If you attending, or have graduated from an online MPA program please share your experience here. Also, please define your experience as one you would, or would not, recommend to others. Cal state Hayward offers an online MPA anyone have experience with them? How about another school? Thanks in advance for helping me with my research.
I'm afraid you're mistaken about this. Cal State Hayward does in fact offer an MPA - the only NASPAA accredited MPA program in the San Francisco Bay Area. They do NOT offer the program online. Check their web site for details of the program: Cal State Hayward MPA Program Just to double check, I've sent an inquiry to Professor Dvora Yanow, Hayward's Department of Public Administration chair. I'll post again upon receiving her response.
Re: OOOpppss!! That's correct... CSU Dominguez Hills is the only Cal State school that offers the program by distance learning. The good news is that theirs is also NASPAA accredited.
MPA online programs You may want to look at these two MPA online programs. University of Nebraska at Omaha http://www.unomaha.edu/~wwwpa/padistance.html University of Colorado at Denver http://carbon.cudenver.edu/public/gspa/programs/c02.html Bao
Take a look at Nova's MPA program, which is offered in both on-line and cluster/on-site format. Most of the graduates in my class to include myself were hired/promoted to high-level government positions of which three (3) became Asst./City Managers (2-Asst. Mgr. 1-City Mgrs.) At the time that I was attending NSU, all government employees that were pursuing an MPA were eligible to receive a 40% discount on tuition. You may want to inquiry if this is still in effect. Good Luck. Tom
Re: Re: OOOpppss!! In a previous thread I had stated that CSU-Northridge also offered an MPA program through DL. This was based on seeing this info listed in the 14th Ed. of Bears Guide. Having looked at the Northridge web site as well as the Northridge program brochure I can state that the Northridge program is NOT offered through DL as I had previously stated. Other programs listed include those at Florida Institute of Technology, Central Michigan, and Valdosta State. Does anyone have any "compare and contrast" info on these programs? Thanks, Jack
Re: Re: Re: OOOpppss!! Jack, I've never seen any information that compares and/or contrasts MPA programs. However, I've discussed the issue with the chair of CSU Hayward's program and several other professors. Here are the key points: 1. MPA programs are typically offered by either schools of business administration, departments of political science or departments of public affairs and/or administration. 2. Depending on which of the three offers the program, the ontological approach (claims about the subject), the epistemological approach (claims about the character of the knowledge), as well as the methodological approach differ significantly. Personally, I view public administration as a social science - a vew not likely to be found in a school of business. 3. NASPAA (www.naspaa.org) accredits public administration programs. They have miniumum guidelines that should be met. Look at their guidelines and compare your school of interest against those guidelines if the school is not accredited.
