MPA at APU

Whew, it's good to know that there's hope!

Some people simply don't care about various kinds of accreditation, as is indicated by enrollments in degree mills, unaccredited programs, DETC, RA, AACSB v. ACBSP and NASPAA. A strong motivating factor for getting AACSB and/or NASPAA accreditation is utility and marketability. With NASPAA accreditation, a candidate is eligible to teach at all MPA programs; but with a non-NASPAA degree, the candidate is automatically excluded from all NASPAA MPA programs.

 

You are correct, it definitely isn't a bad thing. I just don't think that NASPAA has infiltrated as well as AACSB and that a majority of employers still don't care. It will depend on the individual and all things being equal (price included) one should definitely go with the one that has the accreditation. If the person plans on teaching then they should go for the program that has the NASPAA accreditation, if they plan on having a career using it as designed then maybe not.

 

Here is a question - why do most MPA programs require 40+ credits? I have seen one (don't remember which one) that was just over 50 credits! What's up with that?

 

Thank you guys. I will go ahead then with APU then. I have heard great things about their program but became concerned about that accreditation he brought up.
Well, thanks

 

LOL so back to my original question .. Has anyone taken this degree with them?
How was it? Was there any proctored exams ?

 

I'm not a recent MPA grad... but I have been around the block a few times with my MPA... in my humble opinion the folks who embrace NASPAA the most are the academic types... so if you're looking for a PA doctoral program at NASPAA accredited school NASPAA accreditation will be the gold standard... I never recall seeing a requirement for a NASPAA MPA in public sector jobs... they might be out there but I would bet that they are the distinct minority.

As a side-bar... I personally believe that the name of the school that awards the MPA is far more important than the NASPAA accreditation for most public sector jobs.

 

I believe that most MPA programs want to fashion themselves as the public sector MBA... you won't find too many super-short MBA's (unless you have your BBA from the same school)...

 

That pretty much sums up my earlier post. I will note that if the desire is a Doctoral degree in PA, whether or not the degree is from a NASPAA school or not could have a bearing on acceptance into the more prestigious programs. NASPAA is mainly a concern among academia in PA, but many of these folks with the bias are also practitioners as well - degree snobery is everywhere.

As for the OP's question - the AMU/APU program is a solid program. I am full-time faculty there in emergency management and have found all of their educational offerings to be top-notch.