The MPA is a transdisciplinary, professional degree program designed to prepare students for public service, public management and policy analysis at the local, state and national levels of government.

Students may elect to specialize in one of the four approved Master of Public Administration concentrations: urban management, nonprofit administration, emergency management or public finance.

The urban management concentration provides knowledge and skills for students seeking careers in local urban government management and enables students to develop the skills and techniques used by city and urban leaders and managers.

The concentration in nonprofit administration is intended for professionals who work in or desire to work in the nonprofit sector and who wish to explore research, theory and the practice of management and leadership in the nonprofit sector.

The concentration in emergency management prepares graduates for a challenging career as a professional emergency manager. This program allows students to focus on concerns related to emergency management within the larger field of public administration.

The concentration in public finance provides knowledge and skills for students seeking or advancing careers in areas in which financial management plays an integral role in governance. This concentration emphasizes theories and research concerning urban economics and public finance, managing money in the public sector, public budgeting and finance, and capital budgeting and financing.