The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is an online graduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences at Fairfield that prepares students for leadership roles in the public sector. The program equips students with the skills and knowledge necessary to work in government, non-profit organizations, and other public service entities. The Jesuit tradition is grounded in a commitment to social justice, service to others, and the development of the whole person. With this in mind, the MPA program now offers a priority admission, in alignment with these values.

As a priority applicant to the Master of Public Administration program, students from a variety of undergraduate majors are given the opportunity to pursue a streamlined application process with the application fee waived.  Supplemental requirements, including test scores and recommendations, are also waived. Fairfield University undergraduates who qualify for this opportunity are contacted directly by the Office of Graduate Admission with a link to the priority application, and will receive their acceptance letter within just a few days of applying.

“I am thrilled that the MPA program now offers priority admission to our best students,” said Gayle Alberda, PhD, associate professor of politics and director of the MPA program at Fairfield. “Public administration is a growing field and is expected to grow further in the next decade. By offering our top students priority admission, we streamline their transition from undergrad to grad, which allows them to quickly and efficiently gain the skills necessary for this growing sector.”

The Jesuit tradition emphasizes the importance of education as a means of developing the whole person. This includes the intellectual, spiritual, and moral dimensions of life and education. The MPA program is committed to providing students with an education that is grounded in these principles. The curriculum is designed to develop students' critical thinking skills, ethical decision-making abilities, and leadership capacities.

In addition to the core curriculum, the MPA program offers a variety of experiential learning opportunities. These include research opportunities, service-learning projects, and community engagement initiatives. These experiences provide students with the opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge in real-world contexts and to develop their skills as public servants.

According to the U.S. Labor Bureau, there are 16 million jobs in state and local governments for MPA grads, two million federal government jobs, and 12.3 million jobs in nonprofit organizations. Dr. Alberda added, too, that the federal work force is older, thus getting ready to retire, which will create a massive amount of job openings.

“The pandemic showed us how important public administration is,” Dr. Alberda said, “Not only at a local or national level, but also at a global level. Our program prepares students to meet the ongoing demands of the public sector.”

Interested in learning more about the MPA priority admission program? Please contact Dr. Gayle Alberda.