Public Administration (Emergency Management), MPA
Disaster, Emergency Management, Emergency Operations Center, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Governance, Hazards, Policing, Policy, Political Science, Public Safety, Resilience, Terrorism, government, sociology
ASU ranks No. 13 for best graduate public affairs programs, and No. 2 for best graduate homeland security and emergency management programs by U.S. News & World Report, 2024. Prepare yourself as a results-oriented, strategic leader capable of keen decision-making through this prestigious, flexible degree program.
The Master of Public Administration program is a professional degree program that can be completed full time or part time.
The program consists of a core curriculum emphasizing managerial and analytic skills needed in a large range of careers that serve the public good. Through a focused set of electives, the concentration in emergency management provides students with the skills and knowledge they need in order to manage and assume positions of leadership in the field of emergency management within government, private, nonprofit and civic organizations. An all-hazards and all-threats orientation paired with a focus on community resilience and communication provides the student with a generalist perspective, which is critically important for the disaster managers of today and tomorrow.
- College/school:
Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut
- Location: Downtown Phoenix, ASU at Hainan
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
42 credit hours including the required capstone course (PAF 509)
Required Core (27 credit hours)
PAF 501 Public Service Research I (3)
PAF 502 Public Service Research II (3)
PAF 503 Public Affairs (3)
PAF 504 Microeconomics of Public Policy I (3)
PAF 505 Public Policy Analysis (3)
PAF 506 Public Budgeting and Finance (3)
PAF 507 Public Human Resource Management (3)
PAF 508 Organization Behavior (3)
PAF 574 Diversity, Ethics and Leading Public Change (3)
Required Concentration (9 credit hours)
PAF 520 Public Management (3)
PAF 552 Integrated Emergency Management (3)
PAF 555 Information Technology in Emergency Management (3)
Electives or Research (3 credit hours)
Culminating Experience (3 credit hours)
PAF 509 Public Affairs Capstone (3)
Additional Curriculum Information
Students should see the academic unit for a complete list of approved electives.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution in a related field. Related fields include political science, criminology, planning, business, urban and metropolitan studies, and other social science fields. Although most students for the graduate concentration would likely come from the aforementioned degree fields, the department may accept applicants with undergraduate degrees from all educational backgrounds provided the minimum requirements for the degree program are met.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- statement of career and educational goals
- two letters of recommendation from academic references
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Students who enroll in MPA core courses must demonstrate minimum competency in statistics and American government, typically through the completion of an undergraduate social statistics course such as PAF 301 Applied Statistics and undergraduate coursework in American national government such as POS 310 American National Government. Completion of prerequisite courses is not a requirement for admission, but must be completed within one semester after starting the program. Students may also satisfy the American national government competency by successfully completing a noncredit online course offered by the School of Public Affairs to incoming students.
Applicants should email spa@asu.edu if they have questions about the application process.
Graduates are prepared to pursue a career in a field related to public administration or public policy. Possible positions include manager or policy analyst in a local, state or federal agency; nonprofit organization; or private organization that interfaces with the public sector.
School of Public Affairs
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UCENT 400
spa@asu.edu
602-496-0450
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
