General Description
The mission of the Center for Public Administration & Policy (CPAP) is to promote good governance and the advancement of capable and ethical public service by providing outstanding education, research, and outreach in the theory and practice of public administration, management, and policy. The MPA program is NASPAA accredited. NASPAA accreditation recognizes that a master’s degree program in public policy, affairs, or administration has undertaken a rigorous process of peer review.
The Center for Public Administration and Policy seeks to:
Train Leaders: We provide qualified public service professionals currently in service and pre- or early-career students who plan to become public service professionals with a rigorous program of study for developing managerial, analytical, and normative evaluation skills in public management and public policy.
Advance Public Administration & Policy Scholarship: We prepare teachers and scholars for faculty service in colleges and universities around the country and the world, thereby broadening the scope of knowledge in public administration and policy studies among administrators and citizenry.
Improve Quality of Policy & Public Administration: We engage faculty, practitioners, and graduate students in systematic research and study designed to improve the quality of policy making and public service within the varied jurisdictions of government in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the national capital region, as well as nationally and internationally.
Areas of Research
Management, Public Policy
Other Programs Offered
Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management: This program is a four course, masters level program designed to prepare the next generation of local government leaders and manager. The Certificate can be achieved as a stand-alone credential or as part of the MPA program. The program is synchronous online and we offer a dual tuition rate for both in-state and out-of-state students (no differential for out-if-state students).
Type or Delivery Method Available
Both Traditional and Online