Master of Public Administration Details
MPA/EMPA Virtual Open House
Join us to explore how our Master of Public Administration program equips you with the skills to lead, manage, and create positive change in your community.
Next Virtual Open House: Monday, April 28th, 2025 at 5:30 pm.
Email kellyc@uncw.edu to learn more and reserve your spot!
Program Details
Curriculum
- Public Management
- Nonprofit Management
- Public Policy Analysis
- Urban & Regional Policy and Planning
- Coastal Planning & Management
- Managerial & Analytical Skills (Only one available for online students)
- Analytics for Public & Nonprofit Management
- Program Evaluation
- Applied Management Tools, Skills, and Techniques
- Leading Public & Nonprofit Organizations
- Strategic Planning & Management for Public & Nonprofit Organizations
- Public Economics & Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Nonprofit Resource Development
- Leading & Managing Volunteers
- Government Planning & Geographic Information Systems
Students with less than 5 years of professional experience also complete a 300-hour internship or a practicum project. Students have a lot of flexibility in terms of selecting their host. Students with 5+ years of professional experience or who complete a fellowship can have their internship requirement waived.
Learning Competencies
To lead and manage in public governance by:- Demonstrating an ability to lead, motivate, and manage a diverse workplace within and across organizations.
- Demonstrating an understanding of the impact of changing market and political conditions on organizational practice and resource streams.
- Demonstrating an ability to analyze policy alternatives and use policy instruments and management tools to address social problems.
- Demonstrating an ability to participate in the policy process, communicate policy alternatives, and work effectively with government and nonprofit institutions, and community stakeholders.
- Demonstrating an ability to define, frame, think critically about, and analyze important problems.
- Demonstrating an ability to utilize analytical tools to analyze, present, and interpret data, including appropriate design, statistical, and evaluative techniques for both organizational decision-making and policy decisions.
- Demonstrating an ability to apply management theories and tools for organizational decisionmaking, including, but not limited to: strategic planning, performance measurement, group decision making, forecasting, program evaluation, and cost-benefit analysis.
- Demonstrating an ability to identify ethical dilemmas and to then systematically apply ethical principles to identify appropriate courses of action
- Demonstrating an ability to communicate effectively and professionally to diverse audiences.
- Demonstrating an understanding of how to work effectively in diverse groups.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is available to those who qualify. The FAFSA is available as well as scholarships, assistantships, fellowships, and employment. Please visit the UNCW Financial Aid Office or Admitted Student Next Steps for more information.
The MPA Program also awards a limited number of need-based and merit-based scholarships each year to new and returning students. Incoming students interested in obtaining financial support should apply early in the admission cycle. Returning students should maintain a high GPA.
The MPA program faculty select students based on their distinguished academic and service performance for scholarships courtesy of the Graduate School. These awards are available to current and prospective students. Please contact the UNCW Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid if you have any questions.
Scholarship Opportunities
Elton & Michelle Daniels Capstone Scholarship in Public Administration
This scholarship was created by Elton and Michelle Daniels to Assist the University in meeting its commitment to maintaining a campus environment that values rich diversity in its student body. The scholarship is awarded to a student who has demonstrated significant academic ability and possesses a record of community involvement and leadership working with historically underserved populations.
Holt Oil Fellowship in Public Administration
This fellowship award is granted to an incoming or returning MPA student who has demonstrated academic ability and special achievement. the fellowship is renewable for returning students, as approved by the scholarship committee, provided they continue to meet the award criteria.
North Carolina City and County Management Association (NCCCMA) Scholarship
This scholarship, for tuition, is presented to a current student who satisfies the following requirements:- Resident of NC
- Experience or exposure to local government (city or county)
- Have career plans that relate to local government
- Must be enrolled as a degree-seeking student in the MPA program
- Must be a full-time student or a part-time student with more than two semesters of coursework remaining
MPA GTA Out-of State Scholarship
One tuition reduction scholarship is provided to an out-of state student working as a departmental graduate assistant who has demonstrated significant scholastic ability. This award traditionally adjusts out-of-state tuition to meet in-state costs.
MPA Professional Development Financial Assistance
The MPA Program may provide some travel assistance to students for conferences, research, and professional development. These awards are designed to supplement primary funds granted through the Graduate Student Association and the Graduate School Travel Awards program.
Additional Graduate School Scholarships and Fellowships
Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)
The MPA program awards several graduate teaching assistantships on a competitive basis.
Students are required to work a total of about 20 hours a week, 10 hours for a half-time GTA. Most GTAs are required to work at least four hours per week in the graduate computer lab that provides professors with help.
GTAs also provide classroom support for faculty in the Department of Public and International Affairs. This involves grading, covering classes in the case of illness, copying, preparing course materials, helping with website development and other related duties.
Each student is also assigned to a research/service cluster for a balance of their time with their assignment designed to further the teaching, research, and service missions for the MPA program. Some of the anticipated service and research clusters are:- Nonprofit Research: This team is actively engaged in conducting research on the nonprofit sector.
- Regional Engagement Service/Research: This team will provide support for various regional engagement initiatives.
- PIA Service: This team provides support for various initiatives undertaken by PIA.
- Coastal/Environmental Service/Research Pod: This team is actively engaged in conducting research on coastal and environmental problems in Southeastern NC
- Sustainability Project: This team is actively engaged in conducting research on local government sustainability initiatives.
In addition, all GTAs will provide support to PIA and the MPA program during special events that allow GTAs with an opportunity to network with public and nonprofit administrators.
GTA Application Process
When there are openings, a request for applications will be sent out on the MPA listserv. If you are interested in applying for one of our GTA openings, at that time, please send a current resume and a cover letter as email attachments. In your cover letter, indicate any knowledge, skills, and abilities that are relevant to the position. You should also indicate your preferences with respect to the research clusters with which you are interested in working. These materials should be submitted electronically via email to the MPA coordinator, Craig Kelly (kellyc@uncw.edu).
Non-MPA Graduate Assistantships
For information on graduate assistantships at UNCW outside of the MPA program, click here.
Local Government Fellowships
- New Hanover County
- Town of Carolina Beach
- City of Wilmington
- Cape Fear Public Utility Authority
Job Resources
These resources are designed to assist our students and alumni in their job searches. Please take a look at the following websites and announcements to find the perfect position for you.
We also send announcements via the listservs as we receive them. Be sure that you are on one of the MPA listservs. The MPA program does not serve as a staffing agency, so please contact the hiring agencies directly for additional information.
2023-24 Enrollment Numbers
| Year: 2023-24 | MPA | EMPA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | 25 | 39 | 64 |
| Admitted | 25 | 39 | 64 |
| New Enrollments | 19 | 31 | 50 |
Fall 2024 Total Enrollments
| Fall 2024 | MPA | EMPA | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolled | 43 | 63 | 106 |
| Part-Time | 58% | 95% | 80% |
*Half of part-time students in the program were taking one course per semester.
Fall 2024 Enrollment Data
| Demographic | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Female | 69% |
| Minority | 28% |
| Out-Of-State | 8% |
| International Student | 0% |
Graduation Rates (2018-2019)
| Initially Enrolled | Graduated within 2 years | Graduated within 3 years | Graduated within 4 years | Graduated within 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 12 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
Number of MPA program graduates employed, unemployed or seeking jobs within six months of graduation.
| Type of Organization | # of MPA Graduates | # of EMPA Graduates | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| National or central government in the same country as the program | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| State, provincial, or regional government in the same country as the program | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| City, county, or other local government in the same country as the program | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| Government not in the same country as the program (all levels) or international quasi-governmental | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nonprofit, domestic-oriented | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Nonprofit/NGOs, internationally oriented | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Private Sector - Research/Consulting | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Private Sector but not research/consulting | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Obtaining further education | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Military Service | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unemployed (not seeking employment) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unemployed (seeking employment) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Status Unknown | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total Degrees Awarded | 19 | 5 | 24 |
Contact Us
Mr. Craig Kelly, MPA Program Coordinator
Leutze Hall
601 S. College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403
Dr. Mark Imperial, MPA Program Director