Do you know best mpa programs in Michigan?

The master of public administration program offers professional training to provide competencies needed for a wide variety of public service positions and to build the foundation for long-term individual development and advancement in a public service career. The M.P.A. program provides training for work in local, state and federal agencies; private, nonprofit agencies and voluntary organizations; public affairs offices in private businesses; and legislative staff positions.

Typically the M.P.A. program brings in 20 to 30 students per year (see graduation rates). Courses are offered through a variety of in-person and virtual options, with a vast majority held in the evenings. Our faculty are committed to excellence in both teaching and research.

View M.P.A. Student Handbook (PDF)

The mission of the M.P.A. program at Wayne State University is to provide the highest quality graduate education to students committed to public service. The program provides an academically rigorous curriculum relevant to public and nonprofit policy and management. The program serves academically capable pre-service and in-service students and is an integral part of a major urban research university improving local and global communities.

Located in the Department of Political Science, Wayne State's M.P.A. program is NASPAA accredited and the oldest in the state of Michigan. Get connected and learn more through our M.P.A LinkedIn group!

Public administration encompasses various types of work in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Traditionally, the field works to advance management and policies so that government can run more effectively and efficiently. The field has now expanded to include the private and nonprofit sectors; from local to federal government, HR departments and budget offices to program managers and donor relations officers, public administrators work to administer programs that directly benefit the public.

The M.P.A. program manages a jobs listserv to share notices about job and internship opportunities with students and alumni. If you are interested in receiving these job alerts, you can click the link below to subscribe. Some recent job postings for M.P.A. students and graduates can be seen on our career planning page.

Subscribe for job alerts

If you have questions about the program or want to make an appointment to discuss your academic and career interests and goals, please contact Dr. Kyu-Nahm Jun, associate professor and director of the graduate program in public administration, at mpa@wayne.edu.

The M.P.A. program is accredited by the NASPAA Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation and listed on the Annual Roster of Accredited Programs in conformity with NASPAA standards.

A public administration degree is worth it for individuals pursuing rewarding MPA jobs in the public and private sectors. Candidates can explore MPA careers in various settings, including nonprofits, government agencies, healthcare and private enterprise.

Students enroll in master of public administration programs to pursue MPA careers after graduation. These degrees typically comprise 35 to 45 credits and explore coursework in areas like statistics for public policy, public economics, public finance and leadership.

Learners can tailor their degrees by choosing concentrations in areas like community and economic development, nonprofit administration, health policy and ethical leadership. Degree timelines are typically in the one- to two-year range.

Admission requirements typically align with other master’s degrees: Applicants must submit undergraduate transcripts, letters of recommendation and personal statements. Some schools may require graduate test scores for admission. After completing their degree, a graduate can use their newly developed skills to pursue fulfilling MPA jobs.

What is public administration? This field addresses issues like housing, the environment and poverty. MPA graduates often work for government organizations and nonprofits to support and enact policies in areas of public administration.

Master’s-level public administration degrees can develop diverse skills, allowing graduates to apply their abilities to different types of MPA careers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for some roles, such as medical and health services managers, to grow at a rate that more than quadruples the projected figure for all occupations nationwide. The following list is not exhaustive but offers a broad view of well-paying and rewarding MPA jobs.

Median Annual Salary: $79,940 Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +3% Job Description: These professionals help government agencies and private companies understand short-term and long-term financial expectations. They create budgets to remain on track, meet goals, monitor spending and propose improvements. Budget analysts consider any differences among expenses and income against their plans to resolve inconsistencies or make suggestions for future budgets.

Median Annual Salary: $101,340  Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +28% Job Description: These administrators handle the daily operations for healthcare facilities like hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient care centers. They manage company finances, oversee billing processes, monitor spending and improve efficiency as necessary. Healthcare administrators also supervise regulatory compliance to ensure that their organizations meet the necessary laws and legal requirements.

Median Annual Salary: $126,230 Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +7% Job Description: HR managers handle many staff-related tasks for small and large organizations as the connection between management and employees. These professionals supervise the hiring process, including recruiting and interviewing candidates for open positions. HR managers handle disputes between employees and make disciplinary decisions as necessary. Public and private organizations require these professionals to make hiring decisions and maintain morale.

Median Annual Salary: $93,000 Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +11% Job Description: These consultants help organizations improve their profitability and efficiency by interviewing staff, observing operations and analyzing company financial data. After completing their research, they report their findings to management and offer suggestions for areas of improvement. Management analysts typically work as contractors who temporarily assist companies, rather than as permanent employees.

Median Annual Salary: $101,340 Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +28% Job Description: These managers coordinate services by overseeing departments within healthcare facilities or entire medical organizations. They may manage budgets, handle employee schedules, supervise billing efforts and maintain regulatory and legal compliance. Medical and health services managers collaborate with physicians and other medical professionals within facilities to ensure smooth company-wide operations.

Median Annual Salary: $122,510 Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +6% Job Description: Policy analysts research political systems to identify trends in laws, political parties and foreign relations. These professionals forecast changes in policy, the economy and society, along with analyzing how ongoing laws have affected communities. They collect data through interviews and surveys to analyze shifting tides in public opinion and develop theories based on their findings.

Median Annual Salary: $94,500 Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +7% Job Description: These professionals supervise each element of a project, including budgets, progress, staffing and schedules, to ensure that outcomes align with their goals. Before a project begins, they plan and make proposals to other stakeholders. After the project begins, they supervise spending to meet budgetary plans and direct employees in completing tasks. Project managers analyze financial data and outcomes to evaluate the project’s effectiveness after it’s completed.

Median Annual Salary: $74,000 Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +12% Job Description: Social or community service managers create, oversee and implement programs that improve communities and the general public. They collaborate with and supervise other employees to deliver social programs with public and private organizations, which may focus on specific populations. These professionals also research social programs to determine their effectiveness and make suggestions for improvements.

Median Annual Salary: $61,570 Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +8% Job Description: These professionals administer programs to train employees in public and private organizations. Along with delivering the training programs, they perform research through review, interviews and collaborations with other members of management to identify areas of improvement. Training and development managers also coordinate administrative tasks for their programs, including managing budgets and overseeing enrollment efforts.

Median Annual Salary: $78,500 Projected Job Growth (2021-2031): +4% Job Description: Urban and regional planners research populations and geographic characteristics to create well-organized locations and communities. They may help to improve disadvantaged areas, plan for public spaces like parks, or develop locations for unhoused individuals. These professionals collaborate with public officials and contractors to oversee small-scale and large-scale projects within urban, suburban and rural areas.

Individuals with MPAs can continue their education beyond the master’s level with doctoral programs in public administration and public policy. MPAs may pursue these degrees to focus their work on research or simply increase their knowledge of the field. The following section explores information about related Ph.D. degrees.

A Ph.D. in public administration dives deeper into the field than an MPA. Typically requiring about 55 to 95 credits, enrollees conclude these programs with a dissertation and defense. Common coursework for a Ph.D. in public administration may cover organizational theory, policy analysis and public management. Graduates with a Ph.D. degree can pursue the same MPA careers as master’s degree-holders, though individuals may choose to work in academia and research instead.

Your choice of public administration school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for public administration schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Public Administration Schools in Michigan list to help you make the college decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

MPA program focuses on public and nonprofit sectors while developing skillset in public policy analysis, legal and constitutional frameworks, ethical decision solving, and collaboration and consensus-building within diverse environments. Program is offered at Petoskey, NCMC, Saginaw Center, and the Traverse City Center.

Concordia University offers an MBA built for working students with on campus courses, independent E-learning and videoconferencing options. Concentrations include Corporate Communication, Environmental Studies, Finance, Health Care Administration, Human Resource Management, International Business, Management, Management Information Systems, Marketing, Public Administration, Risk Management, Sport and Entertainment Business and Sustaining Business and Industry.

MPA degree at EMU is offered in the Political Science Department. MPA courses for the most part are based on-campus locations, but some components of the classes are given online by instructors at their discretion. Graduate certificates and a combined Bachelors/MPA program is also available.

Grand Valley State University MPA is NASPAA accredited and open to full and part time students. Students are actively involved within the community in an urban setting for the GVSU MPA program. Scheduling is extremely flexible, with MPA courses at the downtown Pew campus at night and on weekends. A number of classes are online or built in hybrid formats. There are five different concentration tracks available.

The MPP program at Michigan State offers students analytic and practical knowledge to become leaders in policy careers. This program emphasizes training in policy analysis, policy feasibility, and economic and quantitative analysis.

Michigan Tech's MBA program is accredited by the AACSB that blends business, technology and innovation. The Tech MBA program offers students three areas of study: Technology and Decision-Making, Leadership and Management Skills, and Innovation and Strategy.

The MPA program at Northern Michigan University is internationally recognized and is offered entirely online. This program has concentrations in the following areas: public management, criminal justice, human resources, and state and local government.

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) at Oakland University is offered during weekday evenings and on some Saturdays. The MPA program is a 40 credit program. An accelerated BS to MPA program is also available.

Saginaw Valley State's MPA program is for individuals desiring a career in the government, public service and nonprofit fields. This program offers Student Affairs Administration as a specialization.

The Master of Public Administration the University of Michigan Ann Arbor is for professionals seeking to advance their public service career.

The MPP program at Michigan Dearborn assist students in meeting the public's needs. Areas of concentration include International Policy and Economic Policy.

UM-Flint's Public Administration Program is designed for working professionals with a desire to expand their administration knowledge. Program concentration areas are Administration of Nonprofit Agencies, Criminal Justice Administration, Educational Administration, and Health Care Administration.

The University of Phoenix - Michigan provides an MPA program for individuals advancing to management levels in public administration. This program is accredited by the NASPAA and is completed entirely online only.

The Wayne State Graduate Program in Public Administration is for students advancing their public service careers. Concentration areas include: Health and Human Services Policy and Management, Economic Development Policy and Management, Human and Fiscal Resource Management, Nonprofit Policy and Management, Organizational Behavior and Management, and Urban and Metropolitan Policy and Management.