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“I get to be a double Tar Heel. I think anyone who comes here knows there is something pretty special about this place. It was the only school I applied to.”
The MPA degree is all about public service leadership. We created this pathway to leverage your undergraduate major with a decision-making skillset to support work in the public sector, including government, nonprofits, and organizations that serve public and community interests. An MPA degree will support you as you begin and advance in your public service career.
Any undergraduate major pairs well with the MPA. Here are some of the most common pairings.
Eligibility requirements to begin taking MPA coursework as an undergraduate
Must be in junior or senior standing.
Must have a 3.0 GPA.
Must complete at least half of your UNC major requirements.
Below is a list of recommended courses for students planning to pursue their dual BA/BS to MPA. Students may transfer up to 12 credit hours of graduate-level courses. A list of recommended MPA courses is below.
PUBA 709
Institutions and Values (Core Course: 3 credit hours)
PUBA 721
Professional Communication (Core Course: 3 credit hours)
PUBA 751
Local Government Management (Elective Course: 3 credit hours)
PUBA 753
Performance Management in Local Government (Elective Course: 3 credit hours)
PUBA 756
Nonprofit Management (Elective Course: 3 credit hours)
PUBA 771
Managing Economic Development (Elective Course: 3 credit hours)
PUBA 768/769
Mediation Skills for Public Managers (Elective Course: 1.5 credit hours)
PUBA 782
Cyber Security (Elective Course: 1.5 credit hours)
PUBA 787
Applied Environmental Finance (Elective Course: 3 credit hours)
*Note: Additional graduate-level elective offerings may be considered from other programs and/or departments at the 700 level. Final approval of transfer credits is required by the MPA program director. Click to view the course catalog
Combine your interest and passion for the environment with the leadership skills of the MPA to pursue a career in environmental-related public administration. Graduates of this program have gone on to pursue careers at the Environmental Protection Agency, joined local governments in sustainability efforts, or joined non-profits focused on environmental management. Eligible students must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill in Environmental Studies (BA) or Environmental Sciences (BS). Students will ideally begin taking MPA courses during their junior or senior year.
Where policy making meets implementation. Combine the specialized background in public policy with the leadership skills of the MPA. Learn how to effectively implement policy across settings, organizations, and communities. The MPA will help you advance throughout your career as you gain practical application skills to pair with your analytical and research skills.
Do you see yourself working in a government or non-profit realm interacting with people, making plans, and creating opportunities for community betterment. The MPA is a great opportunity to learn leadership and decision-making skills for those who want to work in public service settings on a more international level or right here on a more local level.
You don’t need to go to law school to become a leader and impact change. The MPA will teach you the ins and outs of public service organizations, so you can launch and advance your career at the local, state, federal, or nonprofit levels. Take your passion for good government and contributing to change on a journey to discover who you are as a leader.
Learn the administration skills to manage organizations that influence arts, entertainment, and policy with the MPA. Take your knowledge to the next level by learning how to lead teams of people, manage budgets and increase donors, and strategically plan for your organization’s success. As you segway from performing to managing, the MPA will develop you as a leader and influencer.
The MPA is like the MBA except we specialize in organizations that serve the public and communities. Start your career in public service, by learning how public sector organizations function, so you are prepared for roles in government organizations, non-profits, and private sector roles that influence the public. Our graduates leave as confident and ready decision-makers to tackle issues and implement policy across areas.
Good communicators make good leaders. And good leaders are needed across the public and private sectors. If you’ve decided to take a different direction with your career and want to influence change across communities and the public, consider the MPA. Prepare for public service leadership positions across organizations by gaining an understanding of organizational structure for positions in public relations, community engagement, community relations across local governments, state governments, the federal government, non-profits, and private industries with positions that touch the public.
As you grow and advance in your career, you will want the skills needed to influence and implement policy, understand governmental relations, and cultivate private-public relationships. Take your analytical skill-set and learn the leadership skills to be a decision-maker for organizations that serve the public. Our graduates end up in various departments and positions across local, state, and federal government as well as non-profit organization and the private sector.
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