MPA degree

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by Lerner, Dec 4, 2019.

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  1. Lerner

    Lerner Well-Known Member

    A family friend from California is working in the local government and planning to earn an MPA degree online.

    He has an RA Bachelors' in management (accounting) degree. The tuition assistance program is very limited, a total of around 3,800 USD for the degree.

    The range of available online MPA programs is wide so is the cost.
    He is looking into the most affordable options. Also for most states in state is so much cheaper than out of state.
    ASU seems like the lowest tuition around 10K.

    I looked at the following site.

    https://www.geteducated.com/online-college-ratings-and-rankings/best-buy-lists/best-buy-master-of-public-administration-and-master-of-public-affairs/


    Any other suggestions?
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2019
  2. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

  3. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    Ooo, sorry, I misread your question.
     
  4. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    Lamar University's MPA is $9, 900.

    https://degree.lamar.edu/programs/master-of-public-administration.aspx
     
  5. Allvia

    Allvia New Member

    Lamar is the lowest cost RA MPA program - but the MPA is limited based on the state you live in (I looked into it myself, and my state was not authorized for it)
    You can check here: https://www.lamar.edu/lu-online/student-support-services-quick-links/states-approval.html

    Arkansas State University, had the best rate for those in-state and out-of-state rates for program that is not only RA but also NASPAA - https://degree.astate.edu/programs/master-of-public-administration-non-profit-management.aspx
     
    Last edited: Dec 6, 2019
  6. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    That doesn't mean that Californian students aren't allowed to pursue their degrees at Lamar. That's just a reciprocity agreement on online education.

    "As of July 2019, 49 states (all but California), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have joined SARA."

    https://nc-sara.org/sara-states
     
  7. Allvia

    Allvia New Member

    I didn't look for California specifically, as that is not where I live. I entered my state and it produces a list of Lamar degree that are available to me; the MPA is not one of them. When you choose your state from the drop down list the results appear in a listing with the following statement; "State students are eligible to enroll in the following online degree programs:" and the MPA is not one offered by Lamar to students where I live. Now it is possible that Lamar never updated this listing, but it is something to be aware of. (Note: Lamar does show degrees available to CA residents, but that to does not include the MPA)

    EDIT: I decided to assume that they made a mistake and never updated their website list; so I called them. After being put on hold for a bit, I was told that the site is outdated and that the MPA is available to all 50 states through Lamar.
     
  8. chrisjm18

    chrisjm18 Well-Known Member

    I figured the list wasn't updated. The online MPA only started maybe a year ago. When I graduated from Lamar in May 2018 with my M.S. in Criminal Justice, there was only one MPA graduate. The program was offered only on campus at the time. Due to low enrollment, they started offering the program online.
     

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