Careers for Master of Public Administration Students

According to the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), an M.P.A. degree is an ideal degree if you desire a career in a government agency, a nonprofit, or in a philanthropic institution. The M.P.A. program is also flexible enough to allow you to work in the private sector, which is where many M.P.A. graduates work. 

Over 2,600 graduates of the M.P.A. program have had impactful professional careers helping to improve the quality of public and nonprofit service at local, regional, national, and global levels.

Typical careers include mid-to-upper level executive, leadership, or management positions including the following:

  • Budget Development Specialist
  • Chief of Police
  • City Manager
  • College President
  • College Professor
  • County Administrator
  • Grants and Contracts Manager
  • Hospital CEO
  • Human Resources Director
  • Legislative Staff
  • Management Consultant
  • Nonprofit Organization Executive Director
  • Organizational Development Specialist
  • Public Health Director
  • State Policy/Fiscal Analyst
  • State Agency Director
  • U.S. Congressional Representative