Public Administration MPA

Program Purpose

The BYU MPA program seeks to lift the world through Christlike leadership in public service.

Our mission is to develop public service leaders of faith, intellect, integrity and charity.

 

Our vision and mission reflect a commitment to developing leaders who exemplify public service values that are foundational in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These values include:

Faith in Christ - We value deep and abiding faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith gives us the capacity to envision a better future, the confidence to make that future happen, and the courage to act in the face of challenges.

Integrity in Action - We value integrity and hold ourselves to the highest moral and ethical standards. Acting with integrity builds trust, strengthens character, and focuses our ambitions on things of eternal consequence.

Love, Agency, and Accountability - As Christ-centered leaders we value the eternal principles of love, agency, and accountability to cultivate and guide core relationships with God, self, others, and our stewardship.

Respect for All - We value respect for all individuals as children of God and recognize the inherent worth, divine potential, and agency of each person. A climate of respect, inclusion and belonging enhances our learning, facilitates collaboration, and encourages personal growth.

Service to Community - We value community and community building because the higher purpose of our work is to bless others and to build the kingdom of God.

Excellence and Generosity - We value both excellence and generosity in serving. These Christlike attributes work together to magnify our influence and motivate us to continually improve in all our pursuits, including learning, teaching, researching, managing, and leading.

Curricular Structure

The BYU MPA is a two-year course of study and 58 credit hours. Students complete 40 credit hours of required courses, building foundational skills in public management. Students are about to use the remaining 18 credit hours to develop a program of study to meet their personal career goals. This includes elective courses in local government administration, non-profit management, financial management skills, and policy analysis. Additionally, some students may choose to enroll in the joint MPA/JD program, provided they are separately admitted to the BYU Law School.

Current curriculum information here: https://marriott.byu.edu/mpa/full-time/curriculum/

Learning Outcomes

The BYU Master of Public Administration program prepares students for work in public service, including professional and voluntary work in government, nonprofit/NGO and public interest-oriented private sector positions. The BYU MPA degree is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA). THe following learning outcomes are required for all accredited MPA programs. The definitions of those learning outcomes are specific to our program and allow us to reflect BYU's AIMs. 

To lead and manage in the public interest

The BYU MPA program focuses on management and leadership skills and abilities. The program places specific emphasis on ethical leadership, professional communication, and collaboration while upholding public service values.

BYU MPA students should:

  1. Embody Christlike characteristics (e.g., integrity, respect for all, humility, compassion, service- centered) in their actions as a leader and manager.
  2. Demonstrate skills in strategic leadership of public-service organizations, such as vision setting, long-term planning, and adapting to changing conditions to achieve a mission.
  3. Understand various contexts that affect leadership and management in public-service organizations (i.e., political, legal, constitutional, and sectoral differences) and tailoring actions and perspectives to respect different contexts.
  4. Express clear expectations with colleagues and subordinates to improve organizational performance.
  5. Skillfully engage in difficult conversations with the stakeholders of public-service organizations.
  6. Be prepared to make difficult managerial decisions, weighing technical and value-based merits.
Courses that Contribute: MPA MPA 612 MPA 626 MPA 630 MPA 631 MPA 640 MPA 641 MPA 643 MPA 644 MPA 646 MPA 662 MPA 680 MPA 681 MPA 683 MPA 684
Linked to BYU Aims: Spiritually Strengthening, Character Building
To participate in, and contribute to, the policy process.

The BYU MPA is a management program. There are elective opportunities for students to learn about all parts of the policy process, but the program places specific emphasis on ensuring its graduates are competent in the implementation and evaluation stages of the policy process (i.e., in public service delivery and program management).

BYU MPA students should:

  1. Demonstrate awareness of current political, social, policy, and economic environments and how they affect the management environment.
  2. Identify the importance of organizational/policy/program purposes and able to operationalize the execution of those purposes in service provision.
  3. Be able to gather and evaluate complex information that informs the effectiveness of public organizations and programs.
  4. Be skilled at evaluating policies (services and program) and their alternatives.
  5. Be skilled at communicating evaluation findings with courage, clarity, and compassion.
  6. Be able to ethically engage in service delivery and program management.
  7. Be skilled in civic engagement, bridging the management of services and programs with its external stakeholders.
Courses that Contribute: MPA MPA 612 MPA 626 MPA 631 MPA 632 MPA 641 MPA 681 MPA 683 MPA 684
Linked to BYU Aims: Intellectually Enlarging, Lifelong Learning and Service
To analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make evidence-informed decisions

The BYU MPA program provides students with diverse analytical skills and abilities and teaches students how to apply that knowledge in value-based decision making.

BYU MPA students should:

  1. Demonstrate technical skills in the tools and analytical techniques of quantitative and qualitative analysis (e.g., statistics, Excel use, interviewing).
  2. Effectively use the vocabulary of quantitative analysis (e.g., financial information, descriptive statistics, Excel formatting and functions).
  3. Be able to ask penetrating questions, evaluate evidence, choose the correct analytical methods, and effectively apply analytical tools to gain insights to inform managerial decisions.
  4. Be skilled at effectively communicating evidence-informed analysis in a manner that is appropriate for the intended stakeholders.
  5. Demonstrate a commitment to ethical standards of data management, information confidentiality, and analysis.
  6. Be knowledgeable in state-of-the-art analytical technology and able to learn and adapt to new technologies.
Courses that Contribute: MPA 612 MPA 626 MPA 630 MPA 631 MPA 632 MPA 641 MPA 680 MPA 683
Linked to BYU Aims: Intellectually Enlarging, Lifelong Learning and Service
To articulate, apply, and advance a public service perspective

The BYU MPA program trains students to advance public service perspectives in the management of nonprofit and governmental organizations.

BYU MPA students should:

  1. Be aware of and able to express their personal ethical standards for public services.
  2. Demonstrate and communicate an informed perspective on organizational and social values that are foundational to public services in governmental and nonprofit institutions.
  3. Demonstrate respect and awareness for tradeoffs and competing definitions for public service values such as equity, justice, accountability, and security.
  4. Demonstrate a commitment to preserving and enhancing public service values, especially those values embodied in the U.S. Constitution.
Courses that Contribute: MPA MPA 630 MPA 640 MPA 641 MPA 643 MPA 644 MPA 646 MPA 647 MPA 662 MPA 680 MPA 681 MPA 683 MPA 684
Linked to BYU Aims: Character Building, Lifelong Learning and Service
To communicate and interact productively and in culturally responsive ways

The BYU MPA program values professional communication that upholds and advances public service values.

BYU MPA students should:

  1. Effectively collaborate, express clear expectations, initiate productive crucial conversations, productively engage people who have different perspectives, build partnerships and stakeholder relationships.
  2. Be skilled at formal (e.g., memos and slide-deck presentations) and informal communication (e.g., collaborating in groups, working with colleagues).
  3. Demonstrate love for one another by:
    1. respecting cultural and social differences;
    2. being aware of and sensitive to diverse interests, perspectives, and experiences;
    3. expressing compassion and inclusivity; and,
    4. communicating with civility and respect.
  4. Act with integrity, humility, ethics, and honor.
Courses that Contribute: MPA MPA 630 MPA 631 MPA 632 MPA 640 MPA 641 MPA 643 MPA 644 MPA 647 MPA 662 MPA 680 MPA 683 MPA 684
Linked to BYU Aims: Intellectually Enlarging, Character Building

Evidence of Learning

Direct Measures

  1. Application of analytical skills in structured and unstructured environments and problems as demonstrated through course assignments
  2. Class assessment of team and group problem solving skills
  3. Advisory Board assessment of projects and papers identified above

Indirect Measures

  1. Exit surveys
  2. Annual Alumni surveys
  3. Survey of Post-graduation and Internship supervisors
  4. Stakeholder focus groups
  5. Internship and job placement rates in public and nonprofit organizations

Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement

Romney Institute faculty regularly review course performance and all other performance information. A retreat is held annually to confer and establish the year's agenda for review and improvement. During the year the faculty meet regularly to discuss progress and what has been learned and agree on necessary improvements.

Links

Current Graduate Catalog

MPA Program Information