Curriculum

The MPA degree program requires a minimum of 60 credits based on the following requirements.

Dr. Beryl Levinger leads a discussion in her Advanced NGO Management course.

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Core Curriculum (16 credits)

  • MPAG 8527 Public Policy & Social Change1 (4 credits)
  • IPSG 8504 Data Analysis for Public Policy (4 credits)
  • Economics (4 credits, select one):
    • IPSG 8520 International Economics
    • IPSG 8551 Development Economics
    • IEPG 8542 Environmental & Natural Resource Economics

Linguistic and Intercultural Competency (12 credits)

Language Studies program courses are offered in 7 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.  Through the Institute’s renowned content-based instruction, students combine advanced-level language study with topics related to their graduate coursework. Our Intercultural Competency offerings provide students the cross-cultural communication skills needed to pursue global career opportunities.

Program Requirements
Language Studies/ Summer Intensive Language Program/ Middlebury Language School or Schools Abroad courses (8 credits or more)
Intercultural Competence courses (up to 4 credits)

    MPA Required Curriculum (19-22 credits)

    Management (4 credits, select one)

    • MPAG 8514 Managing Nongovernmental Social Change Organizations
    • MPAG 8519 Managing Social Change Organizations

    Finance and Administration (3 or 4 credits, select one)

    • MPAG 8530 Finance Function: Nonprofit and Social Change Organizations
    • MPAG 8534 Organizational Sustainability of Social Change Organizations
    • MBAG 8530 Survey of Accounting

    Evaluation (4 credits, select one)

    • MPAG 8644 Seminar: Program Evaluation
    • MPAG 8685 Seminar: Advanced Evaluation

    Capstone (4-6 credits, select one)

    The following courses and practica experiences will fulfill your capstone requirement:

    MPA-approved Workshops or Short Courses (4 credits)

    Electives (14-17 credits)

    The remainder of the credits will be selected by you from a wide range of courses allowing you to specialize in one of these areas:

    • Leading mission-driven organizations
    • Managing and generating human, financial and material resources
    • Practicing good governance
    • Creating policy environments conducive to sustainable social change
    • Using qualitative and quantitative information to design solution strategies to critical problems
    • Evaluating programs, projects and initiatives
    • Developing organizational and individual capacity
    • Building networks and partnerships with diverse actors