Master of Public Administration

SPPD Seeks tenure-track faculty appointments in the areas of public and nonprofit management. Read more about the faculty appointments.

A career in public administration provides an opportunity to shape the future and make a positive impact on society and the quality of life. Public administrators:

• run harbors, airports and public transportation networks
• manage environmental protection systems, community centers, schools and universities
• lead in healthcare, urban revitalization and welfare reform
• manage virtually every aspect of public services—federal, state and local
• work in the public and nonprofit sectors and with business and other private agencies
• oversee and continuously redesign governance structures and systems at the city, county, state and federal levels to make government more responsive, efficient and accountable to citizens
• partner with business and community organizations to improve our quality of life

Successful management in the public sector today requires a capacity to integrate regional and local considerations and the ability to achieve desired outcomes within a complex tapestry of intergovernmental fiscal pressures, regulations and the political process.

High Rankings
SPPD's Master of Public Administration program continues to be ranked among the top public administration programs in the nation. Most recently, the USC MPA was ranked seventh in the nation in the 2004 survey of public administration, public policy and public affairs programs conducted by U.S. News and World Report.