Program Overview

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Executive Master of Public Administration Online

The Maxwell School’s online executive M.P.A. program prepares experienced professionals to solve public service challenges from the highest levels of their organization.

Why earn your executive MPA online from Syracuse University?

• Top-Ranked Education: The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs is the #1-ranked school for graduate education in public affairs by U.S. News & World Report.
• Flexible and Convenient: Our online format allows you to balance your studies with your professional and personal commitments. You can earn your degree in as few as 20 months, with the flexibility to complete coursework at your own pace.
• Scholarships Available: Students admitted to the upcoming cohort will be considered for scholarships of $5,000 or more.
• Connect With Experts: Learn from acclaimed faculty who are leaders in the field of public affairs. Engage with a diverse community of experienced professionals through live, online classes and self-paced multimedia coursework. Build genuine connections and discuss ways to solve public service challenges.

Admission

Admission Requirements

• Applicants interested in the online executive M.P.A. program must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or university.
• They must also have at least five years of work experience in a position with significant organizational responsibility. Common areas of experience include leading teams, financial management, and strategic planning.

Admission Deadlines

• Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. Students can begin taking classes in January, April, July, or October.
• The Maxwell School encourages all applicants to submit their application as soon as possible to join the next cohort.

Online Executive MPA Curriculum

Students in the online executive M.P.A. program learn to formulate, implement, and evaluate policy; lead and manage organizations; and use evidence-based analysis to make a positive impact on the public good.

Core Courses

• Fundamentals of Policy Analysis: Study a combination of basic economic principles and policy analysis techniques. Use cost-benefit analysis as a way to discover the rationale for and limits to public sector policies.
• Managerial Leadership: Develop a foundational understanding of leadership theories and apply them to managerial situations to improve leadership skills and competencies within your organization.
• Master’s Project Course: Integrate learned concepts—from across the online E.M.P.A. curriculum—to design an evidence-based master’s project paper that has practical application to a real-world organization. This capstone is generally taken at the end of the program.

Courses in Specialized Subject Areas

• Public Administration and Democracy
• Public Policy Process
• Ethics and Morality in Public Affairs
• Public Budgeting
• Strategic Planning for Public Management
• Social Welfare Policy
• Human Resources Management for the Public Sector
• Other elective course options may be available.

MBA, MPA, and EMPA Online: What's the Difference?

Though an executive M.P.A., an M.P.A., and a master of business administration (MBA) may offer their students and graduates similar benefits, the online executive M.P.A. program at Syracuse University gives experienced public service professionals robust skills to become well-rounded leaders in organizations across the nation. The Maxwell School prepares students to enhance their career and pursue executive leadership positions in government, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations.

Careers in Public Administration for Executives

Graduates of our executive M.P.A. program occupy diverse E.M.P.A. careers in the following areas:

Nonprofit Sector

• Meet the needs of diverse organizations. Oversee budgets. Direct fundraising efforts to motivate teams.
• Executive M.P.A. graduates work in a variety of nonprofit areas, such as:
  • Foundations and philanthropic organizations
  • Higher education institutions
  • Research institutions and think tanks
  • United Nations NGOs

Public Sector

• Pursue leadership roles in the public sector and use your leadership skills to head government initiatives and analyze and implement effective policy.
• E.M.P.A. students can seek positions across the public sector, including:
  • Federal government
  • Local and state organizations
  • Military organizations

Private Sector

• Act as liaison between public and private organizations and ensure that their organization supports the public good.
• E.M.P.A. students graduate from the program with a skill set geared toward the following areas:
  • Corporate social responsibility
  • International banks
  • Public finance
  • Public sector consulting

Influence Positive Change as an Orange Leader

The executive master of public administration at Maxwell has supported my professional and personal growth in the public sector. On top of growing and expanding my professional network, I have been promoted at my job, offered a seat on a nonprofit board, and accepted into three prestigious professional development opportunities.

Jonathan Leon ’19 E.M.P.A. (ONLINE)

Senior Director, Georgia Regional Impact, Leadership for Educational Equity

Program Details

• Completion Time: About 20 months
• Degree Earned: Master of Public Administration
• Experience Level: Public service professionals with five-plus years of experience with progressively greater levels of responsibility
• Skills Acquired: Public managerial leadership competencies, including managing human, financial, and information resources; analyzing and evaluating social and political systems; and planning and coordinating executive actions.