MPA Program Mission

The mission of the UTEP MPA program is to provide accessible, excellent, and impactful education to students to build the capacity of governmental, nonprofit, and private organizations that serve the public interest. 

We will:

• Prepare/develop students with requisite skills for effective and ethical public and nonprofit management.;
• Conduct interdisciplinary and applied research.
• Empower students to advance evidence-based decision-making skills in public-serving organizations. 
• Educate students to communicate and interact ethically and productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry. 
• Equip professionals to lead with the values of democracy.
• Engage and network with public-serving professionals in the community. 

Core Competencies and Learning Outcomes

1. The ability to lead and manage in the public interest;
2. The ability to participate in, and contribute to, the policy process;
3. The ability to analyze, synthesize, think critically, solve problems and make evidence-informed decisions in a complex and dynamic environment;
4. The ability to articulate, apply, and advance a public service perspective;
5. The ability to communicate and interact productively and in culturally responsive ways with a diverse and changing workforce and society at large.

The UTEP MPA is a 36 hour program that accommodates both full-time and part-time students. Courses are scheduled in the evening to accommodate working professionals and full-time students. With courses ranging from research methods, budgeting, human resources, and policy analysis, we educate future leaders in government and nonprofit management. The program offers concentration areas in public policy and management, urban and regional planning, leadership, nonprofit administration, and homeland security.