Public Administration and Policy Graduate Program Curricula
The graduate programs in public administration and policy are designed for persons preparing for careers in governmental and non-profit service, research, consulting, and teaching. The public administration and policy programs draw on concepts and methods from a number of social and behavioral sciences as they relate to the formulation and implementation of governmental policies and programs.
The Public Administration curriculum is oriented to the environment of Public Administration law, the political process, and the economy and to the major components of the administrative process including program planning and evaluation, policy analysis, financial management, personnel management, organizational development, and executive leadership.
The Public Policy curriculum is oriented toward the application of policy analysis skills to action in the public sector. The program is intended to educate current and future empower managers in the public and not-for-profit sectors to design innovative solutions to problems in the public sector and to bring about the changes necessary to implement these policies.
The Department offers two graduate degrees: Master of Public Administration and the Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy. The masters degree is designed for those persons who desire graduate education before entering public service or for persons in the public service who desire additional education as an important factor in career development.
The Ph.D. Degree in Public Administration and Policy is a degree designed to develop research capabilities in the field of Public Administration. It is designed for individuals planning careers in research, teaching, and consulting in the field. The Ph.D. degree program builds upon a multi-disciplinary view of the field of Public Administration, stressing basic concepts in political science, economics and finance, organizational behavior and theory, and research methods and analysis.
In conjunction with Albany Law School, the Rockefeller College offers a joint J.D./M.P.A. degree program. This program integrates the fields of law and Public Administration and enables students to earn both degrees in not more than four years of full-time study. The Department also participates in the Certificate Programs for Women and Public Policy, Public Sector Management, Non-Profit Management, and Advanced Study in Planning and Policy Analysis. Qualified University at Albany undergraduates majoring in political science, public policy, sociology, or economics may apply for admission to the M.P.A. program, and if accepted, work toward completion of the requirements for both degrees applying 12 of their graduate credits toward the requirements of their undergraduate degrees.
Masters Programs:
- Public Administration & Policy Master of Public Administration Program (M.P.A.)
- Public Administration & Policy Joint M.P.A. / JD Program
- Public Administration & Policy Combined B.S./B.A. (Economics)-Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) Program
- Public Administration & Policy Combined B.A. (Political Science) - Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) Program
- Public Administration & Policy Combined B.A. (Sociology)-Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) Program
Doctoral Program:
Graduate Certificate Programs:
- Public Administration & Policy Certificate Program in Public Sector Management
- Women's Studies Certificate in Women in Public Policy
- Public Administration & Policy Certificate Program in Nonprofit Management and Leadership
