Public Administration, Master of Public Administration
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-Focused. 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.
The MPA requires a minimum of 36 credit hours and a cumulative grade point average of 3.000. Program requirements can be found in the table below.
Curriculum Requirements
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.
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 | Masters in Public Administration Capstone | 3 |
| MPAD 7905 | MPA Residency | 0 |
Electives:
MPA students complete five elective courses as part of the 36-credit curriculum. Elective coursework is flexible: students may take individual elective courses from the general elective list, select courses from any of the graduate certificate course sets, and/or take courses from either concentration area. Students can also take any graduate-level course offered through Tulane (Courses taken outside of the Public Administration program may require additional approvals from the departments overseeing the course). Students may mix and match across these options. Students who complete all requirements for an eligible graduate certificate may apply those certificate credits toward the master’s degree, as allowed within the program’s elective structure.
General Electives
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MPAD 7800 | Law and Public Administration | 3 |
| MPAD 7805 | Public Service and Advocacy | 3 |
Option One: Educational Leadership Graduate Certificate
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 6040 | Leading Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment | 3 |
| EDUC 6100 | Educational Leadership (Currently cross-listed with MPAD 7120) | 3 |
| EDUC 6150 | Educational Finance, Management, and Operations (Currently cross-listed with MPAD 7110) | 3 |
| EDUC 6180 | Data Driven School Improvement and Transformation | 3 |
| EDUC 6190 | Education Law, Policy, and Ethics (Currently cross-listed with MPAD 7100) | 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 | ||
Option Six: Public Health Concentration
| Course ID | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPHL 6020 | Foundations in Public Health (Required Course:) | 3 |
| Choose three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Biostatistics for Public Health | ||
| Epidemiology for Public Health | ||
| Health Systems Policy and Management | ||
| Design Strategies in Public Health Programs | ||
Sample Plans of Study
These are examples of possible course schedules for a Fall start. Students work with their academic advisors to create a course schedule tailored to meet their individual needs. These suggested plans address MPAD courses only and assume sequential completion of the John Lewis Public Administration Program core classes. Students should contact their academic advisor to discuss transfer credits, independent study options, credit for prior learning and proper sequencing of other requirements.
9 Credits per Term (Fall and Spring)
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| MPAD 6000 | Public Policy Foundations * | 3 |
| MPAD 6100 | Technology and Civic Sector Leadership | 3 |
| MPAD 6130 | Budgeting and Financial Management | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| MPAD 6110 | Data-Informed Leadership, Management, and Decision-Making | 3 |
| MPAD 6140 | Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Public Service | 3 |
| Select one Graduate-level Elective **** | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Summer Session | ||
| MPAD 6120 | Public Organizational Leadership, Cross-Sector Partnerships, and Stakeholder Engagement | 3 |
| Select one Graduate-level Elective **** | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select three Graduate-level Electives **** | 9 | |
| MPAD 7905 | MPA Residency ** | 0 |
| Credit Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| MPAD 7900 | Masters in Public Administration Capstone *** | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
6 Credits per Term (Fall, Spring, and Summer)
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| MPAD 6000 | Public Policy Foundations * | 3 |
| MPAD 6100 | Technology and Civic Sector Leadership | 3 |
| MPAD 7905 | MPA Residency ** | 0 |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| MPAD 6110 | Data-Informed Leadership, Management, and Decision-Making | 3 |
| MPAD 6140 | Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Public Service | 3 |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Summer Session | ||
| MPAD 6120 | Public Organizational Leadership, Cross-Sector Partnerships, and Stakeholder Engagement | 3 |
| Select one Graduate-level Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| MPAD 6130 | Budgeting and Financial Management | 3 |
| Select one Graduate-level Elective **** | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| MPAD 7900 | Masters in Public Administration Capstone *** | 3 |
| Select one Graduate-level Elective **** | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Summer Session | ||
| Select two Graduate-level Electives **** | 6 | |
| Credit Hours | 6 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
- *
MPAD 6000 serves as the first course in sequence for MPA students.
- **
The MPAD 7905 Residency takes place annually and participation is required for completion of the MPA degree. Students may complete the residency at any time in their matriculation.
- ***
MPAD 7900 serves as the last course in the core course sequence for MPA students.
- ****
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. See certificate/concentration lists for electives.
Program String and Field of Study: PAMPA_GR, MPAD
For more information, contact the School of Professional Advancement.