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Do you have a passion for public service? Do you dream of making a positive impact in your community, region or area of interest? The world needs visionary and entrepreneurial leaders to tackle some of the most wicked challenges facing the public and nonprofit sectors. Our community-engaged faculty will help you develop the knowledge, skills and abilities you need to effectively, ethically and efficiently lead in nonprofit, public and civic organizations. In addition, we have ample opportunity for networking with other students, alumni and faculty outside the classroom. With professional students in mind, the MPA program is designed to be completed on weekday evenings. Thanks to investments in state of the art classroom technology, students can join in person or virtually from anywhere in the world.
The Bloch School has long-standing and substantial connections to the greater Kansas City area, and faculty bring those connections to students in the MPA program. As a Bloch School MPA student you will learn valuable skills, such as policy analysis, program evaluation and budget management that will help you become an effective public service leader. MPA students are able to develop a specialization and earn a certificate by focusing in one of three emphasis areas — Health Leadership, Nonprofit Management and Innovation and Urban Policy and Management.
Download the MPA overview (PDF)
Students in the Bloch School MPA learn from pracademic and community engaged faculty that bring both academic expertise and real-world experience to the classroom. The core MPA faculty includes 2 Fulbright Scholars and almost 100 years of combined public service leadership experience in nonprofit organizations as well as in local, state, and federal government to support student learning. UMKC MPA students are well prepared for public service by learning from faculty with real experience in public service.
The Bloch School MPA emphasizes experiential learning to provide students with the opportunity to practice the skills they are learning. MPA courses provide the foundation and skills needed to be an effective public and nonprofit leader while also providing significant opportunities to practice those skills in real-world contexts. Real-World engagement in the MPA program includes internships, extensive experiential learning within the coursework, and a multitude of opportunities to engage with public and nonprofit organizations. With the help of the full-service Bloch Career Center as well as faculty advising, students have support to secure a high-quality professional internship. Alongside the internship opportunities, many MPA courses have experiential learning as a central part of the class. Experiential learning provides MPA students the opportunity to work with and learn from practicing public servants. High profile public servants are frequent visitors to the MPA courses and frequently serve in mentoring capacities with service-learning projects. MPA students are also able to complete a consulting course, Pub-Adm 5596, that utilizes a client-based model providing students the opportunity to complete major consulting projects with public and nonprofit organizations. Organizations that are interested in partnering with this course should visit the Consulting for Nonprofit and Public Organizations information page. Students interested in nonprofit leadership benefit from the well-respected Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership co-located in the Bloch School. At the conclusion of the MPA, students gain professional networks and real world learning that sets them up for professional success after graduation.
An MPA degree from a nationally recognized program located in the heart of Kansas City can help you advance your career in public service. Students are also able to access the extensive resources available in a high-quality business school to further their professional, academic and personal goals. Thanks to investments in innovative and state of the art classroom technology, students can join classes from anywhere in the world.
Internships provide relevant public service experience and professional development for students while allowing participating agencies to employ talented, motivated graduate students.
How do I apply to the MPA? What are MPA classes like? We provide answers to some of your frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the MPA program.
