MPA Curriculum

Thursday, March 14 at 12:00 PM (ET)
Tuesday, March 12 at 12:00 PM (ET)
The Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree program consists of 40 semester hours (SH):
Full-time students can complete the requirements for graduation in as little as 1.5 years. For those who choose to complete optional cooperative education experience, they will graduate with a total of 41 or 42 semester hours based on the length of the co-op.
All core classes with the MPA curriculum are available online or offline, and students are welcome to move between modalities. Both the online and on-campus courses reflect Northeastern University’s high standards for excellence and offer a dynamic, interactive experience.
All online courses are asynchronous, so that students can complete coursework on their own schedules, but all work must be completed by specified deadlines each week.
Co-op is a signature offering of Northeastern’s MPA program. This optional experience allows students to get credit for full-time employment (minimum 32 hours/week) in a role related to public policy.
Northeastern partners with local organizations in Boston, national partners, and global employers to help students find placements. Throughout the co-op program, MPA faculty and staff are available to mentor students on their work experience.
Students can choose from the two co-op cycles: January–June or July–December. Co-op participants must take a required “Experiential Integration” course.
MPA students are required to take an internship of at least 300 hours for 4 hours of course credit. However, students can waive this requirement if they have substantial experience or are fully employed in positions relevant to their careers.
Want to take your public administration career path in a specific direction? Tailor your degree coursework to your interests with a concentration or a certificate.
Many certificates can be completed online, while others are only available on the Boston campus. For more information about available modalities, please contact publicaffairs@northeastern.edu or call +1 877.377.2739 (toll-free).
Please note: Courses taken at Northeastern University outside of the College of Social Sciences and Humanities are subject to different tuition rates.
This concentration builds in-depth knowledge of health policy and health-sector management for students seeking careers in public health, community health, hospital administration, health-service management, healthcare policy development, and more. View these course options.
The Healthcare Management Policy concentration can be completed online or at our Boston campus.
Students can choose to earn a graduate certificate at the same time they are earning their Master of Public Administration degree. This is achieved by matching their electives with the courses required for a certificate. Choose from:
Many certificates can be completed online, while others are only available on the Boston campus. For more information about available modalities, please contact publicaffairs@northeastern.edu or call +1 877.377.2739 (toll-free).
Note: Course numbers and descriptions are updated regularly; however, please refer to the academic catalog for the most current information.
MPA students have 12 SH in free electives, which can be applied to earning one of several graduate certificates, concentrated in a particular focus area, or selected as desired from a broad array of courses offered by the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, other graduate programs in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and most other graduate level programs at Northeastern University. The selection of electives is done in consultation with the student’s advisor.
*Course numbers and descriptions are updated regularly, however please refer to the course catalog for the most current information.
Master of Public Administration
Fill out the form to learn more and download a brochure about Northeastern University’s Master of Public Administration.
You can also email publicaffairs@northeastern.edu or call us toll-free at +1 877.377.2739 or at +1 617.655.6736 to talk with one of our admissions counselors.