Master of Public Administration Program Data
Historical Information about enrollment numbers, graduation rates, completion rates, and graduate employment rates can be found below.
Here's a breakdown of where recent GovState MPA grads found employment:
MPA Job Placement Data
| Placement Status per Academic Year | 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
| National or central government in the same country as the program | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| State, provincial, or regional government in the same country as the program | 0 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| City, County, or other local government in the same country as the program | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Government not in the same country as the program (all levels) or international quasi-governmental | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nonprofit domestic-oriented | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Nonprofit/NGOs internationally-oriented | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Private Sector - Research/Consulting | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Private Sector but not research/ consulting | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Obtaining further education | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Military Service | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Unemployed (not seeking employment) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unemployed (seeking employment) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Status Unknown | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 11 | 4 | 33 | 10 | 14 | 10 |
MPA Internship Placement for 2023-2024
The MPA program internship (PADM-8880) is an elective 3-credit hour course. This practical exposure is an essential part of the program's commitment to delivering high-quality education and encouraging diversity, and civic engagement. It is designed to offer students practical experience to complement their academic training and prepare them for careers in the nonprofit sector, government, and private organizations serving public entities. By providing internships in various sectors, the program ensures that MPA students can put their theoretical knowledge into practice, thereby enhancing their skills in public administration, finance, ethics, budgeting, and strategic planning. These internships also emphasize ethical practices and effective problem-solving, which are integral components of the curriculum.
Some examples of internship placement for AY23-24 include such organizations as the City of Oak Forest and the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation.
Graduation Rates
Degrees awarded by the program:
- • AY 2022-2023: 14
- • AY 2023-2024: 10
5-Year Cohort Completion Rates
Total Number of Students and Completion Rate* in the ARY-5 Cohort | Initially Enrolled | Graduated within 2 years | Graduated within 3 years | Graduated within 4 years | Total Students Graduated and Persisting to Graduation |
AY 2017-2018 – AY 2022-2023 | 29 | 3 (10%) | 9 (31%) | 17 (57%) | 19 |
AY 2018-2019 – AY 2023-2024 | 22 | 6 (27%) | 11 (50%) | 13 (59%) | 14 |
*Completion Rate indicates the percentage of the class entering five years prior to data year that graduated within 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years.
Student Exit Questionnaire Results (AY 2022-2023)
Overall Program Satisfaction: In AY 2022-2023, the program satisfaction remained high, with 55.5% of respondents rating it as "Excellent," and 44.5% rating it as "Good."
Strengths Identified by Respondents: The survey responses highlighted several strengths of the MPA program, including faculty quality, student support, and diversity. These strengths were emphasized by comments from respondents, acknowledging the program's flexibility, dedication of professors, course content, and support in various life situations.
Universal Competencies AssessmentThe analysis of the exit surveys for AY 2022-2023 revealed the following results for each of the five universal competencies:
- Competence 1 (Lead and Manage in Public Governance): 55.5% strongly agreed, 33.3% agreed, and 11.2% were unsure.
- Competence 2 (Participate in and Contribute to Public Policy Process): 77.7% strongly agreed, 22.3% agreed.
- Competence 3 (Analyze, Synthesize, Think Critically, Solve Problems, and Make Decisions): 55.6% strongly agreed, 44.4% agreed.
- Competence 4 (Articulate and Apply a Public Service Perspective; Ethically and Politically Inclusive): 77.7% strongly agreed, 11.2% agreed, 11.1% were unsure.
- Competence 5 (Communicate and Interact Productively with a Diverse and Changing Workforce and Citizenry): 77.7% strongly agreed, 22.3% agreed.
Direct Measurement of Universal Competency 4: The program conducted an assessment for Universal Competency 4 (Articulate and Apply a Public Service Perspective; Ethically and Politically Inclusive) in AY 2022-2023. The results showed that students achieved the Milestone level of proficiency in all four categories under this competency. The rubric-based assessment for Universal Competency 4 yielded the following scores:
- Recognizes complex, multi-layered intergovernmental relationships: 3.66
- Formulates solutions that are ethically and politically inclusive: 3.42
- Prepares a comprehensive plan for a local municipality: 3.43
Student Testimonials - “Thank you for a wonderful experience and education. The patience and guidance I received was great”,
- “Wonderful professors”;
- “Hands on experience is great and having guest speakers that have professions in the many fields of public Administration”;
- “Flexibility of class times and schedules”;
- “Availability of faculty, person centered advising, and administrative support”;
- “Thank you for the flexibility of the program. For allowing me to split my dual degree to accommodate the real-life issues I was undergoing at the time. Thank you for understanding the issues I have undergone while undergoing this program from faculty leaving me hanging to having to fight to keep my home in a deconversion situation to issues at work. It was greatly appreciated as this program completion was weighing heavy on my mind the entire time.”;
- “Professor's dedication to the students; Availability of professors to help students; Course content”;
- “Good communication with advisor (s). Flexible class schedule.”;
- “Knowledgeable and supportive faculty, relevant content.”
Contact
Dr. Natalia Ermasova
Full Professor, Division of Arts and Letters
Program Coordinator
Email: nermasova@govst.edu
Phone: 708.534.4978
Office Location: C3340
Robbin Mitchell
Academic Advisor
Email: rreynolds2@govst.edu
Phone: 708.534.4931
Office Location: G278
Testimonials
"I am excited about educating and inspiring the next generation of public service leaders. Teaching students to value public administration, ethics, and social equity in an ever-changing global, technological, and diverse society is an honor."
Dr. Mary Bruce, Professor of Public Administration
"As a Police Chief, I am always facing new challenges. This degree is helping me to be a more effective leader and to see future opportunities in village administration or education. I am committed to teaching 21st-century policing and de-escalation techniques. The MPA program has made me a better communicator, which is critical in any de-escalation scenario."
Chief Michael Jones, Matteson Police Department