Master of Public Administration, MPA
Mission
The Tulane SoPA John Lewis Public Administration program prepares forward-thinking, responsive, and ethical public service professionals to effectively lead within a diverse and ever-changing civic sector.
Our Vision & Identity
Known as the “Conscience of Congress,” Congressman John Lewis dedicated his life and career to advancing social justice. His transformative work as an activist, civil rights, and political leader embodied the values that guide our mission and work.
We are Community-Responsive, Results-Driven, and Impact-Foused. The Tulane SoPA John Lewis Public Administration program offers applied, dynamic, interdisciplinary coursework that continuously integrates up-to-date practice strategies to meet the demands of the diverse sectors which work for the public interest, including government, nonprofits, philanthropy, and corporate settings. Our MPA program actively supports service learning, civic sector workforce development and the career advancement of professionals working in fields connected to public service.
The MPA includes a 3-day residency where students will be exposed to experiential learning, collaboration, and networking with peers, program faculty and other individuals working in civic sector careers.
All courses in the MPA program are delivered online. The MPA degree is awarded following the successful completion of 12 graduate courses (36 credit hours), including six core courses, five electives (which may be earned through a graduate certificate or in an area of concentration), and one capstone course. MPAD 6000 serves as the first course in sequence for MPA students. However MPAD 6000 is not required for the program certificate students. MPA students must also complete a residency in New Orleans.
The MPA consists of seven core courses—including a required capstone—plus five elective courses. Students in the MPA program must begin their course sequence with MPAD 6000.
Core Requirements:
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MPAD 6000 | Public Policy Foundations | 3 |
| MPAD 6100 | Technology and Civic Sector Leadership | 3 |
| MPAD 6110 | Data-Informed Leadership, Management, and Decision-Making | 3 |
| MPAD 6120 | Public Organizational Leadership, Cross-Sector Partnerships, and Stakeholder Engagement | 3 |
| MPAD 6130 | Budgeting and Financial Management | 3 |
| MPAD 6140 | Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Public Service | 3 |
| MPAD 7900 | MPA Capstone | 3 |
Electives:
As part of their electives, students may choose to take at least four courses from one of four graduate certificates or from the areas of concentration. Students who complete all of the requirements for the graduate certificates may apply those credits toward the master’s degree.
General Elective
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MPAD 7800 | Law & Public Administration | 3 |
Option One—Equity-Centered Education Leadership Graduate Certificate
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 6100 | Reimagining and Leading Equitable Education Systems for the Future (Currently cross-listed with MPAD 7120) | 3 |
| EDUC 6120 | Leading Learning (Currently cross-listed with MPAD 7130) | 3 |
| EDUC 6150 | An Introduction to Education Finance and Budgeting: Implications for Strategy, Equity, and Change (Currently cross-listed with MPAD 7110) | 3 |
| Choose one course from the following: | ||
| EDUC 6110 | Educational Leadership & Policy for Changemakers (Currently cross-listed with MPAD 7100) | 3 |
| EDUC 6140 | Managing Effective Equity-Centered Educational Organizations | 3 |
| EDUC 6160 | Engaging Family and Community Stakeholders | 3 |
| EDUC 6180 | Driving Change and Transformation for Impact | 3 |
Option Two—Nonprofit and Strategic Philanthropy Management Graduate Certificate
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MPAD 7200 | Nonprofits, Philanthropy, and the Civic Sector | 3 |
| MPAD 7210 | Evaluation and Outcomes Management | 3 |
| MPAD 7220 | Organizational Sustainability, Leadership, and Governance | 3 |
| MPAD 7230 | Financial Management, Resource Development, and Capacity Building | 3 |
| MPAD 7240 | Foundations of Strategic Philanthropy | 3 |
Option Three—Economic Development Graduate Certificate
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MPAD 7300 | Elements of Economic Development | 3 |
| MPAD 7310 | Economic Development Challenges and Civic Resilience | 3 |
| MPAD 7320 | Economic Development and Urban Transformation | 3 |
| MPAD 7330 | Social Equity and Economic Development | 3 |
Option Four—Environmental Management and Resilience Graduate Certificate
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MPAD 7400 | Environmental Policy | 3 |
| MPAD 7410 | Environmental Challenges and Civic Resilience | 3 |
| MPAD 7420 | The Role of Data in Environmental Decisions | 3 |
| MPAD 7430 | Social Equity and Environmental Management | 3 |
Option Five—Emergency Management Concentration
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ESSC 6001 | Introduction to Emergency Management | 3 |
| ESSC 6009 | Emergency Planning | 3 |
| ESSC 6016 | Leadership in Emergency and Security Management | 3 |
| Choose one | 3 | |
| Health and Medical Issues in Emergency Management | ||
| Risk Management and Threat Assessment | ||
| Disaster Communications | ||
| Emergency Management Administration | ||
| Business Continuity | ||