Westfield State University is offering exceptional undergraduate students an accelerated pathway to complete their bachelor’s and master’s degree in as little as 5 years. Students accepted into this Early Entry Master of Public Administration program will enroll in graduate level courses during their senior year with 6-credits counting toward both their related major’s bachelor’s degree and their master’s degree in public administration. By obtaining graduate level credits sooner, students earn both degrees in less time than it would take to earn separately. An MPA prepares students for careers as leaders in government and non-profit organizations. WSU offers concentrations in Public Management, Public Healthcare Administration, Non-Profit Management, and Criminal Justice Administration.
Application is due by February 15th of student’s junior year.
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.
Do you want to further your education and professional experience with a master’s degree? Are you overwhelmed with options when applying to graduate schools? Get a Master of Public Administration degree sooner, on a campus you know and with faculty you trust.
You will benefit from:
During their senior year, students will take 6 credits designated by the public administration graduate program administrator, 3 credits in fall and 3 credits in spring, in addition to their undergraduate courses. The 6 credits will be applied to their undergraduate studies and will count towards their master’s degree, with a grade of B or better. Students will fully enroll into the MPA program the summer after senior year.
Students apply by February 15th in the junior year after completing 75-undergraduate credits, with a minimum of 30 credits earned at Westfield State by the end of their junior year.
Current undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees can be found on the main Westfield State website at westfield.ma.edu. Costs of courses taken at the graduate level differ from undergraduate tuition.
Once a student is enrolled in the graduate Public Administration program, the College of Graduate and Continuing Education offers a limited number of graduate assistantships that can help with the cost of graduate courses. Additional information about financial aid can be found at GoBackNow.com or by contacting the CGCE office.
Dr. Charles DiStefano, Program Director
cdistefano@westfield.ma.edu
Undergraduate Admissions
(413) 572-5218
admissions@westfield.ma.edu
Graduate Admissions
(413) 572-8020
wsucgce@westfield.ma.edu
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