The Public and Nonprofit Management Specialization is designed to provide public and nonprofit sector managers or those preparing for service in the public sector, with essential knowledge and skills in administration, budgeting and finance, communications, information systems, law, leadership, personnel, and policy analysis.  These subjects and associated skills are important for effective management in local, state, and federal agencies, and leadership in the nonprofit sector.

For more information, please contact the MPA Graduate Program Director Dr. Michael Hayes at Michael.hayes@rutgers.edu.

Degree Requirements

The degree requires 42 credits of coursework.

  1. Seven Core of Common Knowledge courses (21 credits)
  2. Three Public and Nonprofit Management Specialization courses (9 credits)
  3. Internship (3 credits; or internship waiver)
  4. Three Elective courses (9 credits)

The core of Common Knowledge (21 credits)

56:834:501 Foundations of Policy Analysis
56:834:503 Law and Public Policy
56:834:515 Introduction to Public Budgeting and Finance
56:834:525 Public and Nonprofit Management
56:834:535 Research Methods
56:834:557 Human Resources Management
56:834:675 Capstone Research Workshop (prerequisite: all core courses)

Public and Nonprofit Management Specialization (select 3 classes – 9 credits)

56:834:505 Organizational Behavior
56:834:536 Public Information Systems
56:834:553 Financial Management of Public Programs
56:834:539 Race in Public Administration
56:834:559 Ethics in the Public Sector
56:834:570 Labor Management Relations

Public Management Internship (3 credits)

56:834:541 Internship I (required unless waived by the MPA Graduate Director)

Electives (9 credits)

See the List of Electives or Select any 834 (MPA) class from the list of courses

Specialization Worksheet

Download a PDF of the current Public and Nonprofit Management Specialization 2021

Academic Policies of the Graduate School

Graduate School Forms