Students at UNC MPA - Diverse & Committed to Public Service

UNC MPA students represent a variety of academic backgrounds and interest areas but are united by a desire to improve their communities through a career in public service. Some of our students choose to pursue a public administration degree before entering the workforce, while others seek to advance their career or change fields.

Meet Our Students

Our students are an accomplished and diverse group. Just over half of UNC MPA students are from North Carolina.

Student Life & Voices

Meet some of our students on our Student Voices page. We also invite you to learn more about student life and opportunities for engagement.

Student News

June 11, 2025

Student Spotlight on Meg McFadden

Meg is a current student from Naperville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. She graduated from Butler…

April 14, 2025

Water Resources Director using the MPA to help Town of Clayton

Joshua Baird loves working in local government. He is using his engineering expertise to enhance…

Student

December 17, 2024

UNC MPA Winter 2024 Graduation

Graduates of the UNC Master of Public Administration program gathered Saturday, December 14 to…

Students at a Glance

167 Students Enrolled

59% Female Students

3.42 Average Undergraduate GPA

24% Underrepresented Minorities

48% Out-of-State Students

45 On-campus Students

What will you do with an MPA?

Program Outcomes

“The cohort experience is memorable. My classmates were some of the best and smartest people I’ve ever met. To be a part of that group is something special.”

—Thomas Bennett MPA ’20

“The greatest value I received from the MPA program was the connection with people, the connection with movers and shakers in government, the connection with people who see government as a proponent versus an opponent.”

—Marchell Adams-David ’92, City Manager, Raleigh, NC

Latest Student Blog Posts

June 17, 2025

“Slower is Faster” – Leadership Lessons from the Driver’s Seat

This post is written by current student Tyler Holden. Tyler Holden is a current student in…

June 11, 2025

Current student Ryan Ledbetter provides marketing services for…

This post was written by 2nd year student Ryan Ledbetter….

June 09, 2025

Current student Lilly Parker blogs about her summer with the North…

Lilly Parker is a 2nd year student in the MPA program. As a former teacher from Kentucky, Lilly’s…

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