The program leads to the professional degree of Master of Public Administration. It provides pre-service students with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective administration of local, state, and federal government agencies and of nonprofit organizations. It also offers mid-career administrators and professionals in public service an opportunity to improve their management skills and qualifications. For the convenience of students who are employed full-time, all courses are offered in the evening. Alumni assist with orientation and mentoring activities.<br><br>The MPA program, offered by the Department of Political Science, provides each student with a basic understanding of the environment of public policy and the ability to deal with:<br><br>Political and legal institutions and processes<br>Economic and social institutions and processes<br>Organization and management concepts, and human resource administration<br>Concepts and techniques of budgeting and financial administration<br>Application of quantitative and qualitative techniques of analysis in policy and program formulation, implementation and evaluation, and decision making and problem-solving