California State University Northridge Master of Public Administration

2018 – 2019
Advising Information
College of the Canyons and CSUN

What is Master of Public Administration?

The MPA curriculum is designed to develop
leadership and educate students in public
administration principles such as executive
problem solving, human capital management
and policy analysis. The program is also
designed to fit the schedules of working
students and their sponsoring agencies. All
courses have an academic core but emphasize
the application of critical skills to the
leadership and managerial functions.
The Master of Public Administration degree is
designed to prepare students for career
service in national, state, or local government,
in regional planning agencies, and in nonprofit
or voluntary organizations.

 

Contact Information

The Tseng College
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA 91330
For more information call:

818 – 677‐ 3332

 

Admissions Requirements 

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited
college/university.
Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.50.
Two years of work/leadership experience.
 Three letters of reference from supervisors that
include information about work assignments and
their completion (e.g. financial management,
problem‐solving, decision‐making, initiative and
creativity, collaboration, perseverance,
communication skills, etc.), overall work
performance, growth in responsibility in the
workplace, and potential as a graduate student.
Note: Admission to the MPA program is competitive
and admission files are adjudicated based on all
contents of the file, including resume and related
experience, transcripts, statement of purpose, and
letters of recommendation. Strong candidates will
have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or
higher, extensive work experience in the public
sector, a clear statement of purpose, and stellar
letters of recommendation. Students must achieve
fully classified standing—which includes successful
completion of the Upper Division Writing Proficiency
Exam (UDWPE)—prior to completing no more than
12 units of graduate coursework in the program of
study. No more than 12 units of work taken prior to
attaining fully classified status will be applied to a
master’s degree program.
Students must submit an online application to the
MPA program and be admitted prior to taking the
first class in the program. Students are required to
provide official transcripts from the required
institutions of higher education.
 English Proficiency Requirements – Please check the
CSUN Tseng College Website for more information.
https://tsengcollege.csun.edu/programs/mpa/publicsector‐
management‐leadership/offcampus/
admissionrequirements