Department of Public Policy and Administration
College of Liberal Arts
PPAD is the historically principal unit at Jackson State University which educates persons primarily for careers in the fields of public management and policy analysis and for service in public, non-profit and “quasi-public” organizations. Concomitantly, it is also the mission of the Department to serve as a resource to the Jackson State community, the State of Mississippi, the nation and developing areas throughout the world.
Department of Public Policy & Administration
Welcome to the Dept. of Public Policy and Administration! We offer two graduate degree programs—the Master of Public Policy and Administration and the Ph.D. in Public Administration. Since the
inception of our programs, Public Policy and Administration has continually strived to provide the highest level of academic and practitioner training for students preparing for significant professional and managerial positions in a variety of settings. The MPPA degree has been offered at Jackson State University since the fall of 1975 and has been accredited since 1978 by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (now the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration) for the degree
of Master of Public Administration (MPPA). The Program is designed to equip students with the skills of contemporary management that provide for efficient and effective practitioners, primarily in the areas of public, non-profit, and quasi-public organizations. The Ph.D. Program in Public Administration has been
offered since the 1992 academic year. It is designed to have a management and policy focus while centered on urban management. The program prepares students for careers in executive management, teaching, and research. The faculty of the Public Policy and Administration Program has academic and practitioner experience.
Several faculty members have national affiliations and serve on local, state, and national professional and civic boards. Faculty members are continually engaged in research and are published in a variety of scholarly journals and books. They contribute to the greater community through service and professional consulting.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Preparing Professionals
The MPPA program seeks to prepare students for significant professional and managerial positions in the public and non-profit sectors. The curriculum is designed to equip students with the necessary skills of contemporary public management, provide a broad understanding of the role of administration in the policy process, and provide a sound foundation in ethics. Thus, our MPPA program seeks to:
- Provide a cadre of highly trained individuals who are committed to the notion of public service in a variety of organizational settings;
- Develop advanced educational opportunities for students of public administration in an urban environment where a multiplicity of governmental opportunities, interactions and practices can be observed;
- Fill the need for public, quasi-governmental, and non-profit high-level executive management which exists in the State of Mississippi, the nation, and the world, particularly as this need relates to minorities and women; and
- Serve as a resource to the greater community.
LEARN BY DOING
The Master of Public Policy and Administration Program is designed to provide practical career-oriented training for persons seeking public service careers or for persons already employed in the many branches of public service. The curriculum is designed to equip students with the necessary skills of contemporary public management as well as to give them a broad understanding of the role of administration in the decision making process.
“Challenging Minds, Changing Lives.”
APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE
The future of public administration is strong and growing. Global, national and local problems require solutions from trained public administrators and policymakers. It is the role of Jackson State University’s Public Policy and Administration programs to prepare the next leaders to devise and to manage much-needed solutions!
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
Department of Public Policy and Administration majors have a plethora of career options:
| Forecasting Manager | Real Estate Agent | Policy Manager | Policy Analyst |
| Management Consultant | Economic Analyst | Bank Officer | Urban Planner |
PERSONNEL
READY TO JOIN?
For more information, please contact us at (601) 979-8783. We look forward to meeting with you and seeing how our program can help you achieve your goals.
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION
