MPA Public Administration (Emergency Management) at Arizona State University

Programme overview

The Master of Public Administration program is a professional degree program that can be completed full time or part time. The program consists of a core curriculum emphasizing managerial and analytic skills needed in a large range of careers that serve the public good.

Faculty: Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions | Department: School of Public Affairs | Duration: 42 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Tempe, AZ, United States

What you will study

42 credit hours including the required capstone course (PAF 509) Required Core (27 credit hours) PAF 501 Public Service Research I (3) PAF 502 Public Service Research II (3) PAF 503 Public Affairs (3) PAF 504 Microeconomics of Public Policy I (3) PAF 505 Public Policy Analysis (3) PAF 506 Public Budgeting and Finance (3) PAF 507 Public Human Resource Management (3) PAF 508 Organization Behavior (3) PAF 574 Diversity, Ethics and Leading Public Change (3) Required Concentration (9 credit hours) PAF 520 Public Management (3) PAF 552 Integrated Emergency Management (3) PAF 555 Information Technology in Emergency Management (3) Electives or Research (3 credit hours) Culminating Experience (3 credit hours) PAF 509 Public Affairs Capstone (3) Additional Curriculum Information Students should see the academic unit for a complete list of approved electives.

Career pathways

Graduates are prepared to pursue a career in a field related to public administration or public policy. Possible positions include manager or policy analyst in a local, state or federal agency; nonprofit organization; or private organization that interfaces with the public sector.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution in a related field. Related fields include political science, criminology, planning, business, urban and metropolitan studies, and other social science fields. Although most students for the graduate concentration would likely come from the aforementioned degree fields, the department may accept applicants with undergraduate degrees from all educational backgrounds provided the minimum requirements for the degree program are met. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search; the application opens almost a year before the start term. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S. Apply with ASU's graduate application (Law applicants use the law college's site); GRE/GMAT requirements vary by programme.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

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