Why Choose Our MPA?

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CSUB MPA Advantage

Our alumni serve in a variety of prestigious capacities, both locally and nationally.

They include past and present county administrative officers (CAO’s); chief executive officers (CEO’s) of hospitals, retirement centers, mass transit systems, and special economic development zones; CEO’s of nonprofit organizations; policy specialists for elected officials at the national and local levels; presidents of private industry; presidents of state-wide professional associations; as well as elected public servants at the local and state levels.

Other alumni enjoy professional careers in city management, special districts, social work organizations, criminal justice organizations (law enforcement and prison management), fire and public safety, and in the rapidly growing health care professions.

MPA Mission

The mission of the MPA degree program at CSUB is for the faculty to offer learning experiences to a diverse body of students in the competencies necessary for the pursuit of mid- and upper- management careers in public and nonprofit organizations in the southern San Joaquin Valley. The essential student competencies MPA students are to foster and improve [1] communication, relationship management and inclusively [2] critical thinking and analytical reasoning [3] management and leadership [4] a public service perspective, and [5] policy process engagement. These are enhanced by student engagement in the core values of the program – [1] accountability, [2] effectiveness, [3] honesty, [4] lawfulness and [5] social justice. The critical skills learned from this curriculum will ensure that managers in the government, nonprofit, and health care sectors exercise governance in an inclusive and socially responsible manner.

Goal

The purpose of the PPA graduate programs is to prepare competent, ethical, and effective public, nonprofit, and health care managers and leaders to advance the public service.

Values

  • Accountability (Ethical and democratic values)
  • Effectiveness (Professional value)
  • Honesty (Ethical value)
  • Lawfulness (Democratic value)
  • Social justice (Human value)

MPA Student Learning Outcomes

  1. Communication and Relationship Management:
    • The student will communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.
  2. Critical Thinking and Analytical Reasoning:
    • The student will analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make decisions.
  3. Management and Leadership:
    • The student will lead and manage in public governance.
  4. Public Service Perspective:
    • The student will articulate and apply a public service perspective.
  5. Policy Process Engagement:
    • The student will participate in and contribute to the policy process.