Universities dedicate a great deal of time and effort to securing and maintaining accreditation. As a professional endorsement, accreditation certifies quality curriculum, effective diversity planning and committed faculty and staff – qualities students look for when considering application. For schools that offer Master of Public Administration (MPA) degrees, programs with NASPAA accreditation stand above the rest.
Degree value
The best MPA programs demonstrate commitments to degree value, which means they rely on up-to-date curriculum across industry-proven course offerings in the hands of accomplished instructors. Self-assessment is an important aspect of maintaining the endorsement of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration — or NASPAA accreditation — which holds universities and programs to exacting standards that guarantee quality education.
Quality faculty
Faculty members must stay current with the latest research and best practices in their areas of expertise, and they must regularly present their own work to colleagues at professional conferences; administrators also encourage or require faculty to maintain memberships in professional organizations, which network instructors across the country or around the world. In addition, faculty members serve on university committees and support campus initiatives. These stringent requirements ensure that faculty offer the kind of competitive instruction that students need in the global workplace.
Online benefits
In addition to quality instruction, NASPAA-accredited online MPA programs also offer students flexible scheduling, 24-hour content access, and remote attendance – generally, online programs also require less time to complete. Students complete online coursework when it best suits their schedules, within the parameters of course deadlines, which enables them to maintain their existing personal and professional commitments.
NASPAA is an internationally recognized organization with a focus on public service education. Schools who secure and maintain NASPAA accreditation carry the organization’s endorsement of competitive, high-quality education, which students need in today’s global workplace.
Learn more about the UT Arlington online MPA degree.
Sources:
NASPAA Accreditation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2015, from http://accreditation.naspaa.org
NASPAA *The Global Standard in Public Service Education*. (n.d.). Retrieved October 19, 2015, from http://www.naspaa.org
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