The MPA degree requires a total of 39-credit hours where, in addition to core management courses, students pursue an area of concentration in public or nonprofit management. Students may attend classes on a part-time or full-time basis (9-credit hours per semester). Most courses are offered in-person at the University’s main campus in Statesboro, Georgia, though a few select courses are offered online. Courses generally meet once per week in the evening and, on occasion, on an abbreviated weekend schedule. The MPA Program takes four semesters of full-time and one semester of part-time study to complete.
The Certificate in Public and Nonprofit Management requires a total of 15-credit hours. Enrolling annually each fall, the entirely web-based curriculum is comprised of five, eight-week courses, which are completed in one calendar year.
MPA Program Size, Demographics, and Graduation Rates
Historically, the MPA Program averages 45-55 students enrolled in a given academic semester both full-time and part-time students. There are six full-time core faculty members, as well as a select few practitioners that teach courses in the program.
More information related to the demographic make-up of the MPA student body can be found in the Georgia Southern University Graduate Studies Fact Book.
Most full-time students graduate from the MPA program in two academic years, whereas part-time students graduate in three to four years on average.
The table below displays the graduation rates for the cohort entering Fall 2014. Of the 12 students who enrolled in Fall 2014, six (50%) graduated within two years and an additional two students graduated within four years. The overall four-year graduation rate, including full-time and part-time students, was 67% or 8 out of 12 students in this cohort.
Fall 2013 Cohort
Initially Enrolled
Graduated within 100% Program Length (2 yrs.)
Graduated within 150% of Program Length (3 yrs.)
Graduated within 200% of Program Length (4 yrs.)
All New Students
12
6
7
8
Percentage Graduated
50%
58%
67%
Recent Internships and Job Placements
Internships
The completion of an internship (300 hours minimum) that is relevant to a student’s area of concentration is required of all pre-service students. In consultation with the program director, in-service students may 1) use their current position for the internship or 2) complete an additional seminar course. Most full-time students complete the internship requirement during the summer between their first and second years in the MPA Program. Regardless, a student must have at least 15-credit hours completed in the MPA Program prior to being eligible for an internship.
Students intern, as well as receive professional positions in a variety of governmental and nonprofit organizations.
Recent Examples
City of Statesboro, Georgia
City of Savannah, Georgia
City of Sylvania, Georgia
City of Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia Southern University (Provost’s Office, Office of Career Services, Multicultural Student Center)
Bulloch County, Georgia (Human Resources, County Manager’s Office, DUI Court, Sheriff’s Office)
Chatham County, Georgia (Crime Analyst, District Attorney’s Office, Metropolitan Planning Commission)
Boys and Girls Clubs of America (Statesboro, Georgia)
Boy Scouts of America (Statesboro, Georgia)
Girl Scouts of America (Statesboro, Georgia)
Averitt Center for the Arts
Statesboro Regional Sexual Assault Center
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Blakely-Early County Chamber of Commerce
Red Cross (Volunteer Coordinator, Syracuse, New York)
The Development and Education Programme for Daughters and Communities Centre in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region, Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Choices of the Heart
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
Georgia Victory
The United Nations, Division of Economic and Social Affairs
American Red Cross of Southeast Georgia
Azalea Health and Rehabilitation
Habitat for Humanity Effingham County
City of Pembroke, Georgia
Office of Congressman E. L. “Buddy” Carter
Department of Health and Human Services – Food & Drug Administration – Office of Regulatory Affairs
City of Macon Planning and Zoning Commission, Georgia
Athens Regional Medical Center
Job Placements
Historically, MPA graduates enjoy high rates of employment following graduation. In AY2018-19, 16 students graduated from the MPA program and accepted or continued positions in state or local government, the nonprofit arena, military, or in the private sector.
Employment, by sector, for this cohort:
State, provincial or regional government in the same country as the program – 3 students
City, County, or other local government in the same country as the program – 5 students
Nonprofit domestic-oriented – 3 students
Private sector (but not research/consulting) – 2 students
Military Service – 1 student
Status unknown – 2 students
Total number of graduates during this period – 16 students
Other recent employment examples include:
Local Government:
City Planner, City of Grovetown, Georgia
City Management Fellow, City of Columbia, Missouri
Planning and Zoning Coordinator, City of Pembroke, Georgia
Assistant City Engineer, City of Statesboro, Georgia
Special Projects Coordinator, City of Savannah, Georgia
State Government:
Policy Analyst, Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget (Georgia)
Development Officer, University of Georgia
Senior Staff Attorney, Ogeechee Judicial Circuit
Clerk of Superior, State, and Juvenile Courts, Bulloch County, Georgia
Coordinator of International Student Services, Georgia Southern University
Office Manager, Business Innovation Group, Georgia Southern University
Budget Analyst II, Georgia Institute of Technology
Senior Records Administrator, Fulton County Government
Executive Assistant, College of Health and Human Sciences, Georgia Southern University
Academic Advisor, Georgia Southern University
Public Safety Officer, Georgia Southern University
Associate Director of Alumni Relations, Georgia Southern University
Assistant Director of Development, Western Carolina University
Assistant Volleyball Coach, University of Buffalo
Federal Government:
Portfolio Manager, U.S. Department of Treasury
2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Army
Air Traffic Controller Specialist Trainee, Federal Aviation Administration
Nonprofit Organization:
Development Associate, Catholic Diocese of St. Augustine
International Affairs Specialist, New York, NY
Regional Coordinator, Georgia Youth Science & Technology Center, Bainbridge, Georgia
Education Specialist, Boys and Girls Club of America, Statesboro, Georgia
Private Organization:
Marketing Coordinator, Caldwell Shooting Supplies
Insurance Agent, State Farm Insurance
Director of Recruiting, One Life America
Immigration Consultant, Convergys
Compliance Specialist, Insight Global
Communications Coordinator, Moreland Associates
Continued with further graduate study:
University of North Texas
Vanderbilt University
Elon University School of Law
Arizona Summit Law School
University of Nebraska-Omaha
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid
Tuition and Fees charged by Georgia Southern University are approved by the University System of Georgia annually. Changes in tuition and fee rates are typically effective fall semester each year. The tuition and fees listed on the links below provide an estimate of tuition, fees, housing, meals, books and supplies. Actual costs are determined when a student registers for classes each semester and are based on student level, residency, credit hours, miscellaneous course fees, housing and meals. Please contact the GS Department of Financial Aid with specific questions about tuition and fees.
A number of MPA students are awarded graduate or research assistantships each academic year. While some assistants work for academic departments supporting faculty in a variety of teaching and research roles, others work as graduate assistants in the University’s numerous administrative departments. Graduate and research assistants receive a waiver of the standard in-state and out-of-state tuition, along with a monthly stipend during the academic year.
Graduate and research assistantships are awarded each year by academic units and non-academic units on a competitive basis using predetermined criteria, including but not limited to the applicant’s academic record, test scores, recommendations, and other pertinent information.
