All students enrolled in the MPA Program at JMU complete the following core classes that ensure students graduating having achieved mastery of the Program competencies,which may be downloaded here.
2026 MPA Hooding Ceremony, courtesy of M. Krone
Concentrations
- Public Management
- Nonprofit Management
- International Stabilization and Recovery
- An Individualized Concentration
Further information about these Concentrations may be found in the JMU Catalog for the MPA Program under 'Requirements'.
Program Pathways
There are several pathways by which students may complete the MPA Program.
Most students enroll as Full-Time Students in a traditional four semester and two year timeline, completing three courses each fall and spring semester.
Students working full time may enroll as Part-Time Students, completing one to two courses each term for a longer timeline of three to four years.
Current JMU undergraduate students enrolled in the PPA, POSC, and INTA, majors may apply to enroll in the Accelerated Pathway where they complete two graduate courses in both the fall and spring semesters of their undergraduate senior year, paying undergraduate tuition rates for these courses, and then four graduate courses in the fall and spring semesters of a single graduate year, paying graduate student tuition rates. Accelerated Pathway students may count up to 9.0 credit hours of graduate coursework towards their undergraduate degree.
Any JMU undergraduate student may apply for the Five-Year Pathway, which is similar to the Accelerated Pathway except graduate courses taken during the undergraduate senior year do not count towards the undergraduate degree and are paid at graduate student tuition rates.
on rates. More information about the Accelerated and Five-Year Pathways may be found in the JMU Catalog.
Any student entering the MPA Program regardless of pathway without 2+ years of relevant public service employment must also enroll in PUAD 696: Internship in Public Administration for 3.0 credit hours.
