Between websites, social media, emails and snail-mail, the sheer volume of available information about master’s degree programs can make a prospective student’s head spin—or, worse, it can overwhelm that candidate into forgoing graduate school altogether.
There’s an easier, much more productive way forward. You intend to do important work with your Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree, and you’ve prioritized balancing graduate school with your current professional life. To facilitate your next steps, we’ve distilled our online program’s strongest traits into this post, with reinforcement from select alumnae. Take a moment to explore several top reasons to earn Kent State’s online MPA.
It’s an accredited online MPA program for working professionals.
The days when people with jobs and families had to sacrifice advanced education are past. You already have professional responsibilities and a personal life, and there’s room in that schedule for graduate school.
I’m a working mom with 18+ years in my career. I needed something that was accredited and rigorous, but also flexible enough to allow me to work, parent and go to school. Kent State fit that description.
In Kent State’s NASPAA-accredited online MPA program, you can learn from anywhere, entirely online, on a schedule that flexes around your standing commitments. Each course is only seven weeks long and you take one at a time, which gives you a focused, immersive experience in each topic of study. You’ll use Canvas, a user-friendly digital platform that offers intuitive navigation and structure. Generations more advanced than the old model of taking a correspondence course, it’s replete with multimedia tools, interactive elements and built-in access to discussion forums and real-time responses from your faculty and peers. You can set your working pace to fit your style and schedule, with content available on demand. You’ll have full access to your course materials from anywhere equipped with an internet connection—your home, office, library, favorite restaurant, travel destination, and so on. If you’re online, you’re good to go.
Learn more about the Kent State online MPA student experience and get a broader sense of what it’s like to study public administration online.
This online MPA program prepares you for senior management positions.
In the Kent State Department of Political Science, we understand that you’re not solely looking to launch a career in public administration; you intend to lead in the field. The holistic online MPA curriculum is designed to empower your leadership skill as well as your subject-matter expertise.
You’ll gain fluency in project and policy implementation aimed at resolving challenges within your organization and community. Your enhanced leadership abilities will include:
- Budgeting and financial management
- Strategic planning related to program design and implementation
- Management of information technology systems in public sector agencies
- Leadership of nonprofit and public organizations
- Key aspects of effective nonprofit governance
- Fundraising and resource development for nonprofit organizations
For further insight into the wide range of professional options that your Kent State online MPA can foster, visit these resources on our site:
- Master of Public Administration Career Outlook
- Working in the Public Sector: What’s It Like?
- Ten Companies That Hire MPA Graduates
- Careers in Government and Public Administration
- Five Best Master’s in Public Administration Jobs
Expert, practitioner faculty teach immediately applicable skills.
We’ve all encountered or heard of professors who were true scholars but had never worked outside of academia, or successful industry veterans who were hard-pressed to teach what they knew.
At Kent State, you can let all of that go. The faculty in our online MPA program combine the best of real-life experience and educational expertise. You’ll study with published authors, veterans of local and state government, seasoned researchers and specialists in public administration and policy. In addition to impressive and diverse backgrounds, they share a twofold commitment—to their students and to public and nonprofit service—that will define your experience here.
Not only are they master teachers and authorities in their field, but you’ll be able to apply what you learn from them to your working life right away.
I have years of experience in the public sector, but I was surprised by how much I still had to learn—things I could not have learned on the job. I have learned so many things in this program that I am already applying in my current job, like program evaluation, strategic planning, and how nonprofit boards and executives work together. These and many other takeaways will definitely help me continue to learn, grow and advance in my career.
You can add “MPA” to your credentials in two years.
Comprised of eight core courses, three electives and a final capstone project, the Kent State online MPA program delivers an in-depth, flexibly scheduled education in two years—the same amount of time that other programs require for full-time, on-campus MPA degree completion.
This means that you don’t have to wait for your career advancement. Half of our alumni have been promoted, or expect to be promoted, within six months after graduating. Further, our graduates tell us that they’ve received a median 27% raise after completing the program.*
Make the smartest choice for your life and your career.
Become a trusted public service authority in Kent State’s online Master of Public Administration program. Explore the robust online curriculum: It’s designed to help you strengthen your public service career while serving your local community and the world community. Reach out to one of our Admissions Advisors and start your advancement at Kent State today.
*Based on a limited sample of self-reported data from Kent State alumni in graduating cohorts between 2016-2020.
