Interested in Pursuing a Career in Public Administration?
The Public Administration master's program provide a quality graduate degree that is affordable, responsive to local workforce needs and is accessible to working part-time commuting students who seek to serve the public through employment in government and non-profit organizations.
The MPA degree is an interdisciplinary program housed in the department of Political Science and supported by faculty in the departments of: Biology; Communications; Criminal Justice; Economics and Management; Geography, Planning, and Sustainability; Nursing; Sociology.
We offer four concentrations suited for your particular interest:
An MPA is a government and nonprofit equivalent to an MBA for business. Students who pursue an MPA develop the leadership and management skills essential to a successful career in local, state or national public service. This includes learning how to effectively: lead employees and volunteers; navigate political systems to obtain agency support from elected officials; interact with government, nonprofit and private partners; engage diverse populations. At Westfield State, MPA students develop relationships with faculty and students who are active in their communities, helping them to build a professional network that will last throughout their careers. Our students come from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds which contribute to engaging classroom and online discussions that enrich the learning environment.
Why Westfield?
Westfield State is ranked among the best universities in the northern U.S. and provides a flexible course of study for our students. All classes are offered weekdays during the evening, with many hybrid and online courses offered throughout the program. Classes are offered year round during our Fall, Spring and Summer semesters adding to this programs flexible nature.
Already an Undergraduate Student at Westfield State?
Official transcripts indicating a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, which includes at least 15 credits of coursework in a field appropriate for the program, such as management, political science, regional planning or criminal justice.
A minimum 2.8 GPA overall or minimum 3.0 GPA for the last
two years of undergraduate studies.
Three professional letters of recommendation. At least one academic recommendation is suggested.
Official scores of the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Exam General Test (GRE) (scores older than five years are not valid please see departmental admissions requirements). **Alumni of Westfield State University, with a cumulative GPA of 3.5, are exempt from this requirement.
Narrative statement (of approximately 350 words) about your professional goals, academic experience, work experience and other factors such as academic achievements not reflected in transcripts that support your application.
Applicants who believe that the materials requested in the application do not accurately represent their academic potential are encouraged to include their rationale in the narrative statement. The narrative statement will be considered a writing sample to evaluate your ability to express yourself in written form.
Professional experience, and experience overcoming adversity are viewed positively and are considered in the application review process. Applicants with significant professional experience or special qualifications who do not meet admission standards will be considered on an individual basis.
Deadlines and Notice of Decision:
Our Master of Public Administration program has rolling admissions; applications are accepted year round.
We’re Here to Help.
We understand that it can be intimidating going back to school, and you may be balancing work, family and education, so we’ve put a few things in place to make your transition easier.
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