Master of Public Administration (MPA)

Northeastern University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) is the management degree for those who serve the public good.In this MPA program, students participate in interdisciplinary work and applied research with government and community partners, as they learn to effectively create social change and address the emerging challenges affecting cities. The program is currently offered online and in-person at our Boston campus — and beginning in Fall 2024 at Northeastern’s campuses in Arlington, Virginia and Oakland, California. This degree lets students connect with a nationwide network of faculty and peers. Our unique multi-modality learning opportunities allow students to interact with each other, consult with faculty, and work collaboratively from any location in the world.Best MPA SchoolsThe Master of Public Administration program has been forming leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors since 1969. The program is the management and leadership degree for those seeking to serve the public good. It equips its students with skills in policy analysis, program evaluation, research methods, and written and verbal communications. Students also develop competencies in budgeting and human resources, organizational management and leadership, and the interplay between ethics and accountability in a diverse society. Throughout the degree program, students gain career-oriented experience through internships, small group projects, and other interactions with professionals in the field. These experiences are designed to enable the Northeastern MPA graduate to move into a wide array of public and nonprofit sector positions at the local, state, national, and international levels. MPA students can add a graduate certificate to their degree to demonstrate specialized training in the nonprofit sector, urban analytics, urban studies, or public policy analysis. Courses taken to complete a certificate also count as MPA elective credits.

Enrolling graduate and professional program students are required to submit to Northeastern University (NU) their official transcripts including evidence of the completion of the bachelor’s degree and the date of degree conferral within 30 days from the start of their first academic term.