Missouri Public Administration Degrees

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There are three colleges in Missouri that offer higher education programs in Public Administration and are accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).

The various University of Missouri locations provide a different focus: Public Administration, Public Affairs, and Public Policy Administration. The Columbia location, which has the Master of Public Affairs, does offer a fully online-based program.

Online MPA Programs in Missouri

There is only one current NASPAA-accredited university with a campus location in Missouri that offers a Master's degree in the Public Administration field at least primarily online: University of Missouri at Columbia. All options do provide some online coursework within the program.

University of Missouri-Columbia / Mizzou Online: MPAff

The most recognized university in the state provides an online Master of Public Affairs through the Harry S. Truman School of Public Affairs. All of the 33-credit hour curriculum can be completed online without any requirements to visit the Columbia campus. 21 credits are toward the core courses and 12 credits are for specialization and elective courses. Prior coursework is needed in microeconomics and introductory-level statistics. Those that do not meet this requirement can take these classes early on in the program.

Topics in the core courses include leadership, research methods, public policy processes, and strategic management of public service organizations. Electives are more focused on the different levels of an organization and how they impact the community, and grant writing. Each class is taken once at a time in a nine-week stint, and the expectation is to be completed within two years.

Mizzou Online has over 1,000 courses that are structured to provide a similar experience as on-campus options. There are various learning management systems that are used, such as Canvas and Sakai, and courses can both be asynchronous or synchronous depending on the instructor. Courses can be viewed on compatible browsers such as Internet Explorer 9.0, Firefox, and Google Chrome. These browsers must be equipped with JavaScript and Adobe Flash Player plug-ins.

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Campus Based MPA at the University of Missouri-Kansas City

The Henry W. Bloch School of Management offers a Master of Public Administration with three optional areas of emphasis: Nonprofit Management, Urban Policy and Administration, and Health Services Administration (HSA). There are different requirement courses specific to a career in HSA. Students do have the ability to choose a customized concentration by selecting various electives. Either 39 or 42 credit hours are needed to complete the program, depending on the student needing an internship. Up to six credits can be applied if earned at a different campus.

Core courses that are needed in any concentration selected include topics in research methods, supervision, performance leadership, and public policy development. The additions through an HSA pathway include Data Analysis for Health Care Managements, the Economics of Health and Medicine, and Financial Management Issues of Health and Human Services Organizations. There is an additional option to enroll with a Juris Doctor degree through the UMKC School of Law if they are also administered into the school. Undergraduates looking to complete a Bachelor of Business Administration can complete the MPA in three to four additional semesters.

Available Online Public Administration Programs for Missouri

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List of Missouri Public Administration Programs

University of Missouri-St. Louis

A Master of Public Policy Administration, which requires 40 credit hours to complete, provides 25 credit hours of coursework in core topics like policy analysis, economics, public administration, budgeting, statistics, research methods, and information technology. There are three areas of emphasis that students can choose from: Policy Research and Analysis, Local Government Management, and Nonprofit Organization Management and Leadership. If an internship waiver is in effect, an additional three-credit elective will need to be completed.

In order to enroll into the MPAA program, students should hold a Bachelor’s degree at an accredited college and should have a minimum 3.0 GPA, although students that fall below this number will still be considered. Prior coursework in college algebra is also needed before entering the program, and there must be a submission of three letters of recommendation and a personal statement of up to three pages that details how the program will effect their goals. Over the last six academic years, most of the graduates have been employed in the nonprofit domestic-oriented sector and local government.