The MPA program at Marywood University is an exclusive professional online program. All courses are offered through Brightspace. The program values ethical, innovative, dynamic, and practical approaches toward public service shaped by the process of participatory engagement in the complex environment of public administration. The program focuses on the following:
- Exposing students to a wide range of public affairs and administrative issues, as well as processes, practices, and responsibilities involved in public service.
- Training public administrators on active engagement in problem solving.
- Training public managers and administrators on all levels to adapt ethical responses toward issues of public service.
- Developing collegial and supportive associations within the profession to share resources and expertise on local, national, and international levels.
- Preparing students plan, organize, staff, coordinate, implement, and administer public service.
- Facilitating students' understanding and command of theories and applied social sciences related to the delivery of public service.
- Preparing students develop analytical, assessment and evaluation skills for effective managerial decision-making within the complex environment of public administration.
- Helping students articulate their awareness of social justice through active community participation and evidence-based research.
- Providing advanced education in management related to the provision of public service, especially in the areas of public policy and administration, state and local government, the federal government, international relations and foreign policy, national security, disaster management, and nonprofit leadership.
Approach
The MPA at Marywood University is involved in network development on international level to promote practical approaches to administrative science in the public sphere. Rather than focusing on the institutionalization of draconian measures of policy and administrative issues, the program is focusing on developing cooperative efforts to engage in networking and promoting social justice, peace, and ethical leadership. The program seeks giving voice to victims of wars, genocide and oppression around the world, including providing access to education. The program also seeks engagement and cooperation with NGOs on the global level to advocate sound political and economic policies, providing solutions to problems while advocating liberty and human dignity to all members of the human society. The program also aims at developing international networks of public administrators that can embody collaboration and partnership, professionalism, public integrity and democratic principles.
Development
The Master of Public Administration program (MPA) at Marywood University is involved in researching issues of public and administrative affairs, nonlinear dynamics, homeland security, disaster management, peace and nonviolence in resolving conflicts and comparative international administrative systems. The program is working to coordinate annual and periodic conferences that engage local, regional, national and international scholars at Marywood University and publish scholarly work in a program-sponsored peer-reviewed journal. The goal is to transform the program into an international think-tank for public policy and administration. These objectives are used as catalyst to examine the characteristics of partnership building, value sharing and prototypes intrinsic in applying supportive paths to addressing issues of public affairs.
Coordination
The MPA at Marywood University considers the extent different issues in public administration impact the particularities as well as the broad array of administrative systems. An effective means of productive involvement is to form skills, attitudes and behaviors that integrate administrative practices in dynamic inter-related networks. Our focus is constructing common ground for dialogue in order to apply practical skills for ensuring collaborative interactions within public administrators on local, national, and international levels.The program, as such, is building approaches incrementally while forging alliances with other local, regional, national and international educational programs in public administration in order to foster a commitment toward transforming the discipline into an effective analytical tool in the study and practice of public administration. Accordingly, the MPA at Marywood University is engaged in the development of the following activities:
- Coordinating and organizing annual and periodic conferences on public affairs and administration through international dialogue. These conferences will include local, regional, national and international participants.
- Publishing a peer-reviewed journal on public policy and administration as a tool for peace studies, security, public service, dialogue and conflict resolution.
- Offering workshops to local and regional public managers.
