Master of Public Administration Online Program Ranks in Top 10 Among Nation’s Universities
10/29/2015
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) online program has been selected as one of the top-10 nationally ranked programs, GraduatePrograms.com announced Thursday.
The organization, which reaches current and recent graduate students through scholarship entries as well as social media platforms, created the rankings on the ratings and reviews posted by more than 75,000 current or recent graduate students participating in more than 1,600 graduate programs nationwide. The data is based on a 10-star system, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.
A-State, with a student ranking of 8.72, is 10th on the list that includes Clemson, Valdosta State, Troy, Nebraska, Villanova, Penn State, North Carolina, Southern California and Indiana.
John Karageorge of GraduatePrograms.com notified A-State officials of the ranking, saying 15 categories are assigned to each graduate program at each graduate school. Rankings cover a variety of student topics such as academic competitiveness; affordability of living; campus safety; career support; education quality; faculty accessibility and support; financial aid; grad program value; quality of network; school use of technology; social life; student diversity; surrounding area; transportation; and workload.
“For a given graduate program, rankings are determined by calculating the average score for each program based on the 15 ranking categories,” he said. “These scores are then compared across all ranked schools for that program and are translated into a final ranking for that graduate program, i.e., ‘business and management’. A given graduate program is not ranked until a minimum threshold of graduate student surveys is completed for that program.”
One A-State student commented in the rankings, “I absolutely love attending A-State Online. The program is affordable and the seven-week classes are perfect in achieving your degree in a timely fashion. The financial aid process was simple and I have not encountered any issues. The workload is very sufficient for assignments on a weekly basis on the graduate level. The network is available everyday at any time as needed, unless specified days prior. I am glad I found A-State Online!“
A-State’s MPA program is designed to enhance the careers of law enforcement, public sector and non-profit professionals in order to achieve management, director or executive level positions within their chosen fields. The degree offers courses that focus on the skills required for effective public management, from managing people, money, resources and programs to safeguarding the public interest and addressing environmental and social concerns.
This is the third national ranking for the online MPA program. In June 2014, it was ranked by EducationResource.webs.com and MPADegree.org.
For additional information, contact the Online Programs Office at 870-972-2920 or through email at astateonline@astate.edu.
