Master's Degrees
(N=189) (Response Rate=66%)
Degree Programs Offered Fall 2009
Degree Type | Program Offered by Respondent |
Percent of Respondents |
Master of Public Administration | 152 | 82.6 |
Master of Public Policy | 20 | 10.9 |
Master of Public Affairs | 9 | 4.9 |
Executive Master | 23 | 12.5 |
Other Master Programs | 53 | 28.8 |
Offering Joint Degrees | 88 | 47.8 |
Total Program* | 345 |
* It is normal for institutional members to offer multiple Master degree programs, hence the total number of programs is larger than the total number of survey respondents.
** NASPAA institutional members were provided four spaces in which to enter “other” degrees. The most common of these “other” degrees is Master of Science in Public Policy and Management, Master of International Development and Master of Government Administration. Other reported master’s degrees include, but are not limited to, Health (Care) Administration, Criminal Justice, Political Science, Transportation Policy Operations and Logistics, Economic Policy Management, Higher Education Administration, Nonprofit Management, Environmental Science, Public Service Management, and Enterprise Engineering and Policy.
Degree Program Highlights
- About 78 percent of the respondent institutions offer MPA degrees. About 47 percent offer joint-degrees.
- About 29 percent of the respondents offer Master degrees other than MPP, MPA, MPAff or Executive MPA.
Student Enrollment Fall 2009
Degree Type | Enrolled Full-Time |
Percent Full-Time |
Enrolled Part-Time |
Percent Part-Time |
Enrolled Total |
Master of Public Administration | 9,121 | 49.5 | 9,294 | 50.5 | 18,415 |
Master of Public Policy | 2,032 | 78.4 | 561 | 21.6 | 2,593 |
Master of Public Affairs | 907 | 71.9 | 354 | 28.1 | 1,261 |
Executive MPA | 713 | 36.8 | 1,223 | 63.2 | 1,936 |
Other Master Degrees | 2,982 | 58.4 | 2,120 | 41.6 | 5,102 |
Total Student Enrolled | 15,755 | 53.8 | 13,552 | 46.2 | 29,307 |
Enrollment Highlights
- More than 78 percent of MPP students enrolled full-time and more than 63 percent of Executive MPA students enrolled part-time.
- MPA program enrolled nearly 63 percent of Master-degree seekers in Public Affairs and Administration.
Degree Awarded AY 2008 - 2009
Degree Type | Degrees Awarded by Respondents |
Percent of Degree Awarded by Respondents |
Master of Public Administration | 5,843 | 56.8 |
Master of Public Policy | 923 | 9.0 |
Master of Public Affairs | 424 | 4.1 |
Executive MPA | 797 | 7.8 |
Other Master | 1,939 | 18.9 |
Joint Degree | 357 | 3.5 |
Total Degree Awarded | 10,283 |
Degree Awarded Highlights
- More than 10,000 students received their Master's degrees in Public Administration and Public Services during the 2009-10 Academic Year. About 3.5 percent had joint degrees.
- The most common degree offered jointly with the MPA/MPP is the JD. Other joint/dual master’s degrees offered with an MPA/MPP include, but are not limited to, Social Work, Business Administration, Urban Planning, Regional Planning, Law, Criminal Justice, International Affairs, Nursing, Doctor of Medicine, Mental Health, Public Health, Divinity, Latin American Studies, and Environmental Science.
Undergraduate Courses Offered Fall 2009
Course Subject | Institution Offering the Courses |
Percent of Respondents |
Courses in Public Administration | 140 | 76.1 |
Courses in NonProfit Mngmt. | 77 | 41.8 |
Courses in Health Mngmt. | 58 | 31.5 |
Undergraduate Course Offering Highlights
- More than 77 percent of the respondent's institutions offer undergraduate courses in Public Administration or Public Affairs.
- Nearly 42 percent of the respondent's institutions offer undergraduate courses in Non-profit Management.