The MPA seeks to develop the skills of present and future public administrators and policy analysts in the region to provide them with the tools to meet the challenges of government. In an age when governmental philosophies are continually being redefined, the MPA program is designed to promote professionalism, leadership, inventiveness, and a commitment to public service for government employees in the area of public administration, applied policy studies and health policy administration. The Master of Public Affairs degree at WSU is designed to accommodate the needs of working students. The degree can be completed entirely in the evenings, and most students often continue to work full time during the day when completing their degree. Seminars are small, ranging from 5-20 students, and typically meet one or two evenings a week over the course of the semester.
Class structure includes lectures, small group discussions, and individual and group presentations.
Degree Requirements Students should complete an introductory statistics course either before entering the MPA program, or they also have the option of enrolling in an introductory statistics course, preferably Sociology 321, at the beginning of their program in order to fulfill this requirement. The Master of Public Affairs program consists of 34 total semester hours of credit, including 19 semester hours of core courses and 15 semester hours in a specific concentration. Students may use up to six semester hours of 400-level classes that provide graduate credit as part of their MPA course work. To accommodate the varying interests of students, programs will be individually tailored by students in consultation with an advisor. When students are approximately half-way through the program, they will set up a graduate committee of three faculty members, who will work closely with the student on their Master's Essay and preparation for their oral defense.