Public Administration: Military and Veteran Services Concentration, (M.P.A.)

Program Overview

The Master of Public Administration is a professional degree that prepares students for management careers in public and nonprofit organizations. It is an ideal course of study for students who are committed to being social change leaders within public and nonprofit organizations. The Public Administration program at Adler University collaborates with Adler University’s Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice and Center of Civic Learning and Community Action. Master of Public Administration graduates are prepared with the theoretical foundation and requisite management and leadership skills needed to challenge and change today’s societal issues. The program offers the best features of online graduate education in public administration and service, coupled with Adler University’s emphasis on graduates being socially responsible professionals.

The Master of Public Administration program provides students with the core knowledge and skills necessary for policy implementation, organizational leadership, management, and development that are necessary for work in the public arena including national, state, and local governments, research centers, consulting firms, community action groups, and direct-service providers at various levels of government and services in the United States and around the world. The core objectives of the Public Administration program are to prepare students for organizational development, evaluation, and management of organizations distinguished by strong, ethical leadership and efficient and effective systems of delivery. Core curriculum topics include: public financing, ethics and leadership, economic analysis and policy development, historical and theoretical foundations of the administrative state, organizational theory in public administration, and research and evaluation methods.

Students will elect a concentration in Crisis Management, Military and Veteran Services, or Sustainable Communities. In order to become effective public administration professionals, students advance their abilities in leadership and advocacy. They become participants in, and contributors to, the process of developing public programs and organizations, including the analysis, synthesis, critical thinking, and problem solving that encourages the growth of a fair and just society. Students learn the critical skills of communicating and collaborating with diverse groups within a rapidly changing society, and to articulate and contribute new perspectives into discussions and solutions to social, economic, and environmental problems.

Program Objectives

At the completion of this program, the student will be able to:

1. Apply public administration, management models, and organization theory
2. Lead, manage, and provide services within a diverse workplace and to a diverse citizenry
3. Perform program evaluations and forecasting
4. Apply concepts of social equity to public affairs, administration, and policy
5. Work within the institutional, structural, and political contexts of policy implementation
6. Prepare a budget reflecting policy and organizational priorities
7. Understand the relationship between policy formation and public services
8. Manage public-private partnerships
9. Communicate effectively in both oral and written form tailored to the diverse audiences addressed in the position as a public servant

Graduation Requirements

1. Satisfactory completion of all required credit hours, including all required courses
2. Satisfactory completion of Social Justice Practicum I, II, III, & IV
3. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher
4. Successful completion of Capstone project
5. Submission of completed Graduation Application and full payment of all outstanding tuition and fees
6. Faculty approval for graduation and recommendation to the Board of Trustees for the conferral of the Master of Public Administration

Social Justice Practicum

The Social Justice Practicum (SJP) is a nonclinical and non-discipline specific experiential practicum. Students gain the knowledge, skills, and perspectives to utilize collective power and social justice strategies to build a more equitable society.

The SJP is designed to help students learn how to work alongside different communities as agents of social change and serves as the catalyst for students to realize and understand their own strengths and responsibility to contribute to social equity.

The SJP unites our academic institution and larger communities, which is an anchor of student learning at Adler University. This experiential learning process includes attending monthly workshops to explore civics, intersectionality, and community organizing and completing a practicum at community-based organizations to work on projects that will strengthen the social justice missions of our community partner members.

All students must complete the SJP before advancing onto any clinical or discipline specific training, respective of the program in which they are enrolled. SJP requirements  include: 1) completion of a minimum of 200 hours at an approved SJP site; 2) completion of online modules; and 3) a formal SJP presentation at the Social Justice Symposium; and 4) students must receive a grade of “Pass” for the mid-term and final evaluation to receive credit for completing the SJP. The SJP may not be waived and life credit is not admissible to meet this requirement.