UNC-Chapel Hill Master of Public Administration

The MPA Program at UNC-Chapel Hill is a full-time, two-year curriculum that serves up to 60 students annually. With courses ranging from management and leadership, to public policy analysis and project evaluation, the program educates leaders for local, state, and federal governments and nonprofit organizations.

The UNC Advantage

The UNC-Chapel Hill MPA program offers the best of both worlds-small classes taught by an expert faculty that collaborates closely with students and all the resources of a large, nationally acclaimed university. This affiliation with a Tier 1 university provides abundant academic, financial, and social opportunities. In addition, UNC is a fierce competitor in 28 NCAA Division 1 sports within the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The School of Government

Established in 1966 at UNC, the MPA Program became an integral part of the School of Government in 1997. As the largest university-based local government training, advisory, and research organization in the United States, the School of Government offers up to 200 classes, seminars, schools, and specialized conferences for more than 12,000 public officials each year. In addition, faculty members annually publish approximately 50 books, periodicals, and other reference works related to state and local government. Each day that the General Assembly is in session, the School produces the Daily Bulletin, which reports on the day’s activities for members of the legislature and others who need to follow the course of legislation.

Ranking

The program is considered among the best public administration graduate programs in the country, ranking fifth nationally in the specialty area of local government, and 14th overall.

Academics

The curriculum is designed to be completed in two years of study. Students complete a management internship between their first and second years. Additionally, the program requires that each student, advised by a faculty committee, complete an independent Capstone research project, reported in writing and orally to an audience of public service professionals. A more flexible schedule is available for a limited number of experienced practitioners.

The small class size of the MPA program guarantees great camaraderie among students and faculty. Class projects, group work, field trips, and social activities facilitate interaction, experiential learning, and lifelong friendships. Faculty members continue to serve as mentors and advisers throughout their students’ careers.

UNC-Chapel Hill also offers dual degree programs with the UNC School of Law, School of Social Work, and Information and Library Science; the Departments of City and Regional Planning, and Public Policy; and the Nonprofit Leadership Certificate Program.

Faculty

School of Government faculty members who teach in the MPA Program also are engaged in School of Government programs serving state agencies and local governments. These professors, working with government officials every day, bring to the classroom a practical, professional orientation that is appreciated by students. They are joined on the MPA teaching faculty by a select group of other faculty members based outside the School of Government.

Alumni

Graduates of Carolina’s MPA program enjoy successful careers in every level of government and in organizations that support the public interest, including nonprofits and a range of businesses in the private sector. Alumni include those currently in the following positions:

  • US Government
  • Assistant US Attorney
  • Budget Analyst, US Senate
  • State Government
  • Human Resources Director, Office of the Governor
  • Deputy State Treasurer
  • Municipal Government
  • City/Town Manager
  • Assistant City/Town Manager
  • Director of Mobility & Transportation
  • Nonprofit Organizations
  • VP of Operations, American Museum of Natural History
  • Regional Director, Environmental Defense Fund
  • Academic Institutions
  • VP of Business & Finance (College)
  • VP for Government Relation (University)

Profiles of UNC MPA alumni can be found on the program’s website