About the Program
MPA degrees are for individuals who have a special interest in public issues and who want to make a difference in community operations and achievement.
Appalachian State's MPA program is designed to train persons to manage and to evaluate the effectiveness of public agencies and programs. Our goal is to equip program graduates with skills and knowledge covering a broad range of topics and disciplines relevant to the public sector. The program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and in nongovernmental organization, administration of justice, and nonprofit sectors.
Our program is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration and is one of eight NASPAA-accredited schools in North Carolina and one of approximately 185 programs globally that meets NASPAA's standards for accreditation.
The MPA program is housed within the Department of Government and Justice Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at Appalachian State. Appalachian, a member institution of the seventeen-campus University of North Carolina System, is a comprehensive university located in Boone, NC, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The University offers degrees in 130 undergraduate disciplines and over 70 graduate programs. Appalachian is consistently ranked among the top regional universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report.
To accommodate students who are employed in nearby communities, the MPA program offers evening classes in Boone and on a rotating basis at the Hickory Campus and Forsyth County/Winston-Salem Cohort at Winston-Salem State University.
There are approximately 45 students enrolled in the program, with about 35 students taking classes on-campus and another 10 in the off-campus cohorts. There are also several undergraduate students enrolled in the "Accelerated Masters Program" earning duel-enrolled credit and seeking to earn their degrees a year early. Since the inception of the program in 1989, over 600 individuals have received their MPA degree. We are proud of the wide array of jobs in local, state and federal government and in not-for-profit agencies that are held by our alumni in the U.S. and abroad.
Fast Facts
- 600+ Program Alumni
- 45 Current Students
- 7 Faculty Members
- 4 Tracks
- 1 Certificate
- 3 Locations
Matriculation Data
2017/2018 Graduation Rates | Initially Enrolled | Graduated within 2 yrs | Graduated within 3 yrs | Graduated within 4 yrs | Total Students Persisting to Graduation |
All | 26 | 14 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
Boone | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Catawba | 9 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
Questions? Contact us!
For information about applying to the program, tuition and fees and financial aid, see mpa.appstate.edu/admission.
If you have questions about the program or graduate school requirements or procedures, please feel free to contact Dr. Patricia Mitchell by email at mitchelljp@appstate.edu. Visits to the campus can be arranged so that you can see for yourself whether our curriculum, facilities and faculty meet your interests.
If you have questions about the program and you would like a student's perspective, please feel free to email our current graduate assistant by email at mpa@appstate.edu. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have about the program and give you a current students perspective on the program.
"The knowledge, skills, and practical experience I received through the MPA program have been pertinent to the success of my career." - MPA Alum