The Master of Public Administration at 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.
Program Format & Flexibility
We understand the demands of today’s workforce. Our MPA is built for versatility:
- Online: Access 100% of your coursework from anywhere in the world.
Program Duration & Start Dates
- Duration: Can be completed in as little as 12–24 months depending on course load.
- Start Dates: Rolling admissions with intakes for Fall, Spring, and Summer.
- Accelerated Master’s Option: SAU undergraduates in a variety of undergraduate degrees can fast-track their education by starting MPA courses during their senior year.
Why Choose SAU for your MPA?
- Affordability: One of the most competitively priced MPA programs in the region, ensuring a high return on your investment.
- Mission-Driven: Focuses on the unique challenges of rural politics, civic engagement, and sustainable public service.
- Comprehensive Support: Small class sizes ensure direct access to faculty mentors who are experts in public policy and administration.
Skills You Will Gain
- Public Budgeting and Financial Management: Learn how to manage budgets, allocate public resources, and support financial decision-making in government and nonprofit organizations
- Policy Analysis and Decision-Making: Develop the ability to evaluate public policies, analyze data, and recommend solutions to complex community and organizational challenges
- Leadership and Organizational Management: Build practical leadership skills for managing teams, leading organizations, and improving public and nonprofit services
- Grant Writing and Program Development: Gain hands-on experience in writing grants, securing funding, and managing projects that support community initiatives and organizational goals
Faculty & Digital Learning Environment
- Expert Practitioners: Learn from faculty who are vested in local, state, and federal governance, bringing years of real-world administrative experience into the digital classroom.
- Mission-Driven Instruction: Our curriculum is specifically tailored to the unique challenges of public service, focusing on ethics, rural politics, and sustainable community development.
- Collaborative Online Platforms: Utilize modern learning management systems that facilitate meaningful debate and networking with fellow public service professionals.
- Applied Capstone: Solve a real-world public or non-profit challenge using administrative theory to build your professional portfolio.
Student Stories
My favorite part of the program was getting to dive deeper into the career choice that I loved!
Curriculum
Core Courses (21 hours)
PA 6003 – Principles of Public Administration
PA 6053 – Public and Non-Profit Budgeting
PA 6063 – Public Policy
PA 6073 – Research Methods
PA 6083 – Organizational Leadership
PA 6153 – Human Resources in Public Organizations
PA 6263 – Program Evaluation
Elective Courses (12 hours)
Select 12 hours from the following*:
PA 6033 – Rural Politics
PA 6043 – Legal Issues in Public Administration
PA 6133 – Nonprofit Organizations
PA 6183 – Special Topics I
PA 6193 – Special Topics II
PA 6253 – Civic Engagement in Public Administration
PA 6273 – Planning, Grant-Writing, and Implementation
PA 6283 – Public Technology
PA 6293 – Global and Comparative Public Administration
*With advisor approval, courses outside of the PA program may also be used as electives.
Professional Project (3 hours)
All 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.
Admissions
- Online Application: Submit your Graduate Studies Application.
- Transcripts: Provide official transcripts from all previously attended institutions.
- GPA Requirement: Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (Conditional admission may be available for those with 2.5+).
Prerequisites:
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution is required. Students from non-related fields are welcome to apply.
Career Outcomes
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:
- City and County Management
- Nonprofit Leadership and Administration
- Public Policy Analysis
- Human Resources Management
- Emergency Management and Public Safety Administration
- Community and Economic Development
- Healthcare and Higher Education Administration
- Grant and Program Management
Career Outlook
The 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 careers, including social and community service managers, are projected to experience steady or faster-than-average job growth over the next decade.
Course Offerings
Schedule subject to change
Fall
- PA 6003 Principles of Public Administration
- PA 6033 Rural Politics (elective, odd years)
- PA 6053 Public and Non-profit Budgeting
- PA 6063 Public Policy
- PA 6083 Organizational Leadership
- PA 6113 Professional Project
- PA 6183 State and Local Government (elective, even years)
Spring
- PA 6003 Principles of Public Administration (on as-needed basis)
- PA 6043 Legal Issues in Public Administration (elective, even years)
- PA 6153 Human Resources
- PA 6263 Program Evaluation
- PA 6073 Research Methods
- PA 6113 Professional Project
- PA 6273 Planning, Grant-Writing, and Implementation (elective, odd years)
Long Summer
- PA 6073 Research Methods
- PA 6113 Professional Project
Summer I
- PA 6133 Nonprofit Organizations (odd years)
- PA 6253 Civic Engagement in Public Administration (even years)
Summer II 2026
- PA 6283 Public Technology (odd years)
- PA 6293 Global and Comparative Public Administration (odd years)
*SE students will have additional course requirements through the Business College while in the program
