EMPA Degree Information and Course Schedule

The Executive Master of Public Administration is designed to be completed in 21 months. Students will take courses together as a cohort in the order shown on the following degree map.

Degree Map

 TERMCOURSESCREDITS
YEAR ONEFall TermPA 517 Leadership Development for Public Organizations
PA 518 Leading Public Organizations

3

3

Winter TermPA 533 Public Policy Development and Implementation
PA 539 National Policy Process - Washington, D.C.

3

3

Spring TermPA 590 Human Resource Management
PA 534 Administrative Law

3

Summer TermPA 540 Organization Management & Behavior 
PA 545 Organizational Development

3

YEAR TWOFall TermPA 544 International Field Experience  
PA 547 Culture, Values, & Leadership
PA 508 Writing & Research as a Leadership Skill

3

3

Winter TermPA 559 Research Design & Analytic Methods
PA 583 Advanced Budgeting Concepts & Techniques

3

Spring TermPA 513 Public Service Ethics
PA 512 Advanced Case Analysis

3

5

You may find all the course descriptions here

Typical Saturday Course Agenda

Classes begin at 9:00am. Refreshments are provided in the morning for in-person classes. Typically, classes have lectures, breakout sessions, and several breaks. An hour-long lunch break is given, and students are free to find lunch on their own. Classes end by 5:00pm.

Note that some course sessions may be taught via Zoom throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working with a Capstone Manager

Students are advised by the Capstone Manager during their capstone project. The Capstone Manager assists in the development of the capstone project and connects students with research resources and other support.

Applying Transfer Credits to My EMPA Degree

Per PSU policy, you may apply up to 15 credits (with a B- or higher) completed pre-admission to your degree in the EMPA program; however, we encourage students to take as many courses as possible with their cohort. We prefer that students transfer no more than 9 credits into the program. The EMPA program Faculty Lead must approve your transfer courses.

Course Registration

Each term, students will be enrolled in their required courses by the EMPA Program Manager.

Online EMPA Courses

Students must attend the Saturday classes in person except for any course sessions offered via Zoom as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many courses also have a substantial online component through a system we call Canvas. Class assignments, resources, and materials are posted, and many class discussions and group work takes place through this online system.

Definition of "significant work experience"

To qualify for the Executive MPA Program, students must meet the threshold requirement of 10 years of significant work experience in a combination of the public, private, or nonprofit sectors. This requirement is intended to identify those individuals who have assumed increasingly important leadership roles over the course of their career and are poised to assume strategic leadership responsibility in public service. These experiences can come from professional experience as well as avocational work in civic associations, schools, religious, and volunteer work.

International Field Experience Requirement

The world is becoming smaller and more globalized. What happens in Asia now impacts Oregon and SW Washington local governments through governmental relations, business connections, people-to-people exchanges and increasing cultural diversity in our work places. Local government officials in Oregon need to become more cross-culturally intelligent to lead and manage our Oregon workforce. The international experience facilitates the nurturing of "cross-cultural understanding" in government organizations in Oregon and SW Washington.