Master of Public Administration

College of Charleston's MPA Ranked

Best in the State

Top 30% Overall Ranking Worldwide

2020 Best Public Affairs Programs, U.S. News and World Report

IT'S YOUR TIME TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Are you ready to build a better community? Are you passionate about public service?

Whether you see yourself working for a local government, regional planning agency, a state or federal agency, a local nonprofit, an environmental policy group, a community arts organization, or making a difference on an international or global scale, the MPA Program at the University of Charleston, SC invites you to explore our globally-accredited program.

We offer a rigorous curriculum that bridges theory and practice, offering our students the opportunity to build the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to navigate the challenging world of public management, public policy, and public service. We also offer one of the very few concurrent MPA -  Master of Environmental Sciences programs in the United States.

Our accredited status demonstrates our commitment to the highest quality education in public administration. It also means that we consistently identify and track student performance, learning outcomes, and ultimately, their career successes. Check this website for information about internships and careers of students and alumni. 

Our faculty and staff are nationally-recognized scholars and practitioners who combine deep knowledge of the theories and critical concepts of public, nonprofit, and environmental management with practical, hands-on experience. If you’d like to learn more or schedule a conversation with the Program Director or current students, contact the MPA office at 843-953-6690 or email the Program Director at NowlinMC@cofc.edu.

The MPA Experience

At the College of Charleston, students can tailor the degree to maximize their MPA experience. We offer a concurrent program in Environmental and Sustainability Studies, and two graduate certificate options. 

Traditional MPAConcurrent MPA/MES
 Urban and Regional PlanningArts and Cultural Management

Hear how the College of Charleston's MPA

Program Works for Our Students

MPA Program Blog

New Faculty Hire Interviews
Posted on 13 February 2020 | 11:53 am
We are pleased to announce that we are now in the final stages of hiring a faculty member who will have teaching responsibilities in the both the political science department and the public administration program. This was a very exciting search process.  As many of you might remember, at the close of our Community Conversation on Diversity last […]
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MPA Students Presenting at the 2020 ASPA Conference
Posted on 23 January 2020 | 11:02 am
Last Fall, the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) released a call for papers to present at the 2020 Annual Conference. The ASPA National Conference gathers scholars, practitioners, and students to share and discuss diverse ideas and themes across the field of public administration. Two of our MPA students, Devon Turner and Haley Schanne, applied […]
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Community Assistance Program Spotlight
Posted on 13 January 2020 | 12:09 pm
Last semester CAP students Ryan Green, Kelly Vicario, Trent Humphrey, Ina Ivanova and Charlton Brownell gave outstanding presentations on their work in the community. We are beyond proud of their achievements this semester, and are truly grateful for the community partners that are working closely with our students. The City of Charleston Illumination Project This past semester, CAP students […]
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