Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy degrees: Differences and similarities in the curricula and course contents

Abstract

The historical origins of public administration and public policy analysis suggest that Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy programs should have different focuses in their curricula: the former on management skills and the latter on analytical skills. To investigate whether and to what extent the two types of programs are different and whether the accreditation standards of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration have a homogenizing effect on them, we investigated the titles and descriptions of the courses in their core curricula. The results show some differences between Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy programs, but no clear distinction. Analytical skills are required by both Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy programs. Master of Public Policy programs distinguish themselves from Master of Public Administration programs primarily by requiring economics and economic analysis courses. Higher percentages of Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration-accredited programs require organization studies, human resource management, and public budgeting courses.

Equip public managers with data analytics skills: a proposal for the new generation of MPA/MPP programs with data science track

“…There have also been discussions on analyzing the program design of MPA/MPP programs (Morç€ ol et al, 2020) and the inclusion of data science and information technology components for the MPA/MPP curriculum (McQuiston and Manoharan, 2021;Overton and Kleinschmit, 2022). In our study, we attempt to amalgamate a suitable curriculum for MPA/MPP programs that can reasonably accommodate the essential courses for the programs and with an option to include a data science/information technology focus.…”

Data science literacy: Toward a philosophy of accessible and adaptable data science skill development in public administration programs

“…Research methods courses were found in all NASPAA MPA and MPP programs sampled in a recent survey (Morçöl et al, 2020), evidencing a common avenue for integrating DSLF competencies into curriculums. Implementation of traditional research components varies widely, from literature review courses, consolidated research and statistics courses, to sequences with distinct courses in data analysis and research design.…”

“…Information technology courses are only present in 16.3% of public administration academic programs (Morçöl et al, 2020), complicating the implementation of technical competencies. Until accreditation standards are implemented with a focus on technical competency, specialized coursework in information technology will be intermittent across programs.…”

Quality of the master's program: factors and regulatory framework

“…Our focus was the Master's degree programs in public administration in the Ural State University of Economics. The content of the programs was determined based on Russian standards and requirements, taking into account foreign experience [11][12][13].…”