Today’s urban communities face a plethora of increasingly complex challenges, including crime and public safety, poverty, homelessness, pollution, and healthcare access. If you plan to pursue a leadership job in public administration, you’ll need to gain the skills and knowledge required to tackle tough problems surrounding these pressing issues. To help aspiring public administration leaders develop good problem-solving skills, many colleges and universities have integrated hands-on learning experiences into their public administration degree programs.
The virtual city used as an interactive teaching tool in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) online degree program at Walden University is a great example of how public administration students learn to solve problems through practice. The fictional city offers scenarios of real-life challenges in public administration faced by local leaders. Community issues involving a high school, businesses, city hall, and a hospital are explored throughout the MPA degree program.