If you wish to hone your problem-solving skills and go on to make a real difference in improving human well-being locally, nationally, and globally, Penn offers two graduate programs in public administration: The International Master of Public Administration (I-MPA) and the Global Master of Public Administration (G-MPA).
Innovative and skills-based, these one-year graduate degree programs help you develop the collaborative mindset and global vision you need for a career in creating public value. Led by faculty members from a range of countries who are leaders in their fields (government, nonprofits, business, social entrepreneurship, consulting, etc.), our courses train high-achieving students like you to become ethical, effective, entrepreneurial leaders.
Which graduate program is right for you?
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| Earn a Master of Public Administration. | Earn a Master of Public Administration. |
| Students have proficiency in English and proficiency in any one or more of the following five languages: Hindi, Mandarin, Portuguese, Spanish, or Swahili. | Students have proficiency in English. |
| Classes are on Penn’s campus in Philadelphia, PA. | Classes are online and asynchronous. This program does not require residency in Philadelphia. |
| Students enroll full-time and complete 10 courses in one year. | Enroll full- or part-time and complete 10 courses, in as little as one year or as many as three years. |
| Students participate in 3 capstone courses—one individual, one small-group, and one class-wide. |
Complete one intellectually challenging, skills-stretching capstone research paper. |
| Extra-curricular experiences include meetings with distinguished leaders in government, business, academia, philanthropy, media, and other fields; a trip to Washington D.C.; and other networking and social events. | At their discretion, students have the option to participate in many special synchronous virtual events intended to deepen and enrich the learning experience. Students also have the option to come to Penn campus the week before graduation to meet the G-MPA faculty and staff in person and participate in special sessions featuring leading experts on global affairs. |
| After graduation, I-MPA alumni are eligible for a research and service fellowship, awarded in amounts ranging from $3,000 to $6,000. | Students pursue the degree at their own pace from the comfort of home and can continue to work and meet family obligations. |
The University of Pennsylvania, known as Penn, is a highly selective and top-ranked Ivy League university that is located on a beautiful urban campus in historic Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Penn is consistently ranked among top-tier American universities in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings and U.S. News & World Report.
Note regarding the online G-MPA program: A country may or may not regulate distance education provided to students in its jurisdiction and may or may not require foreign higher education institutions to comply with distance education regulations. At this time, Penn cannot guarantee that a course meets curriculum requirements or professional licensure requirements in a country.
