Public Administration: Community Health Concentration, (M.P.A.)

Program Overview

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) 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 public servants and strong leaders in public or nonprofit organizations, and who want to make a positive difference in the world. The MPA program at Adler University collaborates with Adler’s Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice, as well as community-based organizations that help train students to be future leaders, innovators, and managers in the public sector. MPA graduates are prepared by useful, professional experiences and the theoretical foundation needed to challenge and change today’s societal challenges. The program combines rigorous academic instruction with civic-engaged experiences that give students the opportunity for hands-on learning under the supervision of faculty and professionals in the field and offers the best features of traditional graduate education and training in public administration and service, coupled with Adler University’s emphasis on graduates being socially responsible professionals.

The MPA program provides students with the core knowledge and skills in policy implementation, organizational leadership, management, and program development and evaluation; all of which are necessary for work in the public arena, including national, state, and local governments, non-profit organizations, research and consulting firms, community action groups, and direct- service providers  in the United States and around the world. The core objectives of the MPA program include program development, evaluation, and management for organizations wanting strong, ethical leadership and efficient and effective systems of delivery. Core learning outcomes also include public financing; ethics and leadership; economic analysis and policy development; historical and theoretical foundations of the administrative state; organizational theory; and research and evaluation methods.

Students choose from one of the four areas of concentration in Community Health, Criminal Justice, Human Rights Advocacy, or Sustainable Communities. Concentrations are designed to aid students in becoming effective public administration professionals. Concentration courses help advance graduates’ abilities in leadership, advocacy and in the design of public programs and organizations that encourage the growth of a fair and just society. Learning to communicate and interact with diverse groups within a rapidly changing society is essential, as is the ability to articulate and contribute new perspectives in discussions on addressing social, economic, and environmental problems.

MPA Program Objectives

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

1. Apply public administration, management models, and organizational 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 public service.

Community Health Concentration

The Community Health concentration provides a specialized understanding of key health determinants that shape both mental and physical health outcomes at a community level. This concentration educates students on the economic and environmental factors linked to indicators that support and grow healthy communities, especially in urban areas.

The curriculum introduces students to public health strategies using population-based research designed to test health outcomes within communities and explore more holistic policy solutions that consider the intersectionality of policy areas (healthy food, transportation, economic growth, health care, education, violence, etc.). The goal is to produce graduates trained in community needs assessment who also have the knowledge and training to work with local community members in finding solutions to pressing urban problems.

Concentration Objectives

1. Explain the economic and environmental (political, social, physical, etc.) factors linked to indicators that support and grow healthy communities, especially in urban areas.
2. Apply population-based research strategies and tools designed to test health outcomes within communities and explore more holistic policy solutions that consider the intersectionality of policy areas (healthy food, transportation, economic growth, health care, education, violence, etc.) including conducting needs assessment.

Social Justice Practicum (SJP)

The Social Justice Practicum (SJP) is a first-year, nonclinical and non-discipline specific experiential practicum that occurs during the fall and spring terms. The SJP is an anchor of student learning at Adler University, where our academic institution and community partners unite to educate and equip students with skills to become agents of social change. The purpose of this practicum is twofold: (1) to assist community agencies in their work toward equity for all members of our community, and (2) to enable students to gain knowledge, skills, and perspectives around social justice strategies needed to build a more equitable society.

The SJP is designed to help students learn how to work alongside communities, and it serves as a catalyst for students to develop their own strengths and understand their lifelong responsibility in making a contribution toward social change and social equity.

During this practicum, students gain, maintain, and strengthen connection to community by developing critical problem solving skills necessary to be socially responsible practitioners.

Students must complete their practicum by the last day of spring term. SJP requirements include: (1) completion of a minimum of 200 hours; (2) attendance at a monthly Campus Community Engagement workshop; and (3) a formal SJP presentation at the Annual Community Engagement Symposium. Students must also receive a grade of “Pass” for the midterm 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.

Instruction Modality

The MPA program is designed to support working students with courses being offered during evening hours in fall and spring semesters and during summer terms, evenings and one weekend class per summer session. Full-time students complete the degree in one year taking four classes during fall, spring, and summer semesters. Part-time students complete the program in two years taking two courses during fall, spring, and “summer semesters.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants to this program must have:

• A baccalaureate degree earned from a college or university regionally accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or an equivalent degree from an international college or university.
• A minimum grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for undergraduate and graduate coursework. Exceptions may be made for applicants who demonstrate outstanding academic performance or academic ability in other ways.

For approved applicants, an invitation is extended for a personal interview with the department’s Program Director as the final step in the application process.

Graduation Requirements:

• Satisfactory completion of all required credit hours, including all required courses
• Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 200 hours of a social justice practicum
• Successful completion of an applied research project
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and no more than two grades or six credit hours of C
• Submission of completed Graduation Application and full payment of all outstanding tuition and fees
• Successful completion of Social Justice Practicum I and II
• Faculty approval for graduation and recommendation to the Board of Trustees for the conferral of the Master of Public Administration