Graduate ProgramExecutive MPA


Degree Details

  • Masters (M)
    Total Credits
    45
    Start Term
    Fall
    Delivery Method
    On campus

Learn more about our academic program delivery methods



Executive MPA Degree Overview

Unique Program Features:

  • Designed for Experienced Public Service Professionals – Courses are sequenced across the academic year to even out the workload and enable degree completion within 21 months. Classes are held approximately every other Saturday and supported by dedicated staff who provide a concierge level of service that enables you to focus on meeting your learning needs.
  • Cohort Learning Model – Our model brings together students, faculty, mentors, alums, and practitioners in a rigorous peer-to-peer learning experience. This model fosters community, sparks creativity, and builds leadership and collaborative skills.
  • Distinguished Faculty – Learn from credentialed and accomplished faculty with extensive real-world experience in a variety of government and non-government organizations. Our professors are dedicated to meeting the individualized learning needs of each student and doing so in ways that integrate the best of academic research with practice.
  • Legacy of Leadership – Central to the EMPA curriculum is a tested leadership model built on reflective practice, active learning, and relevant application. We have developed this model over a 20 year period of doing leadership development in the U.S. and abroad, including Japan, China, and Vietnam.  
  • Advanced Leadership Competencies – The program is designed to be intellectually challenging and personally rewarding. Students will master specific competencies that prepare them to successfully tackle multifaceted, cross-sector leadership problems at multiple scales.
  • Intensive Field Experience – Enhance your understanding of equity, justice, and governance through a transformational cross-cultural experience in domestic and international settings.

Executive MPA: Why PSU?

Our students are actively engaged in leading change in the public sector today, and tomorrow. 14 out of 21 students in our last cohort changed jobs or were promoted into new roles. Our Executive Coaching is focused on engaging students in goal-oriented conversations about their careers.

What can I do with a Master's in Executive MPA?

The EMPA program is designed for busy, ambitious, and forward-looking public and nonprofit professionals who have at least ten years of significant work experience. The program prepares individuals for advanced leadership, with an assumption that they have already "earned their wings" as successful managers of people, programs, and organizational units. Our students have a clear commitment to public service and strong personal motivation to deepen their knowledge, sharpen their skills, and assume advanced leadership roles in public service.