The mission of the MPA program is to offer graduates the knowledge of values, roles, skills, and practices that will help them become competent professionals capable of ethical, intelligent, and creative leadership in the public service. As a member of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the MPA program’s mission and set of goals also reflect NASPAA's Code of Good Practice (www.naspaa.org/codeofgoodpractice).

The Four Goals of Our Mission

"The MPA program at Villanova provides students with a superior foundation in the theories of public service. Additionally, Villanova has done an excellent job in recruiting a faculty comprised of not only academics, but professionals from local government, federal government, and non-profit organizations. Because of this, students are not restricted to simply learning from text; they are instead treated to the stories of both successes and mistakes that faculty has experienced. This makes for a well-rounded graduate student capable of effectively assuming a role in a field of their choosing, wary of both the gallantries and pitfalls potentially ahead of them. Further, the internship program provides students the opportunity to gain sound professional relationships and real-life experience doing tasks of actual importance in their respective organizations.

Keith Truman, May 2005
Assistant Manager
Borough of Hatfield, PA

• Stress the study of how values from political (constitutional and legal), philosophic, and religious traditions, guide the actions of successful public administrators.

• Offer an interdisciplinary curriculum featuring the integration of knowledge from sociology, political science, economics, psychology, communication, history, philosophy, and statistics.
  
  
• Nurture a sense of service to community 
• by featuring the study of successful public administrators as roles models.
• by exploring the traditions and approaches in public administration theory
• Emphasize the importance of practical experience
• by discussing case studies of public administration in practice.
• by using simulations and other exercises to use knowledge in the safe environment of the classroom.
• by stressing the need for work experience in the application of public administration knowledge
• by requiring an internship for students lacking such experience.