MPA
Program Handbook | Internships
| News and Events | The Graduate School
Welcome to the MPA Program at USC
The Master of Public Administration Program (MPA) at the
University of South Carolina began in 1968 in response to a
growing demand for professionally-trained public
administrators at the state and local levels of
government. Since then, the program has granted
more than 1,000 MPA degrees. The program
currently serves approximately 45 students, with slightly
more than half of the students already employed by federal,
state, and local governments or by private
organizations. In 2004-2006, the MPA program was
reviewed by the National Association of Schools of Public
Affairs and Administration and, as the result of that
review, continues as South Carolina’s only fully accredited
autonomous professional program.
The Master of Public Administration Program at the
University of South Carolina strives to promote teaching,
research, and service activities that will enhance the
performance of the public sector across the state of South
Carolina, the region, and the nation. To
accomplish this goal, the program has three more specific
objectives: (1) providing a broadly focused
graduate and professional education that incorporates the
managerial and analytical skills necessary for students who
seek careers in the public service and for those already
working in the public sector who want to enhance their
capabilities; (2) advancing the understanding of issues
facing the public sector and facilitating the use of
relevant analytic and management skills within the public
sector itself; and (3) applying appropriate knowledge and
skills to important problems and concerns facing the state,
its communities, and its citizens.