Mission Statement
The mission of the Appalachian State University Master of Public Administration program is to educate and prepare in-service and pre-service students to be public service leaders by fostering foundational knowledge, analytical and practical skills, and professional networks.
About the Program
Our MPA Program at Appalachian State University is dedicated to training students both on and off-campus to be leaders in communities and organizations. Our goal is to equip MPA graduates with skills and knowledge covering a broad range of topics and disciplines relevant to the public sector. 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.
The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and in nongovernmental organization (NGO) and nonprofit sectors. There are approximately 65 students enrolled in the program, with about 35 students taking classes on-campus and another 30 in the off-campus cohorts. Since the inception of the program in 1989, over 400 individuals have received their MPA degree. We are very proud of the wide array of jobs in local, state, federal government and in not-for-profit agencies that are held by our alumni. We are especially proud of the fact that 25% percent of North Carolina's city and county managers received their education in this department.
Multiple Program Locations to Meet Your Needs
The MPA program welcomes both pre-service and in-service students. To accommodate students who are employed full-time, courses are offered in the evening for both on-campus and off-campus students. In addition to our program located on ASU's main campus in Boone, we also offer face-to-face distance education MPA programs off-campus in Catawba County/Hickory and Forsyth County/Winston-Salem. Each student enrolled in an off-campus cohort takes a predetermined schedule of courses that have been designed to fulfill the requirements of the Public Management concentration. More information on the distance education programs can be found on the University's Distance Education site.
Questions? Contact us!
If you have questions about the MPA program or Graduate School requirements or procedures, please feel free to contact Dr. Webb-Farley at webbfarleyke@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 MPA program and you would like a student's perspective please feel free to email our current GA 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.