In the fall of 2013 Murray State will be the first public university in Kentucky to introduce an online graduate program for public administration, which will allow students to graduate with a masters of public administration in one to two years.
Public administration refers to personnel who work with implementing policies and with public affairs, generally in the government sector and more recently, in non-governmental organizations and non-profit groups.
Students have been clamoring for an online option for a field where a graduate degree can help workers advance in a career they already hold steady jobs in.
“At Murray State University, we frequently hear from working professionals in the public sector who are interested in advancing their career by furthering their education but do not have enough time to commit to doing so,” according to a press release from the Domestic Graduate Recruitment office.
This degree could be for students working for the MPA who are already embedded in the work force and are looking to give their career a boost. The program is also for pre-service individuals that also want to get an edge on the competition.
According to careerrealism.com, having an MPA can help employees trying to advance in their chosen line of work, which can apply to a variety of fields from research analysis to international finance.
Now students will have the opportunity to get their degree from home instead of commuting for night classes.
Courtney Noland, the Coordinator of Domestic Graduate Recruitment, said, “This method allows students to finish online, at the own pace, and in a shorter amount of time.”
The degree allows students to choose one of two tracks to graduation—an accelerated option or a part-time option.
The part-time option is meant for students who would like an online option with flexibility. Part-time allows students to take only one course per half-semester term and enrolled as a part-time student while still managing to graduate in two years.
The accelerated option has students take two per half-semester terms through the fall and spring semesters, then three courses over the summer. This option allows students to graduate within 12 months.
The program has 33 hours of required courses which are broken down into 21 hours of required core courses and 12 hours of graduate electives. The graduate electives fulfill a specialization or area of interest which must be approved by James Clinger, the MPA director.
The courses given are directed toward teaching effective ways of balancing budgets, developing and negotiating contracts, managing conflict, and building partnerships.
Faster tracks allow students to dive into the work force ahead of schedule. Past Murray State MPA graduates have found jobs in the government at local, state, and federal levels in addition to finding placement in non-profit and for-profit PA firms.
Bill Cassie, the government, law, and international affairs chair said the online program was not difficult to organize because of the already 30-year-strong MPA program at Murray State. Setting up the new program was centered on laying out classes in a logical way and making sure there were professors available to offer the classes.
Cassie said, “I am excited about this new development for our MPA program. I believe this program will be a great success and meet an important need for our state and region.”
Story by Amanda Grau, Staff writer.