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The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Graduate School has added a fully online option for a Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) degree starting fall 2021. This existing program will continue to offer a hybrid option along with the new fully online option.

The Department of Public Administration and Policy Analysis (PAPA) offers a graduate program leading to the MPA, a professional degree designed to prepare individuals for management careers in the public and nonprofit sectors. 

“All industries benefit from strong leadership, which makes MPA graduates highly sought after,” said Nancy Huyck, DPA, associate professor and chair of the Department of PAPA. “Historically, graduates of SIUE’s MPA program have been highly competitive in the job market. The department’s strong network with employers in Illinois and the St. Louis metropolitan region is beneficial.”

SIUE’s nationally accredited MPA program serves two types of students:

• Pre-service students who have recently completed a bachelor’s degree and wish to use the master’s degree to gain entry to a professional career track
• In-service students who have worked for several years in the public or nonprofit sector, but wish to return to the University to enhance or upgrade their skills and knowledge

Numerous SIUE graduates have become city managers, department heads in the public sector and administrators in the nonprofit sector. MPA alumni are also employed at state and federal agencies, including the Illinois State Police, Illinois Secretary of State Police, Department of Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice.

“Local and state governments are among the largest employers in the economy, and job prospects are favorable,” Huyck said. “Job growth will stem from the rising demand for services at the local and state level, particularly demand for public safety and health services.

“Two factors are fueling the growth of these services: an increasing population and the assumption of responsibility by local and state governments for services previously provided by the federal government.”

For more information, visit siue.edu/grad/public-administration.

Photo: Nancy Huyck, associate professor and chair of the SIUE Department of Public Administration and Policy Analysis.