:22","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.<\/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":17883,"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":"<a href=\"https:\/\/catalog.saumag.edu\/preview_program.php?catoid=9&amp;poid=2092&amp;returnto=346\">2025-2026<\/a>","Program_Contact_Info":"[dirswitch contacts=\"overholser-amber\"]","Catalog Entry":"<strong>Core Courses (21 hours)\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>PA 6003\u00a0\u2013 Principles of Public Administration<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6053\u00a0\u2013 Public and Non-Profit Budgeting<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6063\u00a0\u2013 Public Policy<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6073\u00a0\u2013 Research Methods<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6083\u00a0\u2013 Organizational Leadership<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6153\u00a0\u2013 Human Resources in Public Organizations<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6263\u00a0\u2013 Program Evaluation<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Elective Courses (12 hours)\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>PA 6033\u00a0\u2013 Rural Politics<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6043\u00a0\u2013 Legal Issues in Public Administration<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6133\u00a0\u2013 Nonprofit Organizations<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6253\u00a0\u2013 Civic Engagement in Public Administration<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6273\u00a0\u2013 Planning, Grant-Writing, and Implementation<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6283\u00a0\u2013 Public Technology<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PA 6293\u00a0\u2013 Global and Comparative Public Administration<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>Professional Project (3 hours)\u00a0<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>PA 6113\u00a0\u2013 Professional Project (Capstone)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","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.","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":18078,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs\/10328\/revisions\/18078"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saumag.edu\/academics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17883"}],"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}]}}