Academics: M.P.A. Program Requirements
The Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree is a two-year graduate program that requires four semesters of residence.
While the program offers a basic structure for study, CIPA fellows are the primary designers of their educational and career trajectories at Cornell. Upon entering the program, each fellow is provided a program advisor based on the student's area of interest. Fellows work closely with their advisor to design an individualized course of study. After deciding upon a concentration, fellows choose a thesis or professional report advisor, whose role it is to guide them in the development of their final paper.
During their two years of study, CIPA fellows take sixteen courses (typically four per semester). The M.P.A. curriculum includes seven structural components:
- Introductory Course: CRP 679.87--Public Administration
- Foundation Coursework (three courses in each of the areas listed below)
- Administration, Politics, and Public Policy
- Economics and Public Finance
- Quantitative Analysis
- Concentration Coursework (five courses in the student's selected area of focus)
- Graduate Research (two courses related to Thesis or Professional Report)
- Practical Experience: Internships, Off-Campus Study, Public Service Exchange
- Colloquium (four semesters)
- Thesis or Professional Report
Back to the Top