Is an Executive MPA Right for You?

Is an Executive MPA right for you?

Our Executive Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the Evans School is right for you if you are a senior manager with 10 or more years of experience and seeking:

• Personal growth
• Career advancement
• New leadership skills
• A challenging educational experience

More than half of our graduates receive promotions or make significant career changes within one year of completing the program.

Who are our Executive MPA students?

Our Executive MPA students are senior managers, high-level staff, or directors with 10 or more years of experience. They come from a variety of industries, including:

• City, state, and federal agencies
• Public utilities
• Law enforcement
• Military services
• Nonprofit agencies
• Private companies
• And many more

The common thread that brings these diverse professionals together is their dedication to serving the public good and a commitment to continual self-improvement.

What can our Executive MPA program do for you?

Our Executive MPA program provides you with advanced leadership training and exposure to critical areas of senior-level management. Courses are designed to complement your current job duties by allowing you to examine real work situations through short written projects, case studies, and in-depth discussions.

Our program will also:

• Help revitalize and renew your commitment to your career
• Teach you new ways to approach familiar challenges
• Broaden the skills you bring to your organization
• Inspire innovation and imagination
• Foster new friendships and professional contacts

If this describes you, find out more about our Executive MPA degree requirements and admissions process by contacting the Evans School Executive MPA office at execmpa@u.washington.edu or 206.616.0778.

Degree Requirements

Our Executive Master of Public Education (MPA) program at the Evans School is based on a cohort system with 45 credit hours of coursework taking approximately 16 months to complete. There is no final degree project or thesis required.

The required 45 credit hours of coursework include:

• A one-week residential foundation seminar in October, which introduces strategic leadership concepts in the public and nonprofit sectors, including:
  • Differing leadership styles
  • Understanding the authorizing environment and the role of being a leader
  • Setting vision, mission, and goals
  • Using frameworks for analyzing organizational environments
  • Connecting strategic and operational planning to mission and purpose
  • Placing the modern organization in the regional and global economies
• Twelve weekends of in-classroom core coursework during three-day intensive courses held Friday through Sunday, approximately every five weeks. These core courses are designed to sharpen your skills in:
  • Strategic leadership
  • Planning and financial analysis
  • Organizational culture
  • Human resource management
  • Performance measurement
  • Critical thinking
  • Effective communication
  • And much more
• Distance learning online between weekend classes with written assignments, short exercises, and readings that will prepare you for the following month’s core coursework.

Find out more about the:

• Executive MPA faculty,
• Admissions process,
• And tuition and expenses.

You can also contact our Executive MPA office at execmpa@u.washington.edu or 206.616.0778.

Executive MPA Faculty

To create the ideal blend of academic and professional expertise, the Executive MPA program is taught by:

• Evans School faculty members
• Visiting practitioners from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors
• Scholars and colleagues from throughout the University of Washington

Evans School faculty members and experienced practitioners who teach Executive MPA courses include:

• Stephanie Bell
• Ann Bostrom
• Leslie Breitner
• Karen Brown
• Nancy Campbell
• Dwight Dively
• J. Patrick Dobel
• Diana Gale
• David Harrison
• Sanjeev Khagram
• Nancy Lee
• Steve Page
• Steven Rathgeb Smith
• Michael Shadow
• Lea Vaughn

Find out more about our admissions process and tuition and expenses by contacting our Executive MPA office at execmpa@u.washington.edu or 206.616.0778.

Admissions Process

Approximately 40 applicants are selected each year for our Executive Master of Public Administration (MPA) program.

Selection is based on your:

• Potential for academic success,
• Range of professional experience,
• And desire for professional development.

Our application process for the Executive MPA program is the same as our other degree programs, except for the Graduation Record Exam (GRE) requirement.

If you are applying the Executive MPA program, the GRE is not required.

For more information or to learn how to apply for the program, contact our Executive MPA office at execmpa@u.washington.edu or 206.616.0778.

Tuition and Expenses

Tuition and expenses for our Executive Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the Evans School vary from year to year. The figures below are only an estimate.

Tuition – $36,585 or $813 per credit (same for in-state and out-of-state / includes lodging and some meals for the one-week residential foundation seminar)

Textbooks – approximately $500 (cost subject to change depending on courses)

Student fees – $965 (charged on a per-credit, per quarter basis)

Total – $38,050 (estimated cost for entire program)

Find out more about our admissions process by contacting our Executive MPA office at execmpa@u.washington.edu or 206.616.0778.

Learn More

Please sign up to receive more information about our programs and degree options and admissions materials via mail.

Find out more about how the Evans School can become a part of your future by downloading the Executive MPA program brochure (541 KB PDF).

Find out more about our Executive MPA degree requirements and admissions process by contacting the Evans School Executive MPA office at execmpa@u.washington.edu or 206.616.0778.