Master of Public Administration Online (MPA)
Spring ’26 Registration Opens: June 1, 2025
SDSU’s online Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program is designed to teach leadership skills to professionals who work in the public sector. You’ll be able to earn a graduate-level degree in public administration from an MPA program that’s ranked #1 in all the CSU schools and #5 in California.
- Overview
- Courses
- How To Apply
- Resources
About the Program
Now more than ever, the nation needs effective and competent leadership in the administration of public affairs at the local, state, and federal levels. As government programs and public service organizations have grown in size and scope, they’ve taken on more responsibilities and more complex roles in our society. This growth has led directly to the need for more capable public administrators. SDSU’s online Master of Public Administration program is structured around meeting this need.
Created in collaboration with SDSU’s School of Public Affairs, the Master of Public Administration program is an intensive 16-month online degree program designed for experienced professionals who currently work in managerial positions in a variety of government and nonprofit-related fields. This online MPA program has the exact same 36-unit curriculum as the on-campus program, taught by the same instructors, with the same academic expectations and outcomes.
Your courses are taught by experienced faculty at SDSU’s School of Public Affairs who are passionate about helping you acquire the in-demand skills that employers are looking for. When you apply for the online Master of Public Administration program, you’re making a solid investment in your career and your future.
The MPA program is fully accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA).
Is This Program Right for Me?
SDSU’s online Master of Public Administration program is designed to equip students with skills and techniques that enable them to assume leadership roles in changing political and social environments in the United States and internationally. It’s ideal for career-driven professionals with some managerial experience who want to take on leadership roles and drive policy throughout the public or private sector, including:
- Public Administration
- Urban Planning
- Fiscal Management
- Nonprofit Administration
- Criminal Justice
- Public Policy
The program will also prepare you for post-graduate education and doctoral programs in public affairs.
Many graduates have used the knowledge they gained from the program to attain high-level positions with state and local government agencies, non-profits, and other organizations. Of the 38 MPA students who graduated in 2020-2021, 97% of survey respondents were employed within 6 months of graduation. Of all survey respondents:
- 86% work in either state, local, or federal government
- 6% work in nonprofits
- 12% work in both the private sector and in research/consulting
Since the program is entirely online and can be completed in 16 months, you’ll be able to earn your master’s degree in your busy schedule. Best of all, upon graduation, you’ll have earned a valuable graduate degree from a reputable university: a Master of Public Administration from San Diego State University.
What Can I Learn?
This online MPA program can help you develop the skills you need to drive change in the public and private sectors. Your curriculum is based on five distinct learning outcomes:
Learning Outcomes
- Lead and manage in public governance
- Participate in and contribute to the policy process
- Analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems, and make decisions
- Articulate and apply a public service perspective
- Communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry
The program is taught in six, eight-week modules. In each module, you’ll take two courses as part of an online peer cohort, followed by a brief break (generally two weeks) between modules. The final module consists of a capstone research course where you’ll develop an applied research project.
You’ll supplement these courses by taking three (3) electives that are tailored to the interests of each cohort. Examples of some of the electives this program has offered in the past include:
- Urban Government Administration
- Nonprofit Relations and Government
- Comparative Public Administration
- Employer/Employee Relations
- Administrative Behavior
The final module consists of a capstone research course, where you’ll develop an applied research project that addresses a challenge at your place of employment. You’ll present your capstone research project to a panel of professional practitioners and faculty.
Career Outcomes
Labor Analysis
MPA — Master Of Public Administration Graduate — Nationwide
- 179,953Job Postings in the last 12 months
- +19.3%Projected job growth in the next 10 years
- $94,272Average salary of graduates
Source: Burning Glass/Emsi, 2022
The outlook for individuals who hold a Master of Public Administration is positive, with over 8,000 jobs posted over the past year — over 1,200 jobs in California alone. It’s a versatile degree, with job postings for a variety of positions as project managers, program managers, healthcare administrators, HR and labor relations specialists, urban planners, and more. Public Administration is also a fast-growing field of study, with employment numbers expected to grow by more than 10% over the next decade.
Why Should You Choose Us?
Reputation
For nearly 50 years, SDSU has developed a reputation for excellence in public administration. Thousands of program alumni have served in leadership positions throughout the United States. In fact, SDSU’s MPA program is ranked #1 in all the CSU schools and #5 in California by U.S. News & World Report, and we’re the 6th-best Public Administration program in the country according to BestValueSchools.com.
Flexibility
When thinking about the cost of a graduate program, you need to consider the cost of room and board, travel, and other expenses associated with a traditional degree. SDSU’s online Master of Public Administration program is different. By taking your courses online, you don’t have to put your professional life on hold in order to earn a degree.
Practicality
As a public administration professional, you need lessons that you can immediately apply to your office. Your instructors bring years of real-world public policy experience to every lesson, which means that you’ll learn about real-world solutions to the problems that all local governments face on a daily basis. You’ll even have access to comprehensive and personalized career advising and professional development services. By the time you earn your degree, you’ll have acquired the ability and the knowledge you need to improve your career and your community.
In order to earn your Master of Public Administration, you’ll need to complete 36 units of courses, which consist of:
- Core Courses — 27 Units
- Elective Courses — 9 Units
Tentative Online MPA Schedule: 16-Month Program With Eight-Week Modules And Breaks
| Dates | Module | Course |
|---|---|---|
| 1/18-3/15 | Spring 2023 Block 1 | PA 600: Scope of Public Administration PA 604: Methods of Analysis |
| 3/16-5/11 | Spring 2023 Block 2 | PA 606: Quantitative Approaches PA 630: Public Personnel Administration |
| Break 1 | ||
| 5/22-7/21 | Summer 2023 | PA 650: Public Financial Management PA 640: Policy Design and Analysis – Elective 1 of 3 PA 642: Administrative Theory |
| TBA | Fall 2023 Block 1 | PA 640.02: Seminar: Assessing Government and Nonprofit Performance Elective 2 of 3 PA 660: Administration and Public Policy Development |
| TBA | Fall 2023 Block 2 | PA 605: Seminar in Applied Research |
| Break 2 | ||
| TBA | Spring 2024 Block 1 | PA 795: Capstone Seminar in Public Affairs (16 weeks/2 sections) PA 501: Nonprofit Organizations and Government – Elective 3 of 3 |
Core And Elective Courses List
Core Courses (27 Units)
- PA 600: Scope of Public Administration (3 Units)
The development of public administration as an academic discipline; a systematic evaluation of the rise and operations of large-scale public bureaucracies. - PA 604: Methods of Analysis in Public and Urban Affairs (3 Units)
Research design for problems and cases in public affairs; summarizing and organizing data; methods of projection; sampling theory and application; using census and other secondary data sources. - PA 605: Seminar in Applied Research (3 Units)
Qualitative and quantitative research designs to address public affairs issues. - PA 606: Seminar in Quantitative Approaches to Public Administration (3 Units)
Advanced techniques for analyzing problems in public and urban affairs; emphasis on computer applications. - PA 630: Seminar in Public Personnel Administration (3 Units)
Analysis of selected problems in personnel administration; special emphasis on organizational development and consultation skills as emerging personnel functions. - PA 642: Seminar in Administrative Theory (3 Units)
Organization and management; the executive role, decision making; bureaucracy; authority and power; communication and control and organizational system; tactics and strategies in effective management. - PA 650: Seminar in Public Financial Management (3 Units)
Economics and politics of the public sector. Theories of public expenditure analysis and revenue generation. Issues of ethics and efficiency in government financial policy. - PA 660: Administration and Public Policy Development (3 Units)
Social, political and administrative problems involved in governmental program development and change. - PA 795 Capstone: Seminar in Public Affairs (3 Units)
Analytical treatment of selected problems in Public Administration. Review of methods for investigation and reporting of data. Consideration of problems in the preparation of a project or thesis. Your project will be presented to a panel of professionals at the final on-campus* experience.
Elective Courses (9 Units)
Elective courses will be decided at the beginning of each cohort based on cohort interest, faculty availability, and department approval. Current electives offered include:
- PA 530: Negotiation and Bargaining in the Public Service (3 Units)
- PA 620: Seminar in Urban Administration (3 Units)
- PA 640: Policy Design and Analysis (3 Units)
- PA 640.02 Seminar: Assessing Government and Nonprofit Performance (3 Units)
- PA 640.05: Policy Design and Policy Analysis (3 Units)
* In-person components are available virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. Once restrictions are lifted and in-person education resumes at each site, these services will be held as previously planned.
Please note that current students must be admitted and meet all requirements to register for specific courses. Current students will receive course registration links via email. Contact us here for more details.
Attend An Application Workshop For Tips On Successfully Applying To SDSU Global Campus.
Out-of-State Applicants
While we welcome out-of-state students, SDSU Global Campus currently cannot accept applications from students residing in some specific states. Please check back often, as this list of approved states does change. View the list of authorized states here.
International Applicants
Please click here for detailed guidance on how to submit your transcripts.
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for admission to the online Master of Public Administration program, you’ll need to hold a bachelor’s degree in any major from a regionally accredited university. Your competitiveness in the application process will be largely based upon your professional and past academic accomplishments in the field of public administration. You should also have:
- A minimum overall 2.85 GPA
- TOEFL (target score of 80) or the IELTS (score of 6.5) if you’re an international applicant
We understand that every student’s academic journey is unique, and we encourage you to contact one of our Student Service Representatives to find out what you’ll need to successfully apply to the program.
Application Instructions
- Apply to the University via Cal State Apply
- After submitting your application to Cal State Apply, you’ll receive an email from SDSU Global Campus Evaluations confirming receipt of your application along with instructions for required documents. Within 48hrs of receiving your application, you’ll also receive an email from SDSU that includes your SDSUid. You’ll use your SDSUid to log into my.SDSU, where you can track your application status.
- Send official transcripts to Graduate Admissions.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
- English language scores (TOEFL), if your medium of instruction was in a language other than English
- Students with international coursework should submit both the official transcript and proof of degree. If documents are in a language other than English, they should be accompanied by a certified English translation.
- Visit Interfolio and look for SDSU’s Public Affairs department, where you will upload the following:
- Names and email addresses for two recommenders (recommenders should be professors, employers, or others familiar with your abilities and accomplishments)
- Unofficial transcripts
- Current résumé
- Internship waiver and supervisor letter
- Personal statement: Your personal statement should have four sections that correspond to the points below. The entire statement should be no more than 750 words.
- Your personal commitment to public service and social equity
- Any personal experiences that have prepared you for graduate study
- Your professional goals and how you believe this degree will help you attain those goals
- Any important information you think would help the committee better understand your academic performance or personal history
For technical assistance with Interfolio, please call their help desk at 877-997-8807. For all other inquiries, please contact Admissions at 619-594-7700 or admission.global@sdsu.edu.
The School of Public Affairs requires all applicants to submit their supporting documentation through Interfolio no later than the stated application deadline. Your application will not be considered complete until your application and all supporting documentation are submitted. For an overview of the admission process, please refer to our Road Map.
Financial Aid
This program is approved for financial aid. To begin the financial aid process, visit the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website. There, you’ll be able to access the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
We encourage you to apply for financial aid as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it won’t. Upon graduation, you’ll have earned the same business degree as SDSU’s on-campus students — a Master of Public Administration from San Diego State University.
Elective courses will be decided at the beginning of each cohort based on cohort interest, faculty availability, and department approval. There is a list of current elective courses offered in the Courses section of this page; however, all elective courses are subject to change.
Our Masters of Public Administration is fully online and mostly asynchronous, which means you can study and learn mostly on your own schedule. The program consists of required courses and electives that can be completed in as short as 16 months.
For each course, you can expect to spend 135 -180 hours per course (17-23 hours per week for 8-week courses and 23-30 hours per week for 6-week courses) on coursework and lessons.
Courses in our online Masters of Public Administration program feature a mostly asynchronous virtual instruction (MA) learning modality. This means:
- Unless otherwise noted, instruction is provided through a combination of recorded and limited direct instruction with academic activities, quizzes, etc., at the arranged times and dates described in the footnotes and syllabus. Content may be open for restricted periods of time.
- Students may be expected to attend any live sessions necessary to complete the course.
- Final exams or assignments will be listed in the course syllabus and may need to be completed at a set time and date.
- Faculty and instructors are available for office hours and instructional support when needed.
Mostly Asynchronous courses may be preferable for students in different time zones as they provide the flexibility to do work on your own schedule at your own pace. However, these courses may require group activities and arranged meetings with faculty.
When you enroll in an academic program at SDSU Global Campus, you’re joining the San Diego State University community even if you’re not on campus. This means that you’ll have access to many of the same services, programs, cultural centers, clubs, and resources that SDSU’s on-campus students enjoy. Click here to learn more.
Ready to take the next step? Click here to connect with the SDSU Global Campus Welcome Center.
Related Links
Online MPA Graduate Webinar
School of Public Affairs (SPA) faculty
MPA Roadmap
Financial Aid Options