Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration offered at Notre Dame de Namur University has long been recognized for our faculty's dedication to preparing professionals to work effectively in management positions within public, non-profit, and service-related organizations. The MPA program emphasizes broad study in functional areas of public administration and concentrated study in one of the following fields: educational administration, human resources management, public affairs administration, or gerontology.
The MPA program attracts professionals, including educational administrators, health care professionals, and government agency employees, from a breadth of work and educational settings. The diversity of interests among our students is brought together in core courses and expanded in the areas of specialization. Within the San Francisco-Silicon Valley area, organizations in the technology, biotechnology, business, governmental and public services communities require managers who understand the needs of people as well as the sustainability of those organizations.
Knowledge
The successful MPA student will develop a thorough understanding of social and political factors in addition to standard business, management, and human resource management principles. The non-profit context of many of our students' work provides real-world experiences that are discussed both inside and outside the classroom. The MPA students are able to take principles learned in the program and apply them to their work right away.
Skills
Besides the content knowledge, courses throughout the MPA program are constructed to encourage the development of professional skills recognized as essential to managers' success in today's environment. These include: interpersonal communications, organizational leadership and team building, assessment and analysis of quantitative information, strategic thinking, and working in diverse cultures.
Distinctions of the NDNU MPA:
- A working professional may complete the MPA program within two years and may begin the program in the Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters.
- Courses in the MPA program are conveniently scheduled in the evening on NDNU's Belmont campus.
- NDNU's location serves as an educational conduit of current and future practice and enables us to attract high-caliber students and faculty.
- The MPA program at NDNU considers the examination of the nature and traits of ethical organizational and public affairs practices to be essential in preparing future leaders and managers.
- The program prepares leaders and managers to think strategically about contemporary organizations.
- NDNU provides our MPA students the flexibility to take coursework in related areas within the overall graduate program or to customize an interdisciplinary course of study as an area of emphasis.
- Our students' communication skills (especially in the area of public presentations) are developed within the program, given the need for successful MPAs to brief and discuss issues within the public realm regularly.
MPA Curriculum
The MPA degree offers four areas of emphasis:
- Educational Administration
- Gerontology
- Human Resources Management, and
- Public Affairs Administration
See the NDNU General Catalog for degree requirements and course descriptions.
Admission Process
NDNU admits students throughout the year for fall, spring, and summer semesters. Please review the NDNU General Catalog for complete admission requirements.
NDNU'S School of Business and Management
Accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, NDNU is a multifaceted university offering four bachelor's degrees and over 15 graduate degrees and certificates. The School of Business and Management is a member of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The School, under the leadership of Dean Dr. George Klemic, offers bachelor degrees in business and communications, in addition to the Master of Business Administration, Master of Public Administration, and Master of Science in Management degrees.
Contact:
Dr. James Fogal
Director of Graduate Business Studies
(650) 508-3721
Graduate Admissions
Ralston Hall
Tel: (650) 508-3600
Fax: (650) 508-3426
E-mail: grad.admit@ndnu.edu
M – Th 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
F 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.