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Academics

Academics: M.P.A. Program Requirements

At Cornell, the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree is a two-year graduate program.

The M.P.A. program presents a basic structure for graduate study, but CIPA fellows are the primary designers of their educational and career trajectories while at Cornell. When entering the program, each fellow is provided a core faculty advisor based on the student’s area of interest.  Fellows work closely with their respective advisors to design individualized courses of study. After deciding upon a concentration, fellows will choose a thesis or professional project advisor, whose role it is to guide them in the development of their final paper.

During their two years of study, CIPA fellows take sixteen courses (typically four per semester). The M.P.A. curriculum includes eight components:

  • Introductory Course:  CRP 6010—Public Administration
  • Foundation Coursework (three courses in each of the broad areas listed below)
    • Administration, Politics, and Public Policy
    • Economics and Public Finance
    • Quantitative Analysis
  • Concentration Coursework (five courses in the student’s selected area of professional focus)
  • Specialized Coursework (two courses related to thesis or professional report writing or strengthening professional preparation)
  • Practical Experience: Internship, Off-Campus Study, and/or Public Service Exchange
  • Colloquium (four semesters)
  • Proseminars I and II (spring semester of first year and fall semester of second year)
  • Thesis or Professional Report (capstone written project consolidating learning and skills)
Some substitution of coursework may be allowed, based on a fellow’s previous mastery of a subject (for example, a fellow with a bachelor’s degree in economics would not be expected to repeat basic economics courses, but would instead take more advanced graduate work).  Fellows in consultation with their advisors can propose alternative ways in which the purpose of the curriculum’s structure can be better fulfilled in their case, petitioning for approval of some modification that will enrich their degree.

Please see the 2008-09 CIPA Program Handbook & Course Guide for detailed information about program requirements.
 


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