Master of Public
Administration (MPA) in
Organizational Leadership
4-week
COURSES
Year-round
enrollment
230K+ Alumni Worldwide
Overview
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is for those looking to pursue a leadership career in government management at the federal, state, or local level and nonprofit management. The instruction, case studies, research, and presentations allow you to develop and strengthen skills in financial management, budgeting, quantitative methods, urban planning and redevelopment, personnel policies, politics, and grant writing.
The Organizational Leadership specialization prepares professionals to become proactive, problem-solving, change-oriented leaders in dynamic organizations. The instruction, experiential exercises, and capstone thesis are for those desiring to understand and apply the technical and reflective processes that accompany leadership opportunities in the modern workplace — whether business or nonprofit, domestic or international.
Admission Requirements
A conferred bachelor’s degree or a master’s or doctoral degree from a regionally or nationally accredited academic institution.
Course Details
Required Courses
For the Master of Public Administration degree with a specialization in Organizational Leadership, you must complete eight foundational courses and four specialization courses.
Foundation Courses
Course Name
A general survey course covering the role of the public sector manager in American society today. Studies current issues and leading concepts in the field of non-profit management.
An examination of influences affecting decisions in the urban political arena. Covers segments of the community that impact the decision-making process (i.e., employee groups, labor influences, community groups, media and other special interests). Examines the relationship between intergovernmental agencies.
An examination of the important aspects of personnel management in government, including civil service procedures, affirmative action, employee motivation and organizational development.
A practical study of graphical methods and statistical procedures specifically aimed at presenting, interpreting and solving problems related to public administration.
Role, values, and issues of public management in democratic governance, citizen participation, power structures, and professional codes of conduct.
An examination of historical development of urban planning practices and concepts, general plans and their elements in the urban community. Also discusses the use of technology in planning. Students must complete a minimum of five Public Administration courses prior to taking this course.
An exploration of current governmental fiscal management techniques and issues. Examines various types of financial and technical assistance to quasi-governmental and non-profit management organizations.
A project where students work in teams or individually under the guidance of an assigned faculty advisor. Students clarify research topics and identify data sources in preparation for the project. Students then gather data and present their research in both written and oral form to faculty and classmates. Grading is H, S, or U only. PAD 644 is two months in length.
* You must complete five Public Administration courses — minimum — before taking this course.
Specialization Courses
Course Name
The formation and development of groups through effective leadership is the focus of this course. Team communication styles and roles within teams are examined. Strategies that foster creativity in groups are discussed. The impact of technology on teams and communication styles is evaluated. Students learn experientially about groups and teams and the impact of diverse ethical perspectives by participating in group activities and observing leadership in small groups.
Examination of emerging forms of leadership, influence and power, chaos and collaboration. The course will analyze multiple organizations within the private and public sectors, and will draw upon diverse perspectives, ethical considerations and applied approaches. Participate in experiential approaches to learning leadership skills which may include the classroom as a temporary organization to be examined in real time.
Course topics will focus on the dynamics of change, organizational redesign, and the essential skills necessary for leaders to initiate corporate and organizational transformations. Resistance and acceptance of change initiatives, including the impact of organizational culture will be examined. Students will strengthen their leadership skills and strategies in order to initiate and implement change through problem-solving experiences across a broad range of organizational contexts.
Integration of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to design, conduct, and evaluate effective conflict resolution and negotiation practices. Course topics include interpersonal and intra-group conflict resolution; persuasion, problem solving techniques and decision-making in conflict resolution; overcoming bias, anger, and retaliation. Students will develop leadership and dialogue skills used to navigate conflict situations, and begin to detect conflicts as potential clues of organizational challenges.
Learning Outcomes
In addition to the academic outcomes for all Master of Public Administration graduates, students completing the Organizational Leadership specialization will learn to:
- Distinguish between multiple approaches to leadership and innovation while confronting complex organizational issues
- Interpret group dynamics and engage in systems thinking to develop organizations capable of innovation, adaptation, and orchestrating conflict
- Evaluate ethical issues and aid organizational members in creating an ethical culture that supports operating in diverse, uncertain, and unpredictable environments
- Distinguish between authority, power, and leadership functions, and employ frameworks that serve organizational goals
Program Disclosure
Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.
Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.
NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.
All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.
National University degrees do not guarantee employment or salary of any kind. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review desired job positions to review degrees, education, and/or training required to apply for desired positions. Prospective students should monitor these positions as requirements, salary, and other relevant factors can change over time.