Master of Public Administration

NOTE: This program is currently suspended.

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program provides educational opportunities for individuals to develop analytical and critical thinking skills; to appreciate and engage in ethical decision making; and to enhance the ability to communicate effectively. Specifically, the MPA program offers coursework in quantitative analysis, public institutions, organizational theory, public budgeting and human resource management, public policy, ethics, and public and nonprofit management. This coursework is supplemented by special issue and topic courses in the areas of public and nonprofit management, as well as public policy.

The MPA program at Fresno State has been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA). In addition, the faculty of this program combines both academic training and practical experience in the courses they teach. This is invaluable in a public administration degree.

Students are working professionals in local (e.g., city, county, and school districts) and state government, as well as nonprofit organizations. These individuals are seeking to develop management competencies in the areas of public and nonprofit management. The types of careers that students can expect to enter after completion of this degree would be those in management or administrative positions, as well as policy or program analysis. Working professionals completing the program have experienced promotions from lower- to middle-level management and from middle-level to the higher-levels of management in their home organizations.

MPA students progress toward their degree as a cohort, with recent instruction sites in Fresno or Visalia. Courses in the MPA off-campus program are delivered face-to-face and are held on alternating weekends (e.g., Friday evenings and Saturday mornings and afternoons). The MPA program requires 36 semester units and takes a little less than two and one-half years to complete.

Individuals who have completed a bachelor’s degree at an accredited university or college are eligible to apply for admission to the MPA program. Program requirements include the following: (1) applicants must have a grade point average of at least 2.75 over the course of their undergraduate careers; (2) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores of at least 475 in the Quantitative section and 475 in the Verbal section of the General Test; (3) submission of one letter of recommendation; and (4) professional experience in the field of public administration, nonprofit management, or other related fields.

The fee is $425 per unit for the current Fresno cohort, for a total of $15,300 for the complete program. The cost of books and materials is not included. Students are eligible to apply for financial aid. 

Students must apply to the university online at Cal State Apply and must also apply to the MPA program. 

To inquire about the program, contact the MPA program coordinator: 
Dr. Kurt Cline
California State University, Fresno, 
Department of Political Science 
kcline@csufresno.edu • 559.278.2865
www.fresnostate.edu/socialsciences/polysci/degrees/ma-pubadmin.html