Ohio Public Administration Degrees

Consider a featured online public administration program currently taking applications.

Click to view more online public administration degrees that are taking applications for 2024.

There are six universities that offer public administration programs in Ohio and are accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).

Ohio State University is the biggest school in the state that provides a couple of options, with a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Management as an alternative to a traditional public administration degree.

There are other opportunities in Cleveland and a few in Dayton, including the University of Dayton and Wright State University.

Online MPA Programs in Ohio

Of the NASPAA-accredited programs in the state, Kent State University is the lone school that offers a Master of Public Administration completely online.

There are some other universities that provide online coursework, including Ohio State University and Cleveland State University.

Consider a featured online public administration program currently taking applications.

Click for more 100% online public administration programs.

Kent State University - Online MPA

There are two online programs that can be completed at Kent State University, with one being a traditional MPA and the other being a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management. For the full program, students are able to finish within two years with 100 percent online coursework. 11 total courses (eight required and three electives) and a capstone project will fulfill the 36 total credits needed to complete the degree. Every course is offered on a seven-week basis and are delivered once at a time.

Three dates are in January, May, and August that students can be administered into the program. Students are expected to have obtained a Bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher, and at least a 2.7 GPA could have conditional admission. Submission material when applying includes an official transcript, resume, three letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, and a writing sample. There is no need to send GRE scores. 50 percent of students that graduated from the online MPA have received or expected to receive a promotion within six months.

Four courses are needed to complete the graduate certificate, which includes one core management course and three electives. The core courses to choose from are Public Personnel Administration, Public Budgeting and Financial Management, Program Evaluation, and Strategic Planning. The school utilizes the Blackboard learning management system and courses are generally offered asynchronously for flexibility. Students are able to interact with other members in the class and the faculty through Blackboard, and other features include discussion forms and managing homework assignments and quizzes.

Available Online Public Administration Programs for Ohio

Click for more 100% online public administration programs.

List of Ohio Public Administration Programs

Ohio State University: John Glenn College of Public Affairs MPA

The John Glenn College of Public Affairs provides a Master of Public Administration, giving students a thorough education in economics, management, and data analysis. A majority of students enroll into the program full-time and still maintain a 20-hour workweek. In this format, core coursework will typically be completed in the first year, and electives and the capstone project take place in the second year. There are numerous elective courses available, such as Lobbying and Government Relations, Database Management, Workforce Planning and Criminal Justice Policies, and Capital Budgets and Marketing.

Those looking to further customize their degree should consider a dual degree. There are many ways to combine public administration with a number of topics, such as law, business administration, environment, and social work. Prospective students should consider applying if they hold a four-year undergraduate degree and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. In order to be comfortable with the coursework, there should be prior coursework completed in statistics, economics, and American government.

University of Dayton Master of Public Administration

The College of Arts and Sciences offers a Master of Public Administration with a curriculum that requires 39 semester credits to complete. Most of the courses are available at night and once per week to accommodate working professionals, but there are online and daytime course alternatives. Typically, students can complete the program within three to four years in part-time enrollment.

21 semester hours are reserved for core courses, and there are some only offered during the fall or spring semester. Example elective courses to fulfill 12 semester hours include Government Planning, Grant Writing, and Nonprofit Community Relations. There is also an internship opportunity for those that do not have any professional experience. Recent opportunities for internships include The Dayton Foundation, Goodwill, and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.