Northern Kentucky University
Nunn Drive
Newport, KY 41099
(859) 572-5100
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General Description
The NKU MPA Program trains the next generation of local government leaders in the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati region. It offers classes specifically tailored to careers in local government such as Local Government Management, Budgeting Techniques and Applications, Community Development, Local Economic Development, Geographical Information Analysis, Emergency Management, and Diversity and Equity in Public Service. For our Capstone class, students work in partnership with local governments and nonprofit organizations on citizen surveys, employee surveys, job descriptions, policy analysis, employee handbooks, board handbooks, grant research and writing, and other applied community-based projects.
In other classes, MPA faculty and students collaborate with local governments and development organizations on service-learning projects that support the community. Recently, the Local Government Management and Data Analysis classes worked collaboratively on economic development with the City of Dayton, Kentucky. The students analyzed results from a citizen survey and developed data-driven recommendations for economic development strategies. Another semester, the Local Government Management and Data Analysis classes worked together on a citizen satisfaction survey for the City of Edgewood, Kentucky. The students created the survey, analyzed the data, and presented findings at the Edgewood City Council meeting.
Many of the region’s municipal and county government leaders are alumni of the NKU MPA program, providing students many opportunities to network. Further, the MPA program has a formal Mentoring Program, and it hosts multiple events during the year, where students, alumni, and other stakeholders can network and socialize. MPA alumni also work with all current students on professional development activities such as resume building and mock interviews.
County governments, city governments, and quasi-governmental organizations in the region reach out to the NKU MPA program when they are seeking candidates for jobs and internships. Additionally, the NKU MPA Program has strong connections to the Kentucky City/County Management Association (KCCMA), Northern Kentucky City/County Management Association (NKCCMA), Cincinnati Area Management Association (CAMA), American Society for Public Administration’s Greater Cincinnati Chapter (ASPA-GCC), and the Center for Local Government.
NKU MPA students, alumni, and faculty serve others, strengthen communities, and lead government and nonprofit organizations. It is the only MPA program in the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati region accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), which is the quality benchmark for graduate programs around the world. Also, the NKU MPA program is ranked #3 for Best Public Affairs Graduate Programs in the state of Kentucky by U.S. News and World Report, and it is one of the largest MPA programs in the state, according to recent NASPAA data.
Areas of Research
Citizen & Resident Surveys, Community Branding, Community Diversity, Community Engagement, Council-Manager Relations, Economic Development, Emergencies & Disasters, Equity & Inclusion, Ethics, Finance & Budgeting, Housing & Community Development, Human Resources, Leadership, Legal Issues, Management, Organizational Development, Partnerships, Public Policy, Resilient and Sustainable Communities, Shared Service Delivery, Smart Communities, Strategic Planning, Town & Gown, Veterans, Volunteers
Other Programs Offered
Non-Profit Management Certificate; Emergency Management Certificate; Arts Administration Micro-Credential; Disaster Readiness Micro-Credential; GIS & Mapping Micro-Credential; Leadership in the Public Sector Micro-Credential; Navigating the Diverse Workplace Micro-Credential; Rural Leadership Micro-Credential; Serving Veterans & Families Micro-Credential
Type or Delivery Method Available
Both Traditional and Online