The MPA Program provides a diverse student population with the knowledge and core competencies to become effective public administrators. Using a standardized public administration curriculum and interdisciplinary cooperation, our program prepares students for leadership roles in various public and non-profit organizations. Utilizing traditional classroom and online formats, our program provides a quality graduate education that promotes the values and ideals of public service to all students.
A concentration in CJ provides students with a thorough overview of issues and opportunities in the associated fields of policing, the courts, and corrections. The skills and knowledge learned through the CJ concentration are transferrable to any other area of employment, and will only serve to deepen the student's understanding of the modern world and their valued place within it.
Potential Careers
Public administration is an incredibly widespread field that influences many different public organizations. The skills learned throughout degree programs in this subject can be applicable to many different professional areas, including those that apply indirect skills in this program. Some sectors of society are more popular for public administration graduates, since the topics and interests of these organizations are aligned with the main points provided in public administration degree programs. Healthcare, for instance, can allow professionals in this field to engage in policy review, development and leadership practices that are heavily focused on during the educational experience. Graduates of these programs can also regularly be found in non-profit agencies as well as state and local government offices.
- Healthcare
- Business/Non-Profit Agencies
- State/Local/National Government
Median Annual Salary
Earning a master’s degree in public administration will generally result in higher wages for you over time compared to only a bachelor’s degree.
| Social and community service managers |
$65,000 |
| Social Workers |
$50,000 |
| Medical and health service managers |
$90,000 |
| Social and human service assistants |
$50,000 |
| Executive director |
$72,700 |
| Program manager |
$52,000 |
| Program coordinator |
$43,100 |
| Director of development |
$66,700 |
| HR director |
$82,000 |
| Operations manager |
$60,900 |
| HR manager |
$67,600 |
*Median annual salaries are from The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale.com
Additional Facts
Top Three Reasons to Choose JSU for your MPA degree:
- NASPAA Accreditation - The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) ensures the quality of our program. Our program meets the same accreditation standards as many larger schools, but with more student-teacher interaction. Our low student-to-teacher ratio ensures that you will get the highest quality courses taught by qualified area subject experts in a much more conducive environment.
- Choice of Concentrations - The MPA degree at JSU offers you 4 different concentration areas. This allows you to focus your career to what you want to do in the public sector. We offer concentrations in Administrative Management, Criminal Justice, Emergency Management and Political Science.
- Convenient Course Offerings - Whether you are wanting to take classes on campus or online, our program can meet your needs. No matter how you choose to take your classes, the quality of instruction meets NASPAA standards. We understand that many students have fulltime careers already and want the MPA to advance in their career. We offer on-campus courses, hybrid courses (partially on campus and partially online) and 100% online courses.
Departmental Information
Online Program Contact
Dr. Arjola Balilaj
abalilaj@jsu.edu
256-782-5132
