Our MPA program is not a one-size-fits-all program. Separate tracks - specializations are designed to help recent college graduates and established professionals to step up and move forward.  The general track of the MPA will prepare students with the necessary skills to respond to the demands of the dynamic governmental landscape.

Government employment is growing faster than ever, and demand is high for talented men and women to become police chiefs, fire chiefs, city managers, administrators, and more. The online MPA from Anna Maria College will set you apart and give you the management and leadership skills you need to excel. Business savvy is essential in today’s not-for-profit companies.  The Anna Maria College MPA will prepare you to lead these organizations and take your career to new heights.

Taught by field-renowned practitioners, the general track of the MPA connects you to a faculty of top professionals and a network of fellow students who will be your counterparts at the leadership level. Our online classes are interactive and put students in the heart of vital real world scenarios.

Master of Public Administration

Students with seven years or more of relevant experience may be eligible to take the Anna Maria College MPA Mid-Career Track, allowing them to complete the degree program with 10 required courses.

For students who have recently graduated or are looking for a career change, the Direct Track is 14 classes, including four electives. There are a number of electives available, allowing the degree to be customized to your needs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Public Administration Curriculum:

GRS 600 Ethical Theory
Examines the intellectual and theoretical perspectives that form ethical theory and practice within the Judeo-Christian and liberal arts traditions.

PPO 604 Executive Leadership
Focuses on the study and analysis of human behavior patterns. Special consideration is devoted to the role of the public manager as a leader and motivator of people.

 

PPO 629 Public Labor Management Relations
Covers the development, structure, and current status of labor unions in the United States. The course examines management attitudes toward the bargaining process, the evolution of labor legislation, and government policy toward labor management relations.

 

PPO 633 Organizational Theories and the Public Sector
The course examines the fundamental theory of the management development process and the analysis of employee behavior patterns.

 

PPO 711 Managerial Statistics for Public Managers
Focuses on probability and statistics with an emphasis on data analysis, including univariate and multivariate techniques. Statistical problem solving is engaged using various data sources.

 

PPO 721 Management Policies in Government Finance
This course focuses on management principles and practice while outlining the financial and economic context within which public financial management takes place.

 

PPO 740 Public Policy
Drawing on case studies and previous coursework in ethics, quantitative analysis, and management, students will develop models for solving significant problems in the public arena coupled with strategies for implementing these policies.

 

PPO 745 Professional Government Management
Professional Government Management This course provides a thorough grounding in the theory behind successful management practices as well as how they work in practice. Emphasis is on such tasks as providing community leadership; working with the governing body; promoting the community's future; managing people, money, and information effectively; implementing policy; raising productivity; evaluating programs; and working with other organizations to achieve your goals. The course also focuses on the human side of professional government management.

PPO 824 Stress Management for Public Managers and Organizations
This course gives senior leaders the skills to manage their own health and stress as well as the skills to support and lead others in crisis situations. Students will be called on to develop their own stress management plans and to develop plans for crisis situations, such as an organization's response to the death of a member in the line of duty.

 

PPO 891 Strategic Planning for Public Managers
Students will use critical thinking to plan an organization's long-term and short-term goals, considering issues such as the most effective allocation of resources and staff motivation. The importance of planning units and quality reviews to assess organizational outcomes will be stressed.

Electives (choose any four courses):

EPR 601 Essentials of Emergency Management
EPR 616 Emergency Management Operations Frameworks
EPR 619 Hazard Analysis, Mitigation, and Sustainability
EPR 624 Geographic Information Systems in Emergency Management
EPR 628 Chemical and Physical Agents
EPR 632 Fundamentals of Meteorology in Natural Hazards Planning
EPR 634 Public Health Hazards Planning
EPR 636 Terrorism and Other Intentional Threats
EPR 638 Military in Emergency Management
EPR 646 Building and Sustaining Effective Coalitions for Emergency Management
EPR 649 Operations Planning, Practice, and Evaluation
EPR 652 Management of Financial, Material, and Human Resources
EPR 653 Continuity of Operations Planning
EPR 655 Public Education and Communication in Emergency Management
EPR 675 Cultural Resources Preservation
FRS 602 Organizational Theory and Behavior for the Public Sector
FRS 604 Executive Leadership in the Public Sector
FRS 606 Local Government Financial Management
FRS 608 Performance Management for Local Government
FRS 610 Emergency Services Strategic Planning
FRS 640 Emergency Services Communications and Technology
FRS 685 Critical Incident Stress Management for Emergency Services
FRS 690 Multiple Agency Coordination and Management
FRS 695 Customer Service: Creating a Customer Friendly Organization
JAD 821 Community Partnerships
JAD 822 Justice and Public Policy
JAD 840 Justice Administration