Public Administration

Unique Features

Program Objectives

The MPA program is directed toward developing in students the analytical, conceptual, and practical competencies required for successful careers in public administration. The ultimate goal is to prepare students to be effective in a dynamic and increasingly diverse professional environment. This includes assisting students in every possible way to secure internships, postgraduate employment, and overall career advancement.

Career Outlook

Our MPA graduates are empowered to make a difference across disciplines and around the world. They leave Northeastern with the theoretical and fundamental understanding needed to transition into their careers and to immediately participate in and contribute to the policy process in their chosen field. Our graduates go on to careers as town administrators, management analysts, research analysts, and program directors. A recent survey of MPA alumni concluded that 24% of recent graduates are working in the nonprofit sector, 38% in the public sector, and 21% in the private sector.  

Learn more about career outcomes with an MPA.

Accreditation

The MPA program at Northeastern University is accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), the membership association of graduate programs in public administration, public policy, public affairs, and public and nonprofit management.

About the Oakland Campus

At the center of California's San Francisco Bay Area, Oakland, provides unique levels of access to organizations of every scale. A hub of technology, healthcare, government, higher education, and the arts, the East Bay is a place where students can make an impact in the field of their choice.

The city is known for its deep historical and continuing commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice. Oakland proudly claims the title of birthplace of both the Black Panther Party and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. Today the city is home to an unmatched range of nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and social justice initiatives, as well as a bustling art and music scene. Our Pacific Rim location has long brought together cultures from around the world, and Oakland ranks as one of the two most diverse major cities in the country. 

Northeastern’s 135-acre campus in the foothills of east Oakland is a green oasis with deep connections to the vibrant communities of the San Francisco Bay Area. The campus features 65 historic and contemporary buildings.

The nine-county Bay Area is a hub for innovation—not just in Silicon Valley and the major tech employers around the region, but also in the public sector, with 101 city governments and countless regional, state, and federal agencies seeking to deliver innovative solutions to policy problems. Major public sector employers in the region include: 

• AC Transit District 
• Alta Bates Summit Medical Center/Sutter Health 
• Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) 
• City and County of San Francisco 
• City of Oakland 
• County of Alameda 
• East Bay Municipal Utility District 
• East Bay Regional Park District 
• Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco 
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan 
• Metropolitan Transportation Commission/Association of Bay Area Governments 
• Peralta Community College District 
• State of California 
• U.S. Government 
• UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland 
• University of California Office of the President